VW Group continues its push to electrification with Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback
Anyone doubting the Volkswagen Group’s commitment to electrification needs to give their head a shake. Not only does the automaker expect to sell three million electrified cars in 2025, the company promises no fewer than four separate platforms dedicated either partially or totally to its upcoming EV fleet.
First up is the MLB Evo, a modular chassis capable of housing gas and electric powertrains and currently being used by the E-tron SUV. Then there’s the small MEB, a pure EV platform planned for all VW EVS using the ID identification and Audi’s Q4 e-tron. Next up is the J1 currently underpinning the Porsche Taycan and soon Audi’s e-tron GT. Then there’s the Premium Platform Electric, which has no models officially designated but is predicted to house Audi’s electrically powered sedans and SUVS in the future.
Already the company is boasting success for its fledgling EV program, the freshly launched E-tron already displacing Tesla’s Model 3 as the best-selling car in the Ev-mad Norway, the first time any traditional automaker has been able to break Tesla’s hegemony on the luxury EV segment anywhere.
The Q4 e-tron Sportback is yet another glimpse into how Audi will grow its portfolio into a full lineup of EVS. Measuring 4,600 millimetres from stem to stern, it’s a large compact or a small mid-size, depending on your view of the glass-half-full-half-empty argument. But thanks to the jettisoning of internal combustion, Audi’s engineers were able to stretch its wheelbase to a full 2,770-mm which, according to the company, makes this Q4’s interior two segment sizes larger than its exterior; in European terms, that’s a C-class versus an A-class.
Amar Vaya, the chief exterior designer, says it’s all about the Q4’s dash-to-front-axle ratio and the ability to stretch out the interior. He also says that this Q4’s cargo space is as copious as a traditional Q5’s. As for cabin decor, you’ll find all sorts of modern features inside the conceptual Q4. Keeping with the sustainability theme, the floor mats are made of recycled materials and chrome has been eschewed for high-gloss paint.
There’s also a huge 12.3-inch touch screen for Audi’s latest MMI interface and, because the centre console does not need to hold functional elements such as a gear lever or hand brake, there’s a spacious stowage compartment that includes a phone-charging cradle.
As for more pedestrian things like range and performance, the most popular version of the new Q4 EV — due out in 2021 — will feature an electric motor on each axle (for a permanent Quattro AWD system) for a total of 225 kilowatts (301 horsepower). That’s good enough, says Audi, to accelerate the Sportback to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds.
Contrary to traditional construction, the e-tron’s AWD system defaults to rear-wheel drive with the larger 150 kw rear electric motor driving the Q4 in normal conditions.
Only when the rear wheels slip — or maximum acceleration is called for — does the front 75-kw motor kick in.
An 82 kilowatt-hour battery ensures range will be 450 km. For those suffering severe range anxiety, the company will offer a rear-wheel-drive version that will hit 500 kilometres on a charge, but there’s no indication we’ll get the long-range version in Canada.
One thing that may prove disappointing for those shopping the very latest in EV technology is that the fastest charger available for the new Q4 will be 125 kilowatts.
Audi recently put out a missive explaining that its 125-kw chargers are more efficient than the competition’s (that should be read: Tesla), but with 350-kw charging expected to become more popular in the near future, it would seem to be a bit like boasting you have the best flathead engine ever produced.
As it is, Audi says the Q4 can get an 80-per-cent recharge in 30 minutes from a 125-kw charging station.