Back for good
More rakish styling is the least significant change to the electric Audi
I step out of a Porsche 911 and straight into the new Sportback version of the all-electric Audi e-Tron. If I let the two-door sports car set the agenda, I think we all know how this will go. But within minutes the e-Tron has started to cast its spell and make me forget about the Porsche. This is an electric car to win fresh converts.
It’s a fine cabin, like many an Audi, but that’s not what’s done it. Visually, it’s a neat coupe-ish reshaping of the more SUV-like regular e-Tron, but that’s not it either. And though it’s more powerful and quicker than the base e-Tron, that’s not quite it, although it definitely has something to do with the extra appeal of the Sportback.
Rather, it’s the way that the higher outputs, the more slippery body, the tweaked power electrics and the recalibrated suspension combine into a unique driving experience.
It dishes up oodles of instant torque, distributes it via ultra-fast torque vectoring in a manner dictated by the driver’s choice of modes, and redefines luxury as near-total aural calm. Mid-tempo acceleration is a timewarp, and the weight of the batteries combines with the long wheelbase and air suspension to provide excellent ride comfort.
You can get a regular e-Tron 50, making 308bhp, for just under £60k, but the Sportback is only available with more power (badged 55) and in higher S-line spec, priced around £80k (or a limited-edition launch trim for a further £6k).
Standard UK spec includes the sport adaptive air suspension, sports front seats and 21-inch wheels. The skinny rear-view cameras (instead of mirrors) are optional.
There’s a battery pack under the floor and an electric motor on each axle, as before. What’s new is that the default is to run with just the rear motor powering the rear wheels. The front motor and front wheels join in only when needed; the coasting-friendly decoupling is a refinement that will migrate to the regular e-Tron for the 2021 model year.
The Sportback gets into a fluent, calming rhythm but is also happy to be pushed hard, up to a point. Because of the mass this is not a sporty SUV. Although Audi did a lot of work to the steering, it still feels remote and artificial. The braking system performs well, although the transition from deceleration by electric motor to deceleration by brakes remains detectable. And in the back, you have 20mm less headroom.
Getting back into the 911 at the end of the day is a culture shock, and of course a pleasant one. But there’s no denying it’s been a glorious time spent in the gentle arms of electrification.
First verdict
An excellent driving tool for those with nothing to prove to themselves or others – refined and exceedingly rapid
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