The Audi E-Tron…many of you may not remember this, but back before the world was pushed in the direction of EVs, Audi was one of the first to bat with this E-Tron. It was one of the first Evs to offer dual motor AWD, a spacious and genuinely luxurious cabin, AND a useable real-world range. But here we are years later in the zipped up S version so let’s see how this pioneer has reacted to a crowding segment
Driving Impressions
Well, first of all, crowded segment may be a bit of a misnomer
This E-Tron actually finds itself as a bit of a tweener
It’s larger than Model Ys and GV60s, but smaller than Model Xs
AND this is the sleekified sportback model
And that sleekified sportback design has a benefit over the more conventional long-roof etron…and that’s more range. Although, that said, range isn’t what the current market would consider “abundant”.
At 212 miles of range it’s on the lower end of the spectrum
HOWEVER, this is the TRI motor, S version which means it’s the fast one
And the last fast EV we were in was the Kia EV6 GT which only brought 206 miles of range
So just some context for ya
Yes, we’re used to seeing the fast versions of things have lower range figures by having more powerful motors sucking the range down faster. HOWEVER, Audi takes things a step further by installing a THIRD motor in the rear for even more power…496 hp and 718 lbft to be exact
Which makes it quick, Audi claims about 4.3 seconds to 60 in this thing, but some people have managed 3.9s in independent testing
But back to that tri motor thing
1 in front, 2 in back – and that allows Audi to equip a torque vectoring system to better push the outside wheels through a corner and rotate the car more aggressively
This thing may be 6,000 lbs…but yanno muscle weighs more than fat and this thing has been to the gym
Another thing that helps the car feel athletic is the adaptive air ride suspension. It’s got a self-leveling feature which keeps the chassis is a nice neutral stance while you put corner load through those tires. But yanno what else it does..? Keeps things comfy
And this is something that I love about the Audi sport models
They may not be as sharp or aggressive as the M cars from BMW
BUT when you’re not beating on it, the Audis settle down and become luxury cars in such a better way
If you want to have your cake and eat it too, then head to the Audi lot
The ride is excellent
The cabin isolation is superb
The steering weights up and softens off in a VERY natural way
And the best part of all is the way it builds power
It builds power much more naturally rather than snapping your neck and flipping your stomach upside down like a Tesla would
But let’s step outside and cover some finer details
Exterior Design
So it’s pretty quick, but the thing that stands out to me is how good of a CAR it is. Audi has thought through what the product is and what you get is a very good CAR that happens to be electric rather than an electric car that makes its entire value proposition on a 0-60 time…and it looks alot better than pretty much every EV out there too
Desipt it being an electric car the design remains very Audi and i really like that
It still has a familiar grille, of course it’s sealed off for aero, but it looks good
You have etron stamped in the bottom
And then your lower valence has some cooling for the battery and front motor
You get function silver accented aero bringing air around your front wheels
And you do technically get a frunk but since this is a Q5 chassis its not huge
But of course the best thing about the face is the digital matrix headlights
Which do all sorts of dances, work with your driver assist system, etc
Around the side you have flared wheel arches for the S model
And those wrap around massive 22 inch wheels…gorgeous
And then you look above the wheel and see an etron charge port
There are two actually, one on each side
Driver side has the combo port for fast charging while passenger doesnt
This is a good time to tell you the S version here gets a 95 KwH battery
And with DC fast charging at 150kw it will got 10-80% in 30 minutes
And then the profile is very sleek sportback shape we’re used to seeing
The S wing mirrors are painted a satin silver to give it a unique presence
Black optics*
And then around back you get a VERY stylish full width rear taillight
With its own animations
AND since this is the sporty S version you get a more aggressive diffuser
And in case you’re interested this thing can tow up to 3300 lbs
But who knows how far
Personally, I prefer the non-sportback body style, but I think this body style suits the sporty S version very well AND has the benefit of a few more miles of range due to the more aerodynamic shape…let’s step inside
Interior & Features
Another place im thankful for the consistent Audi-ness is on the interior here. The design is futuristic and familiar and you dont have to take a college-prep level class just to use the infotainment like you do in a Tesla
The cabin design here is familiar, but that also means you get familiar build materials
AKA really nice stuff
Leathers, aluminums, alcantara
Ad can we take a second to appreciate this rich red interior
This is equipped with the prestige package which means you get all the goodies
Heated seat
Cooled seat
Massage seat
Heated rear seat
Heated steering wheel
Massive pano roof that ACTAULLY OPENS
Quad zone climate controls..nice
Bang & Olufson 3D audio..amazing
Soft close doors
Crisp ambient lighting
And then you have great tech features too like
A nice HUD
Audi’s amazing digital cockpit which is 12 inches big
You have a 10 inch infotainment screen w/ wireless car play
360 cameras w/ augmented reality
And underneath that you have a 9 inch display dedicated to climate and comfort
The cabin is just a great place to spend time
And then there’s the rear seats which are HUGE
Headroom isn’t ideal over 6 foot due to the sportback design
But legroom is great
You get your own climate controls and vents
And you get heated rear seats
And sun shades
And then there’s the trunk which is huge even despite the sloped sportback roof
And you have a massive cubby under the floor
But if that we’rent enough you have rear seats that fold 3 ways
I mean from space to comfort to luxuries to tech, this E-tron doesn’t really miss so with that let’s get to the final thoughts
Conclusion
So there it is, the Audi E-Tron S. It’s a great CAR that happens to be a electric. The only thing that detracts from its $105,000 as-tested price is the range. At 6 figures I’d want more range. HOWEVER, this E-Tron is great everywhere else so thanks to Audi Milwaukee for letting me have a go