Audi unveiled its Q4 E-Tron on Wednesday and looks like an extremely credible rival to Tesla’s Y model. I received a preview of this in March but now the real thing is here.
Audi says the Q4 E-Tron’s range is 250 miles, which is smaller than the Y-model’s 300-plus, although it may not be as simple as that. But what stands out here is the price, which Audi said it will start with less than $ 45,000 before the tax incentives, or less than $ 5,000 less than a Y Long Range model.
What you will get for this is 150 kW – or just over 200 horsepower – in the rear wheel drive base model Q4 40 E-Tron, while the most expensive Q4 50 E-Tron has a power of 220 kW, or almost 300 hp. The Q4 50 E-Tron also receives all-wheel drive along with the Q4 50 E-Tron Sportback.
And while the base Q4 40 E-Tron has only one rear engine, Q4 50 E-Tron and Q4 50 E-Tron will have a second engine up front that will activate to provide more traction, as required by the conditions.
Audi spends a lot of time talking about the exterior and interior of the Q4 E-Tron at launch, which I think will be more and more with each new EV, as consumers show little desire to think about electric transmissions or at least less than in the case of internal combustion engines.
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To this end, Audi says it was considering aerodynamics, with a traction coefficient of Q4 E-Tron of 0.28, and a Q4 E-Tron Sportback of 0.24. Audi is also trying to differentiate itself with outdoor lighting tricks.
Keeping innovation at the forefront, even in the brand’s most affordable EV entry point, the Q4 e-tron electric SUVs offer available Matrix-designed LED headlights with personalized daytime light signatures – a world premiere. The driver can switch between four light signatures running in the MMI touch operating system. At the back, a light strip connects the stop light units and is available with animated home-and-away functions.
Inside, says Audi there is more space because there is no central tunnel. An “enlarged” head-up display is also optional.
The premium interior of the Audi Q4 e-tron is spacious and airy; the instrument panel intentionally turned towards the driver. A separate floating panel houses the gearbox under which there is a convenient wireless storage and charging stand for compatible devices. Also new is the steering wheel with its seamless tactile surfaces, which the driver can use to control the digital instrument cluster. Infotainment and navigation are operated primarily using the 10.1-inch central touch MMI display, paired with the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster or optional virtual cab. The available built-in surround view cameras are especially useful when driving in the city and parking spaces in tight spaces. Natural voice control provides a third operating interface.
Eventually, the Q4 E-Tron will have a whole host of semi-autonomous systems to compete with Tesla’s autopilot, although Audi has not said whether they are standard or not (I think not.) cruising which “provides longitudinal and lateral guidance assistance on the full range of speeds and in certain traffic scenarios through a combined Traffic Jam assistance. ”This describes a level 2 semi-autonomous system and a semi-stop systemautonomous system, both things came to be expected.
Audi said the Q4 E-Tron and Q4 E-Tron Sportback will be available later this year, and its announcement on Wednesday contains a bit of bragging, with Saying Audi that “it will have more fully electric models for sale in the US than any other luxury brand by the end of 2021.”
This is a precise reference to Tesla, which sells four electric vehicles here. Including the E-Tron GT, E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback, Audi will now have five. And a brand like Audi is the kind of brand that could even turn the head of a future Tesla buyer or at least more than Volkswagen with its Q4 E-Tron version, ID.4 or Chevy with EUV Bolt. Whether that’s enough, someone assumes.
