The Volkswagen Group has made some phenomenal strides in recent times. From being caught in Dieselgate a few years back to running a few of the most proactive brands in electrification today, the German group has come a long way. One of its most prominent brands, Audi, also has a few electric models in the works. The automaker’s next electric vehicle will be the Q4 e-tron, which was previewed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.

Audi recently revealed that the SUV will launch at the end of 2020 and is set to go on sale in 2021. Although it might be the brand’s fifth EV, there are a lot of eyes on it since it will be the first four-ringed electric vehicle to be pinned on Volkswagen’s MEB architecture. It was recently spotted performing cold-weather tests in Northern Sweden.

Update 7-6-2020: The Audi Q4 E-tron has finally be spied out on public roads and, unlike the mule we saw earlier this year, this baby is looking pretty close to production ready. Check it out in the spy shots section below.

It Looks Like Its Elder Siblings

The Audi Q4 e-tron follows the design philosophy of the other e-tron models, which itself are in line with the fuel-powered models and don’t look alien in the automaker’s portfolio. The Q4 e-tron isn’t too big in size, measuring 180.6 inches in length, 73.4 inches in width, and 64.3 inches in height. It has a rather long wheelbase – measuring 108.7 inches – which results in a spacious cabin. The ground clearance is rated at 7.1 inches.

2022 Audi Q4 e-tron exterior dimensions

The sleek headlights are LEDs as standard, but you can opt for Matrix headlights for extra moolah. These are still not legal in the U.S., so we’ll have to make do with the standard LEDs themselves. Audi says the Q4 e-tron will be available in eight different exterior shades, which include one solid color and seven metallics. Multiple wheels and tire options will be available, too, including 19-, 20-inch, and 21-inch aluminum wheels.

The roofline is the differentiating factor between the two models. The Q4 e-tron looks more like a conventional SUV whereas the sloping roofline on the Q4 Sportback e-tron makes it looks ‘stylish’ and makes it slightly more aerodynamic efficient than the former. The Q4 e-tron’s drag coefficient is rated at 0.28, 0.2 higher than the Sportback.

It Comes With The Biggest Touchscreen Audi Has Ever Offered

As expected from any EV, the cabin is high-tech and spacious. Audi says there are about 0.9 cubic feet of storage spaces all around the cabin. Since there is no transmission tunnel in the floor and the Q4 e-tron has a long wheelbase, the legroom will be quite impressive here. We’re yet to hear about the cabin dimensions from Audi. The German offers four seat colors and a total of nine different interior packages here. On the sustainability front, the compact SUV can also be had with seat upholstery made using recycled polyester. Each seat consumes around 26 1.5-liter PET bottles.

The compact SUV comes with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. It comes with a 10.1-inch touchscreen on the center console. However, an 11.6-inch touchscreen system can be had as optional, which is the biggest to ever feature on an Audi. Audi even offers three modules for the touchscreen – MMI standard, MMI plus, and MMI pro. Some of the other features here include Voice Control, Augmented Reality Head-up Display, E-Tron Route Planner, etc.

Flip down the rear seats and you have up to 52.6 cubic feet of space available at your disposal. The rear seats fold down in a 40:20:40 ratio for added versatility.

Powertrain, Battery, and Range

The base Q4 35 e-tron trim comes with a single motor mounted on the rear axle. It makes 168 horses and 229 pound-feet of torque. It draws power from a 52-kWh battery pack that has an estimated range of around 217 miles. It can sprint to 60 mph from a standstill in nine seconds with this setup and has a top speed of 100 mph.

Next is the Q4 40 e-tron that produces 201 ponies and 229 pound-feet of torque. This is also a single-motor setup that sends all the oomph to the ground via the rear wheels. It comes with a bigger 77-kWh battery pack and delivers 323 miles on a full charge. This is the best that Audi has to offer on the Q4 e-tron. The 0-60 mph time is rated at 8.5 seconds here with a top speed limited to 100 mph.

The top-of-the-line trim is the Q4 50 e-tron that comes with a dual-motor setup and the Quattro all-wheel-drive system. It dishes out 295 ponies and 339 pound-feet of twist combined. The 50 also comes with a 77-kWh battery pack, but the higher power output takes a slight hit on the range. It can deliver up to 309 miles on a full charge. This trim is the quickest and the fastest, taking just 6.2 seconds to 60 mph from rest and a top speed of 112 mph.

The range estimates aren’t too bad, but there’s a catch – these are rated according to the WLTP cycle, which as we all know, is a lot more lenient than the EPA-estimated figures. We’ll have to wait for a while for the U.S.-based models and their EPA-estimated range numbers, but they will be noticeably lower than the WLTP figures.

The bigger battery supports fast-charging up to 125 kW. In ideal conditions, it can recuperate to 80-percent from five-percent in just 38 minutes. 80 miles of range can be added in just 10 minutes, but again, as per the WLTP estimates.

You can opt for the optional trailer hitch and tow up to 2,200 pounds on the single motor trims. The dual-motor model can tow up to 2,645 pounds with the optional trailer hitch.

2022 Audi Q4 e-tron specifications

How Much Does It Cost?

For now, Audi has revealed only the Euro-spec model’s price. In Germany, this is how the Audi Q4 e-tron will be priced:

-* Q4 35 e-tron - €41,900 (approximately $50,200)

-* Q4 40 e-tron - €47,500 (approximately $56,900)

-* Q4 50 e-tron - €52,900 (approximately $63,400)

The U.S-spec prices aren’t revealed yet, but Audi has said that the Q4 e-tron will start under $45,000. This does not include the federal tax credits, which, if implied, could effectively bring down the starting price to under $37,500.

The Q4 e-tron is slated to arrive in Europe in June 2021. It is expected to arrive Stateside by the end of the year.