Audi Q4 e-tron
New motor, faster charging and revised suspension for Audi’s popular electric SUV On sale Spring Price from £51,440
MAKING SALES PREDICTIONS when launching a new electric vehicle (EV) is a risky business, but when Audi launched its Q4 e-tron back in 2021, the company confidently proclaimed that its new electric family SUV would become its second best-selling model in the UK. Well, the results are in, and while the suits at Audi were perhaps a tad optimistic with their prediction, a third place overall in the company’s 2023 sales results is nothing to sniff at. Nor is the fact that the Q4 was Audi’s best-selling SUV full stop.
Job done, then? Well, not quite. The way Audi is operating at the moment is reminiscent of how it went about business in the late 1970s and 1980s, when former Audi boss Ferdinand Piëch encouraged his engineers to strive for perfection. Indeed, just two years into the life cycle of the Q4, it has already been treated to a comprehensive update.
For starters, all models get a more efficient electric motor for their rear wheels. It’s the same one that’s used in the Volkswagen ID 7, and it means more power and a longer official range. The entry-level 45 still has the strongest stamina; in single-motor, rear-wheel-drive form, the updated car’s range rises from 316 to 330 miles, placing it right in the ballpark of the Kia EV6 (328 miles in our favourite RWD form) and Tesla Model Y Long Range (331 miles).
In terms of power, the Q4 e-tron 45 leaps from 201bhp to 282bhp (in both single-motor and four-wheel-drive quattro forms), and the 55 quattro is up from 295bhp to 335bhp.
But that’s not all; Audi has also taken the time to tweak the Q4’s suspension and steering. Both the standard suspension and the 15mm lower sports setup (fitted to S line models and above) promise a more comfortable ride, improved steering response and tighter body control than before.
We drove the updated rear-wheel-drive 45 and the 55 quattro (the former entry-level 35 has been discontinued) and were immediately struck by how much punchier the 45 now feels. With a 0-62mph time of just 6.7sec (6.6sec for the quattro), its performance is right up there with the EV6 RWD and Genesis GV60 Premium – two cars you wouldn’t ever accuse of being slow.
And while the 55 is quicker on paper, with its hot hatch-rivalling 0-62mph time of 5.4sec, in real-world cut-and-thrust motoring, we’re not convinced that you need the extra shove.
It’s harder to give a definitive verdict on the suspension tweaks, due to the fact that our German-market test cars featured adaptive suspension – an option not available in the UK. However, we reckon the system’s absence here is a shame; so equipped, the updated Q4 feels more planted than the pre-facelift car when you
make quick changes of direction, and it’s less prone to being thrown off line when cornering on a bumpy country road.
This improved body control, combined with a sharper steering set-up, allows you to place it in corners with greater precision than you would in, say, an equivalent Skoda Enyaq. However, if you want driving fun in an electric SUV, you should take a look at the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.
If you’re considering trading in your old Q4, the updated car’s interior will feel familiar; it’s basically the same as it was before. Not that there was anything much wrong with it; it’s logically laid out and beats those of the Enyaq and Volkswagen ID 4 on quality – although the Volvo EX40 has the edge here. The Q4 is more spacious in the back than the EX40, though, while its 520-litre boot will carry seven carry-on suitcases – enough for a decent holiday.
A full charge at home from a 7kw wallbox takes around 12 hours for all Q4s, but the quattro models can now be rapid charged at rates of up to 175kw (the rear-drive 45 still charges at a maximum rate of 135kw), allowing for a 10-80% top-up in around 30 minutes.
Pricing is more or less unchanged, as is the range structure, with the 45, 45 quattro and 55 quattro each available in base Sport, S-line and Black Edition trims.
Essentially, this is the same impressively practical, comfortable and well-thought-out electric SUV as before, just with more power and slightly sharper handling. If only all updates could be this productive.