Audi Brings An Electric Pseudo-SUV To Geneva In the Form of the Q4 E-tron

TopSpeed

By Sidd Dhimaan

Published Mar 5, 2019

Another e-tron in the German automaker's lineup that will help bring in volumes for Audi

Audi has kicked off its 2019 Geneva Motor Show journey by launching its all-new compact electric SUV, the Q4 e-tron. The crossover will slot below the full-sized E-tron, and will be the fifth electric vehicle in the German automaker's stable. It is expected to start production by the end of 2020. The Audi Q4 e-tron will take on the upcoming Tesla Model Y.

The Q4 E-Tron Will Most Likely Be The Best Selling EV In Audi's Electric Lineup

The Audi Q4 e-tron will be based on Volkswagen's MEB architecture which will be underpin numerous EVs in the future. The new Q4 e-tron will be powered by two electric motors, producing a combined output of 302 horses. The rear motor will be responsible for majority of the acceleration and will remain continuously active. Powering the Q4 e-tron is an 82 kWh battery pack that can run for 280 miles on a single charge - in line with the WLTP standards. The battery will support fast-charging and can charge 80-percent in just over 30 minutes. Audi also says that the front and rear axles are not mechanically connected to each other, but an electronic control will be responsible for the torque distribution.

A Rather Sedate Exterior That Will Gel Will With Combustion Cars On Road

The Audi Q4 e-tron, measuring 4.59 meters in length and 1.90 meters in width, is wider but slightly shorter than the current-gen Audi Q5. It has borrowed styling cues from the full-sized E-tron. It has the Audi logo slapped on it and feels a size larger, but nothing as horrendous as the BMW iNext. Air inlets are provided below the Matrix LED headlights and Audi says that the Q4 e-tron will offer customizable headlights. Audi has also introduced a new 'Solar Sky' paint scheme that reflects a short-wave fraction of sunlight to significantly reduce the heat build up inside and use less power to cool the cabin, thus improving efficiency. It rides on 22-inch wheels, and the profile is complete with the now-trending sloping roofline. Being a tall vehicle, we don't expect it to hamper with the headroom inside.

Audi Has Made The Best Use Of The Limited Space Available Inside

The Q4 e-tron's wheelbase of 2.77 meters is not the best in the segment, but the lack of transmission tunnel will help increase the legroom in the back. Audi has used Alacantra material for the seats, thus supporting its claim of being a 'premium offering'. Audi has also offered a head-up display with an augmented reality function that can display stuff like directional arrows for turning directly on the course of the road. Fancy! The Q4 e-tron will be offered with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system that sits in the middle above the center console. The console is slightly tilted towards the driver. There is also a selector button present to toggle between different transmission modes.

Audi says that the model will enter mass production by the end of 2020 and is expected to hit the showrooms in 2021. What are your thoughts on the new Audi Q4 e-tron? Share them with us in the comments section below.