Audi Q4 Sportback E-tron
Coupé-like compact SUV packs 302bhp and an official range of up to 311 miles
302bhp all-electric SUV
Audi will launch a rakish Q4 Sportback E-tron next year – one of seven electric E-tron models that will be on sale in the next 18 months. By 2025, Audi plans to have 20 EVS.
The Range Rover Evoquerivalling Q4 Sportback is mechanically identical to the Q4 E-tron electric SUV that was unveiled at the 2019 Geneva motor show but has a more coupé-like roofline. The siblings will go on sale at the same time in late 2021.
The Q4 is the first Audi to adopt the Volkswagen Group’s dedicated MEB electric car platform, first used by the
Volkswagen ID 3 hatchback.
A spokesman said the platform is the “cornerstone” of Audi’s electrification plans. “We are using it for the highvolume electric segment,” he said. “The synergies in the group make EVS ready for the mass market.”
MEB is one of four electric car platforms Audi is using, two of them co-developed with Porsche.
The dimensions of the two Q4s are almost identical, giving them a slightly smaller footprint than the Audi A3 hatchback. At 4.6 metres long and 1.6m high, the Q4 Sportback is 1cm longer and lower than the Q4. Width remains the same at 1.9m, with a wheelbase of 2.77m.
While both the Q4 Sportback pictured here and the alreadyseen Q4 are concepts, next year’s production versions will be very similar.
When asked if the Q4 will be the smallest Audi to be based on the MEB platform, the spokesman said: “For the next few years it will be, but we are still thinking about other compact electric cars based on the MEB platform.”
Audi has previously said smaller EVS will be left to other brands in the group, but it is now understood to be evaluating an A2 E-tron hatch, built on MEB and based on last year’s AI:ME concept.
Both Q4s have two electric motors – one on each axle – that have combined outputs of 302bhp and 306lb ft and provide four-wheel drive when needed. They achieve 0-62mph in 6.3sec and “for reasons of efficiency” have a top speed of 112mph.
In normal driving, the Q4 is mainly propelled by its rear motor – which makes 229lb ft on its own – to further boost efficiency. The other motor is called on when more power is needed, as well as in slippery driving conditions or when cornering hard.
The Q4 has an official range of 280 miles in four-wheeldrive mode. This increases to 311 miles in rear-wheel-drive mode. The underfloor battery has an 82kwh capacity and can be charged at a maximum rate of 125kw, resulting in a 0-80% charge in 30 minutes.
As with other electric E-tron models, the Q4 has a closedoff version of Audi’s singleframe grille, because airflow is no longer needed for engine cooling. It features Audi’s new digital matrix headlights, which can be customised to a user’s tastes, while the lighting strip across the car’s rear echoes
that of range-topping models such as the A7 and A8.
As with the regular Q4, the Q4 Sportback’s interior features a digital instrument cluster, a 12.3in infotainment touchscreen (angled towards the driver) and an augmented reality head-up display. Physical buttons control the climate functions, rather than being located on the touchscreen.
Light-coloured materials on the upper areas are intended to “emphasise the sense of spaciousness”, while Audi says “sustainability is a top priority”. The floor coverings are made from recycled materials, with the seats covered in Alcantara.
Audi claims passenger and boot space are similar to that of cars in the next class up.
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The Q4 is mainly driven by its rear motor, with the front one being called on only when needed
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