[Taboleo] The Standard of Family Electric SUVs... Audi 'Q4 e-tron'

Audi 'Q4 e-tron', 'Q4 e-tron Sportback'
Spacious Interior, Comfortable Driving Performance Similar to Internal Combustion Engines
Excellent Energy Efficiency... Easily Drives 500 km on a Single Charge

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] Audi has introduced the ‘Q4 e-tron’ and ‘Q4 e-tron Sportback,’ compact electric sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and the first models based on the German Volkswagen Group’s dedicated electric vehicle platform, ‘MEB.’ Unlike the previously released high-performance models, these are strategic models aimed at increasing sales. They are quite popular, and even if you place an order now, delivery will only be possible after mid-next year. Having experienced the Q4 e-tron and Sportback firsthand, their performance?with a real driving range of around 500 km at a price point near 60 million KRW?combined with comfortable driving feel and spacious interiors, makes them highly competitive as family electric SUVs. We met the Audi Q4 e-tron and Sportback after driving approximately 207 km on Jeju Island.

Futuristic Design True to Electric Vehicles... Audi’s Signature Style Remains

The Q4 e-tron is Audi’s first model to use the dedicated electric vehicle platform ‘MEB.’ Accordingly, its exterior emphasizes its identity as an electric vehicle. The front features a wide octagonal grille showcasing a futuristic design. Along with a short front overhang, large wheels, and a wide track, it conveys a robust presence. The sharp lines throughout the body give it a sleeker and more solid image.

Efforts to reduce air resistance are also evident. While the front designs of both vehicles are quite similar, the rear designs differ slightly. The Sportback has a coupe-style design that slopes lower towards the rear. This results in drag coefficients of 0.28 and 0.26, respectively, delivering high efficiency.

Despite design differences, both models offer spacious interiors. The overall length (4590 mm) and width (1865 mm) are identical for both vehicles, with only the height (1620 mm) being 20 mm lower on the Sportback due to its design characteristics. Although compact SUVs, the second-row headroom is ample, reducing any sense of confinement.

The interior provides space comparable to full-size SUVs. Notably, the absence of a center tunnel?a characteristic of electric vehicles?offers generous legroom and storage space not only for the front seats but also for the rear seats. The visibility feels relatively open as well. It was particularly pleasing to experience the distinct ‘Audi’ ambiance inside, with ambient lighting and front door entry lights creating Audi’s unique atmosphere.

Solid Driving Feel... Similar Texture to Internal Combustion Engines is an ‘Advantage’

The Q4 e-tron and Sportback deliver a combined maximum output of 204 horsepower and maximum torque of 31.6 kg·m. The top speed is limited to a somewhat modest 160 km/h, but considering the vehicle’s character, this felt sufficient. The maximum output and torque are 204 horsepower and 31.6 kg·m, respectively. With a zero-to-100 km/h acceleration time of 8.5 seconds, it is clear that this car is aimed at being a ‘comfortable family car.’

The official combined energy efficiency is 4.3 km/kWh for the Q4 e-tron and 4.1 km/kWh for the Sportback. Equipped with an 82 kWh lithium-ion battery, the Q4 e-tron can travel 368 km on a single charge based on combined standards, while the Sportback can cover 357 km. However, actual driving showed energy efficiency far exceeding official figures, making 500 km driving feasible, and with economical driving, even 600 km seemed achievable.

Sitting in the driver’s seat and starting the test drive, the stable driving feel, not much different from internal combustion engines, stood out. Most electric vehicles allow rapid acceleration and deceleration, which often causes motion sickness for some drivers. The Q4 e-tron’s driving feel strongly suggests that this discomfort has been deliberately minimized.

Because of this, acceleration performance is slightly less than that of typical high-performance electric vehicles. However, thanks to Audi’s solid fundamentals, its performance surpasses that of internal combustion engines. It did not lack power at low or high speeds. It truly offers a driving experience befitting a pure electric vehicle designed for families.

Especially commendable is the stable movement through curves. Additionally, the expanded front-wheel steering angle, leveraging the advantages of the dedicated MEB platform, results in a narrow turning radius, which is also a positive feature. U-turns become really easy. According to an Audi official, the turning radius has been shortened to 10.2 meters.

The head-up display (HUD) also has an interesting feature: augmented reality navigation. Sometimes, navigation directions can be ambiguous when making turns. The augmented reality navigation addresses this by displaying arrows on the road, which grow larger as the turn approaches. It is quite fascinating at first, but over time, it becomes familiar and helps the driver so much that looking at the navigation screen becomes unnecessary.

The biggest drawback is the price. The Q4 e-tron and Sportback are released in standard and premium models. The Q4 e-tron starts at 59.7 million KRW, and the Sportback starts at 63.7 million KRW.

Both models are priced around 60 million KRW, which is reasonable considering the Audi brand. However, they do not fully benefit from electric vehicle subsidies. Electric vehicles priced between 55 million and 85 million KRW can receive up to 50% of the national subsidy, but due to the significant difference between warm and cold temperature driving ranges, the Q4 e-tron does not qualify for the national subsidy. However, the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s cold temperature driving range is 254 km, which is more than 70% of its warm temperature range, allowing it to receive 50% of the subsidy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.