The luxury electric crossover and SUV market just got a new and serious contender, in the form of the new Audi e-Tron high-rider which was officially launched not too long ago. Journos have tried it out and, since this is an Audi we’re talking about, their first impressions of the car are a bit predictable. What we didn't expect, however, is to hear complaints about the E-Tron Quattro's performance.

2019 Audi e-Tron SUV Video Review

Apparently, Audi has set up the car’s powertrain to deliver its 400 horsepower smoothly and gradually, so you won’t feel that kick in the back you may have grown accustomed to in a Tesla or other high-power EVs. However, this seems to be the only major gripe with this e-Tron, which is otherwise as civilized and well executed as any modern Audi.

Its interior is exceptional, far better than anything Tesla can currently muster, and from the outside, it doesn’t immediately strike you that it’s an electric car. It’s subtle, in true Audi tradition, so it appeals to those who don’t so much want to show off their expensive new luxury SUV that runs on batteries, but rather just enjoy the experience without attracting too much attention.

So it’s not really the most exciting EV you can buy, but if that’s not at the top of your priorities list, then you can definitely shortlist the e-Tron SUV if you’re in the market for something of this sort. To be fair, it’s not really a direct competitor to the Tesla Model X, as that’s a model that really tries to show off and is also considerably faster, and a closer rival for this vehicle is probably the new Mercedes Benz EQC high-rider that’s on its way to market right now.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2020 Audi E-tron Quattro.

Read our full review on the 2015 Audi E-Tron Quattro Concept.