Audi Q4 E-tron Sportback 50
Two motors, 294bhp
The Q4 E-tron is already well recognised as Audi’s first foray into EVS for ordinary motorists, as is its close relationship with Volkswagen’s well-received ID 4.
Yet despite this everyman vibe, it would still be entirely out of character if Ingolstadt’s purveyor of premium didn’t offer a blingier, faster version.
So step forward the Sportback 50 Quattro, which comes with fastback styling, four-wheel drive, the bigger of the two offered batteries and two motors instead of one (one front, one rear), producing 294bhp to deliver brisk 0-62mph acceleration of 6.2sec.
You can get this package in each of four trim levels, but our test car came, very sensibly, in the relatively elaborate £57,565 Edition 1 spec that many Brits will choose, a step below the ultimate £65,000 Vorsprung.
Audi is proud of what it believes are the model’s new, snub-nosed proportions, the short front overhang and long wheelbase enabled by compact motors and low-mounted battery pack between the axles.
For a very well-equipped and relatively high car of roughly Ford Focus dimensions, the Sportback is spacious, especially in the rear; and, at 2140kg, about 100kg lighter than some rivals at the kerb. Audi says there’s as much cabin room as in a traditional SUV from the class above.
This car is instantly quick, mostly because its four-wheel traction is so effective off the mark in the wet or dry. It always feels neutral, well planted and responsive, although not exactly agile, perhaps because of its fairly long (2764mm) wheelbase.
The steering is quick and decently responsive around the straightahead, and although the ride is adjustable through five different regimes (that also control steering effort, accelerator response and deceleration), it always offers good wheel control, absorbing bumps with one cushioned impact, without echoes. That plus excellent build quality gives this Audi a feeling of reassuring quality and solidity.
The performance may be easily accessible, but if deployed without care, this Sportback’s official 309mile range (doubtless achievable in gentle urban driving) can fall well below 250 miles.
Even so, this is a practical and spacious family EV, pleasantly brisk yet quiet. It’s not truly sporty, because of its height and bulk, but it is smooth and serene to drive. A successful future in the UK surely beckons.