How affordable is the Audi electric-SUV
New Zealand prices for the e-tron plug-in are revealed. Richard Bosselman reports.
Early adopters to Audi’s first fully electric car now know how much they will be spending on the model – and also what they can outfit it with, notably those snazzy worldfirst camera door mirrors.
As expected, the e-tron medium crossover’s pricing looks competitive against a primary rival that is also expected to be prowling New Zealand from midyear, delivery schedules allowing, the Jaguar I-Pace.
The e-tron will furnish here in two grades, entry 55 quattro and a higher-specified 55 quattro Advanced, at $148,500 and $157,000 respectively, though the latter might be considered a conversation starter, due to the availability of many options for this version.
I-Pace will deliver in S, SE, HSE variants for $159,900, $169,900 and $179,900 respectively.
A fulsomely furnished e-tron could become a price match for the highest-level Jaguar.
It is also interesting that within Audi ranks, the e-tron prices closely to the similarly styled and sized Q8, a diesel five-seater with a 48-volt drive assistance system that costs $149,900 or $8000 more with S-Line trim, before options are considered.
Another premium European competitor, the Mercedes EQC, is also confirmed for sale here, in the second part of the year. It has yet to be priced. The BMW iX3 arriving in 2021 is another contestant, pricing also as yet unknown.
Tesla you say? Well, of course, America’s size, spec and perhaps status-aligning boundarybreakers are already here.
Conceivably the Model S and Model X are both competitors. The Model S 100D is $160,700. The Model X, also 100D, configures at $166,000.
E-tron runs a common drivetrain comprising two electric motors for all-wheel-drive with up to 300kW output and 664Nm of torque, capable of accelerating to 100kmh in 5.7 seconds and reaching a governed 200kmh top speed.
Advanced buyers alone seem able to also access three specification enhancement packages – S-Line Sports, Technology and Comfort and Luxury – and, though it is not clear if one or more can be combined, they all lift the car’s kerbside kudos.
The first is an appearance focus that breaks into two provisions. The core upgrade, for an additional $7000, delivers an S-Line interior upgrade with sports front seats, scuff plates with illuminated aluminium inserts with a S logo, other S Line emblems, Valcona leather upholstery, a black headlining and privacy glass. There is also a seatspecific option, yet to be priced.
The $5800 technology and comfort uplift delivers the most talked-about of the car’s numerous innovations: the virtual wing mirrors.
Replacing traditional wing mirrors with smaller cameras and door-mounted OLED interior displays is a bold move, but not without challenge.
North America, for instance, will not allow this technology yet and potentially might not for some time, because regulators require proof of safety benefits. Audi New Zealand’s listing suggests that does not seem to be an issue here.
The brand attests that the arrangement is not just to improve for one-upmanship – though the brag-ability strength is obvious, likewise that it very much improves the look of the car.
The mirror casing’s slimline shape also improves drag, narrows the car by 15cm, and cuts down dramatically on interior noise. (The latter is particularly important for electric vehicles, since they’re already inherently much quieter than combustion vehicles.) It is not clear if the Advanced can be ordered with orthodox mirror glass wing mirrors.
The camera-view system packages here with other fancy Audi innovations, some of which presently provision only on its highest-priced products. The package also delivers an advanced ambient lighting setup and matrix LED headlights. Also bundled in are electric adjust for the steering column, comfort stationary air conditioning and a storage package.
The luxury package is the most expensive, at $12,750. It equips the front seats with powered movement (with memory settings), headrest and contour adjustability, which includes massage function. The front seats are also configured with air flow ventilation. Also delivered are front and rear seat heaters, powerassisted closing doors, four-zone air conditioning and a more fulsome leather kit-out, including hide across the upper part of the dashboard.
Some of these features can be added individually – four-zone air con on its own, for instance, is a $2100 buy while power-close doors are $1700 – and there are other add-ons, such as a 730 Watt Bang and Olufsen premium sound system for $2400, digital television for a heady $3300, a panoramic sunroof at $4200 and a reversible floor mat at $400.
The entry edition runs 19-inch wheels with 255/55 tyres while Advanced has 255/50 rubber, on 20-inch rims. Alternate styles are available and the models can also be configured with 21-inch rims.
Audi NZ has previously attested that 100 E-Trons are definitely allocated to New Zealand and that this provision was spoken for in just eight days. It is trying to get more, having sensed any extras would be easily shifted in a country where ‘‘e-awareness’’ is especially heightened.
The cars already on allocation were spoken for when the brand announced the 2019 count last September, but it said then that customers would have time to exact-tailor them before build commenced. That progress seems set to start now.
In September Audi NZ general manager Dean Sheed described e-tron interest here as being ‘‘unprecedented’’ and noted that this, coupled with solid sales and consumer acceptance of the plug-in A3 e-tron Sportback and the Q7 e-tron, provided proof the Giltrap-owned distributor is ‘‘on track with electric mobility, and our fully electric future’’.
The distributor is confident previous EV issues with range and power have been laid to rest by the e-tron with its WLTP (worldwide harmonised light vehicle test) range of more than 400km and full recharging of the 95kWh battery in as little as 40 minutes.
It can fast charge at up to 150kW or use AC charging at up to 11kW, with recharging at 22kW also an option.
Audi owners can control all charging processes and preheating and pre-cooling via the myAudi app.