The 2022 Audi Q4 E-Tron Has a Wild Heads-Up Display and 250 Miles of Range
Starting at $45,000, this is Audi's take on the Volkswagen ID.4.
www.roadandtrack.com
BY CHRIS PERKINS APR 14, 2021
The Volkswagen Group's MEB platform will underpin all sorts of EVs from the company. Here in the U.S., the
Volkswagen ID.4 was the first MEB car
to hit the market, and next comes something a bit more luxurious, the 2022 Audi Q4 E-Tron. It's a $45,000 SUV sized between the gas-powered Q3
and Q5, and it's set to compete with the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach E.
Though the Q4 shares its platform with the VW ID.4, you wouldn't know that just by looking at it. This car is distinctly Audi, the big single-frame grille
up front—which is just a design motif here—and sharp, muscular fenders. Audi will offer two versions of the Q4 E-Tron as well, a regular SUV and a
sloping-roof Sportback which offers a lower drag-coefficient, and therefore, better range.
Audi will offer the Q4 with two drivetrain configurations; the base 40 model has a single 201-hp motor driving the rear
wheels; the 50 Quattro has electric motors on each axle making a total of 295 hp. Both models will be powered by a
77-kWh battery, and the estimated range for the base car is 250 miles. Audi hasn't yet released an estimated range
for the all-wheel-drive Q4, or the Sportback, which will only be offered with the dual-motor configuration.
The Q4 E-Tron will offer three levels of user-selectable regenerative braking, but Audi engineers say that for maximum
efficiency, drivers should use the predictive regen feature, which takes topographical and GPS info into account. Using
an AC plug, the Q4 can charge at up to 11 kW, and at up to 125 kW using a DC fast charger. Handling should be good too,
because the big heavy battery sits low between McPherson-strut front and multi-link rear axle.
Inside, the Q4 E-Tron is classic Audi, and not too dissimilar to the new E-Tron GT, which is remarkable considering the GT costs over twice as much.
There's a digital instrument cluster—the full Virtual Cockpit is optional—and a big screen for Audi's infotainment system. Also like the E-Tron GT, the
Q4 ditches the climate-control screen in favor of traditional buttons, which is a good thing. Audi is also especially proud of the bottle holder integrated
into the door card, just ahead of the window and mirror switches. And though the Q4 is smaller than the Q5, it offers similar interior room, thanks to
the compact nature of its electric powertrain.
The Q4 has two quite nifty features. First is the optional augmented-reality heads-up display, which among other things, can display arrows telling you
where to go on the windshield itself. Essentially, it's a heads-up display with a much wider field of vision. The other is its configurable daytime running
lights. If you order the Matrix Design headlights, you can choose between four different LED DRL patterns for the car.
Audi representatives tell us that the Q4 E-Tron will arrive in the U.S. before the end of the year, with full pricing and
specs to be announced closer to that launch date.
