The Audi Q4 E-tron is the German luxury brand's entry-level electric-powered crossover SUV. Sizewise, the Q4 E-tron slots between the smaller Q3 and slightly larger Q5 fossil-fueled models. The compact 4-door Q4 E-tron shares its vehicle platform, 82-kWh lithium-ion propulsion battery, and a significant amount of its under-the-skin electric componentry with the Volkswagen ID.4 SUV.
Introduced for the 2022 model year, the Q4 E-tron is significant because it is the first of the brand's battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) to compete in the high-volume compact SUV segment. It is now the lowest-priced Audi E-tron, positioned to attract new buyers looking to upgrade from mainstream to luxury-brand SUV offerings. Until now, the only path to a fully electrified Audi was the significantly more expensive Q8-based E-tron SUV or sleek, six-figure performance-oriented E-tron GT sport sedan.
The Audi Q4 E-tron competes with battery-electric crossover SUVs such as the Mercedes-Benz EQB and Volvo XC40 Recharge at the lower end of the price scale and the Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis GV60, Tesla Model Y, and Volvo C40 Recharge at the high end.
Recently, I spent an hour behind the wheel of a 2023 Audi Q4 E-tron on residential streets and two-lane highways in Southeastern Michigan.
The all-electric 2023 Audi Q4 E-tron crossover SUV is available with a choice of conventional "squareback" or coupe-like Sportback body styles and single-motor rear-wheel-drive or dual-motor Quattro all-wheel-drive (AWD) propulsion systems. Pricing ranges from $50,995 for the Q4 40 E-tron Premium to $67,095 for the Q4 Sportback 50 E-tron Quattro Prestige. Prices include the $1,195 destination charge.
I drove a 2023 Audi Q4 Sportback 50 E-tron Quattro with the Prestige package and Navarra Blue metallic premium paint. The test vehicle's total price, including the $1,195 destination charge, was $67,690.
Besides the addition of single-motor, rear-drive Q4 40 E-tron models and an upgrade to a slightly larger, 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, content is essentially unchanged for 2023. Because Audi currently assembles the Q4 E-tron in Germany, as of January 1, 2023, it does not qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit on 2023 models built in North America under the provisions of the recently signed Inflation Reduction Act.
The 2023 Audi Q4 E-tron is currently on sale in the United States.
Photo: Ron Sessions
With a footprint slightly smaller than the fossil-fueled Q5, the Q4 E-tron offers a bit more cabin space for front and rear passengers enabled by the nearly flat floor. That makes room for a commodious center console with a large forward bin for trip detritus, an available wireless phone charger pad, and a pair of USB-C charge ports. And in the second row, the absence of a driveshaft tunnel means the center passenger doesn't have to play footsies with outboard riders.
The Q4 E-tron prioritizes luxury with an upscale, welcoming interior fitted with standard leather seat coverings and featuring natural wood and aluminum accents along with recycled plastics where it makes sense. It starkly contrasts the declasse techie minimalism and lack of craftsmanship in the Tesla Model Y. The Q4 E-tron's heated front bucket seats are generously sized and supportive in all the right places. Premium Plus and Prestige trims upgrade the standard power driver's seat with memory settings and add a power front passenger seat, both with power lumbar adjustments.
The message here is that going electric doesn't mean dispensing with amenities. Premium Plus and higher trims include heat for the standard leather-wrapped steering wheel, regenerative braking paddles, a wireless charging pad, noise-reducing acoustic front door glass, and auto-dimming mirrors. A standard panoramic sunroof (with power sunshades!) cheers the cabin, and triple-zone climate control keeps it comfortable for individual preferences.
The Q4 E-tron's cabin is more familiar than its Volkswagen ID.4 platform-mate, as the Audi doesn't force its driver to relearn the layout of its switchgear. The Q4 E-tron has a conventional start/stop button in place of the VW's butt-as-start-switch sensor. Also, the Audi goes with a conventional-pattern fore-aft electronic shift lever on the forward, floating part of the center console compared to the ID. 4's peek-around-the-steering-wheel joystick shifter. And on the Audi's driver's door are four dedicated window switches, one for each pane, unlike the Volkswagen's confusing two-switches-for-four-windows setup.
In front of the driver is a configurable 10.25-inch digital display with bright colors and easy-to-read graphics, including battery state of charge and available driving range. Along with the expected digital speedometer, outside temperature, current time, audio selection, and other telltales, all but the base Premium trim include Audi's Virtual Cockpit, which allows the driver to export the navigation map to the driver display from the center infotainment screen.
In the aft quarters, passenger space is also generous. A fold-down center armrest adds comfort and convenience for the outboard passengers. And the 40/20/40 split-folding bench seat allows configuring the rear seat for both a passenger or two and longer cargo items.
With its coupe-like sloping roof, the Sportback version of the Q4 E-tron shaves less than an inch of rear-seat headroom and legroom but gives it all back with 1.3 cubic feet more cargo space than offered in the conventional "squareback" Q4 E-tron. Cargo space is competitive with other premium compact SUVs, measuring 24.8 to 26.1 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks up and 53.1 to 54.4 with them lowered.
Although there is no front trunk or "frunk" as in some other electric SUVs such as the Genesis GV60 and Volvo XC40 Recharge, there's plenty of hidden storage under the cargo floor of the Q4 E-tron for the charging cable and small valuables such as a laptop, camera, or a purse. Also at the outboard rear corners of the cargo area is a pair of deep bins for gallon jugs of milk, wine, or other beverages. Access to the cargo bay is via a power liftgate, which is hands-free in all but the base Premium trim.
