Audi retains plugging together with its E-Tron household of electrical automobiles. We’ve seen just a few already. There’s the merely named E-Tron crossover that’s already on sale right here within the United States, and now there are the S and S Sportback variants. Beyond that, there are a variety of different fashions that sign manufacturing intent: E-Tron GT (with underpinnings shared with the Porsche Taycan, E-Tron Sportback (arriving quickly) and Q4 E-Tron. Now, Audi has launched one other idea previewing a manufacturing car with the Q4 E-Tron Sportback.
From the entrance, and beneath the sheet steel, it’s basically the identical automotive because the Q4 E-Tron on which it’s primarily based. When you progress to the facet, you discover the large distinction the place the roofline takes an athletic dive towards the rear, giving it that crossover-coupe profile we’ve all come to like (we’re allowed to like them now, proper?). In the rear, we see a spoiler positioned maybe just a little larger than one would count on. Audi mentioned that placement was dictated by wind tunnel testing, and the rear glass continues under it. Overall, the Sportback is extra slippery than the non-Sportback Q4 E-Tron, with a drag coefficient of 0.26. Other exterior parts price noting are the large 22-inch wheels, the outstanding rear diffuser, the horizontal rear gentle bar and the curves above the fenders, which designer Amar Vaya praised as being much less “stiff” than different Audi automobiles.
Audi says its form doesn’t sacrifice a lot by way of house. Its packaging, with the battery pack under the ground and between the axles and no driveline tunneling via the inside, helps to higher optimize the inside quantity in comparison with an inner combustion car of the identical exterior measurement.
As for tech, the Q4 Sportback E-Tron will get an augmented actuality head-up show that we haven’t had an opportunity to take a look at but. We’re advised it is going to overlay directional arrows over the highway in entrance of you. Up entrance, it will get trick daytime operating lights which have some type of customization to them (Audi is in talks with regulators about bringing this to the United States). This idea we see right here focuses on the outside styling and powertrain, so we hope to higher perceive these technological ambiguities as we get nearer to manufacturing.
That aforementioned battery pack has a capability of 82 kilowatt-hours, which is sufficiently big for greater than 279 miles of driving vary on Europe’s WLTP cycle. It provides vitality to 2 electrical motors — one at every axle — giving it all-wheel drive and a complete of 301 horsepower and 228 pound-feet of torque. The larger of the 2 motors is within the rear, giving the Q4 Sportback E-Tron rear-drive bias, and the entrance motor can shut down altogether for higher effectivity. There can even be a rear-drive-only model with a smaller battery, nevertheless it boosts vary to greater than 310 miles. Both variations will do 0-62 miles per hour in 6.three seconds, with a high velocity restricted to 112 mph. It’s not but clear which market will get which variations, however we wouldn’t be shocked if the U.S. solely receives the AWD mannequin.
As for the manufacturing model of the Q4 Sportback E-Tron, this idea is principally it. The one you should purchase can have issues absent right here, like door handles, however Audi says it is going to look very comparable. Judging from the evolution of different E-Tron fashions, we expect there’s good purpose to consider that what you see right here is just about what you’ll get.
It’s anticipated to go on sale in spring of 2021, hitting most markets in the summertime. Audi is concentrating on a beginning worth underneath 40,000 euros, or about $44,882 at present conversion charges.