Audi E-tron GT takes up brand's performance halo
Active suspension gives top-end EV terrific lateral stability
Last year, we had a chance to sample the Audi RS E-tron GT for an entire summer and during that time, it dazzled us with its acceleration and performance. But as the beloved V10 R8 faded into the sunset for 2024, the E-tron was left as Audi's halo product and top-tier performance offering. Taking up this mantle, Audi has made the E-tron GT'S performance even more formidable, and invited me all the way out to Salalah, Oman, to sample it.
I drove this car back in December 2023, but you're only reading about it now because the car I drove was an early prototype. This was especially cool because Audi had me and other reviewers fill out a little report card about the E-tron, and has reviewed that feedback ahead of the car's launch in the second half of 2024. This approach is pretty unique, and I give Audi points for actually involving reviewers in the development process.
The caveat is that it means I am only allowed to discuss the driving experience of the car in this review. I'm not able to speak to the E-tron's battery size, power figures, range, acceleration and top speed. The interior of the car I drove was shielded with obscuring black fabric, and the infotainment system I used was not what you'd be getting as a customer.
And finally, Audi did not release any specs, acceleration times, power ratings or pricing information. But I can still tell you about what it feels like to drive, and what some of the tech updates will be for the new model.
The first thing you may notice about the Audi e-tron GT prototype is that it rises to greet you. The Audi's active suspension has so much range that it basically works like a kneeling bus in reverse, raising itself a few inches to let passengers in and out. The raising and lowering process takes about 1.5 seconds each way, and it's quite smooth. That's a nice party trick, but what the active suspension is really there to do is to neutralize the cornering forces of to make the driver feel more in control.
We got to experience what the active suspension can really do on an autocross course in a giant empty parking lot under the relentless Omani sun. Basically, during hard cornering, the active suspension will pump up on the side of the car on the outside of the turn to keep the car perfectly level, even when cornering at the absolute limit.
From the inside, nothing feels drastically different. But from the outside, it is truly strange to see a big car hustling around the course with zero body-roll. The system works longitudinally as well as laterally, and it also works to keep the car level when braking hard or accelerating. Audi says this change doesn't really improve ultimate lateral-acceleration numbers, and is more for passenger comfort.
To show us the range of motion the E-tron GT is capable of, the company wired one of the prototypes to a laptop and manually lifted and lowered each corner via the laptop controls. Customer cars won't be delivered with this function, but it is pretty entertaining to watch! It looks a bit like the Mercedes-benz GLE'S bounce function, which works to unstick the SUV from sandy terrain.
Departing the parking lot for the winding roads of the sun-baked hilly countryside outside Salalah, I got a chance to feel what the E-tron was like on real pavement. The electric thrust is, of course, substantial. The E-tron is able to throw you back into your seat at will with merely a tap of the right pedal. This is pretty standard in the world of expensive performance EVS, but it's still fun.
With the E-tron's powerful adaptive suspension, it's not what you feel so much as what you don't feel. Considering the heft of the car and its low-profile performance tires, the ride is quite smooth. It also stays firmly planted on hairpin bends.
Audi's goal with the refreshed E-tron GT was to improve range and charging, and to improve the handling dynamics with revised chassis and steering systems. Even though we didn't get a chance to see all the numbers, it was still fascinating to drive a car this early in the development stage. When press units are available, we look forward to a full road test.