Audi e-tron Sportback
REORT 4
£79,185 OTR/£89,470 as tested/£1,020pcm
WHY IT’S HERE
Is Audi’s electric SUV the future or just a stepping stone?
DRIVER
Charlie Turner
THE COLD IS NOT THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE’S FRIEND. AS WE DELVE into deep midwinter the challenges of running an EV in the cold, as well as a few of the surprises, are dominating the experience.
Firstly, the good stuff. No one likes getting into a cold car. Thankfully, the e-tron has this covered. Merely open the connected car app on your smartphone and you can tell the car to warm up. Clever algorithms also learn when you normally leave and suggest putting the heating on at regular departure times, which is nice.
However, the joy of the remote operation of heating and heated seats does come at a cost, you get too used to it, forget to deploy your remote helper and the e-tron (like many EVs) takes an age to warm up. While winter driving not only means you’ll inevitably be using the climate control, heated seats and all mod cons to keep warm, but in the background the batteries will be using charge to optimise the battery temperature. Batteries are happiest between 15–26 ºC, so if you find yourself wrapping up against the cold, your battery will also be wanting to control its heat.
Doing this uses energy and, while some of it is mitigated if you leave the car plugged in when you preheat, it’s having a substantial effect on the range. Throw in dark mornings and long evenings (meaning headlights are on all the time), and we’re seeing range closer to 160 miles than the WLTP 249.
That aside, the e-tron remains a very comfortable and connected place to travel. I say travel because that’s what you do in it, get from A to B with the minimal of fuss, never truly engaging in proceedings – it’s effortless but rather remote. For many, that’s all they require... driving isn’t about enjoyment, it’s a function of getting from here to there with the minimal of fuss. But for a brand that for many came to life from the madness of the Group B rally era, it’s a very different type of Audi.