Photo: Ron Sessions
Included with the clean and modern interior design and front and center on the dash is a standard 11.6-inch MMI (Multi Media Interface) touchscreen for infotainment and navigation—up from the previous 10.1-inch one used in 2022. The screen icons are large, easy to tap on the fly, and colorful and bright. You can also access infotainment content via steering wheel controls and the voice-control system that responds to natural language.
A small, silver-dollar-sized round controller on the console gives both driver and front passenger the ability to adjust the audio volume and change music tracks. It's unclear why Audi made it so small, but it does have haptic feedback when given a command.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring are standard, helping minimize the console's cable clutter.
Audi supplies a basic 180-watt AM/FM/HD Radio sound system with 10 speakers. The test vehicle had a new premium sound system from wireless speaker maker Sonos. Also with 10 speakers, the Sonos system pumps 580 watts. It delivers a customizable three-dimensional sound-stage experience with crisp fidelity and satisfying auditory immersion in the Q4 E-tron test vehicle. Audi includes the Sonos system with all but the base Premium trim.
Moving up the trim chain, Premium Plus adds a three-month trial of SiriusXM 360L, which enables users to select genre-specific content. Premium Plus and higher grades also come with embedded navigation, Virtual Cockpit, and a six-month trial of Audi Connect Care. That last item gives users remote access to the SUV's climate control and charging schedule and a trip planner, vehicle status report, and SOS emergency assistance.
Prestige trim gains augmented reality for the available head-up display, superimposing real-time navigation instructions and upcoming turns over a front camera view of the road ahead.
Regarding advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), the Audi Q4 E-tron offers a mix of standard and optional systems that are competitive with other premium compact SUVs but not segment-leading. Standard content includes:
Premium Plus and Prestige trims add standard:
My test drive didn't involve activating any of the Q4 E-tron's accident-avoidance tech, but one ADAS feature that I noted is the ease with which the blind-spot warning lamps gathered my attention. Audi's system incorporates three large amber LED blind-spot warning lights on the inboard side of each outside mirror housing that is easy to see in bright sunlight and is, in my opinion, the best in the industry.
Photo: Ron Sessions
Think of the Audi Q4 E-tron as an electric version of the top-selling gas-powered Audi Q5, and you won't be far off. Although it's about a second slower from rest to 60 mph than the base, 201-horsepower Audi Q5, the single-motor, rear-drive Q4 40 E-tron also offers a modest 201 hp. But the E-tron electric motor's 229 pound-feet of torque is available the instant you depress the accelerator, making the electric Q4 feel reasonably responsive around town.
Audi equipped the Q4 Sportback 50 E-tron Quattro test vehicle I drove with two electric drive motors sporting a more lively 295 hp and 339 pound-feet of torque. This enabled zero-to-60-mph runs in just under 6 seconds, akin to the performance of the several-hundred-pound-lighter fossil-fueled Q5 Quattro with its 261 hp and 273 pound-feet of torque.
The point is that both the Q4 E-tron 40 and 50 drivetrains feel more responsive around town and at lower speeds due to the instant electric-motor torque. They're both also more suitable for luxury-brand premium offerings because the electric powertrains are quieter, vibration-free, and smoother in operation because there are no pauses between gears as in their gasoline-fired counterparts.
On dual-motor Q4 E-tron Quattro models, AWD is an on-demand system, coming into play only as needed to maintain traction or when the driver requests higher power levels with the accelerator pedal. On the other hand, the permanently excited rear motor delivers instant torque for responsive acceleration and intelligent regenerative braking that takes topographical and navigation data into consideration. With the available steering-wheel paddles, you can customize the regen braking to three levels, the most aggressive of which delivers near one-pedal driving capability.
With the heavy lithium-ion battery located under the cabin floor, the Q4 E-tron has a low-center-of-gravity driving feel that tends to minimize body roll during cornering and side-to-side pitching on undulating high-crown roads. The result is well-damped ride quality suitable for a luxury-branded vehicle. The 19-inch all-season tires on the Q4 E-tron "squareback" and 20-inchers underpinning the Sportback version do a decent job of roadholding, and the speed-dependent variable-boost steering is reasonably precise, but neither offers a preponderance of feedback. This is a comfortable, roomy, high-quality family hauler that's stable and competent on any road but not necessarily something that quickens your pulse.
Recharge times are 7.5 hours at 11.5 kW with a 240-volt AC charger you might have at home and 36 minutes at a 150-kW DC fast-charge facility. Audi provides a 14.5-foot charging cable for home charging.
The EPA-estimated driving range is 265 miles for the 201-hp, single-motor Q4 40 E-tron; 236 miles for the 295-hp, dual-motor Q4 50 E-tron "squareback;" and 242 miles for the more slippery Sportback version of the Q4 50 E-tron.
Audi's first heart-of-the-market battery-electric crossover SUV is an attractive, well-equipped, and roomy offering priced right to attract buyers looking to move up from mainstream offerings to something with luxury chops. While the Genesis GV60 offers quicker DC fast charging and the Tesla Model Y greater range, the all-new Audi Q4 E-tron will be a nice fit for families looking to go green with a bit of style.
Ron Sessions is a seasoned vehicle evaluator with more than three decades of experience. He has penned hundreds of road tests for automotive and consumer websites, enthusiast magazines, newsletters, technical journals, and newspapers.
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