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Photo: Tobias Sagmeister / Audi
The first impression:
An SUV can look this cool.
However, only when the camouflage film is down.
Audi will do that on April 14th.
We were allowed to take a look behind the scenes at the bare metal.
It shows harmonious proportions and some subtleties, such as sharply modeled fender edges.
They should emphasize Audi's Quattro DNA.
The manufacturer says:
The Q4 E-Tron is 4.59 meters long, according to Audi, "still in the compact class" and should "be accessible to a wider range of customers" than the E-Tron and E-Tron GT models the case is.
In addition, it does not even cost half as much as its luxury brothers - it probably starts at just under 42,000 euros.
This is possible because the Audi is built on the same electric car platform as the VW ID.4.
The disadvantage of this: Audi cannot technically set itself apart from Volkswagen in terms of battery voltage and charging management.
The Q4 E-Tron also runs with a system voltage of 400 volts and, in the best case, can charge direct current with an output of 125 kW.
Ironically, a company from the volume segment gets in the way of the Ingolstadt-based company: Hyundai.
The Koreans have developed a completely new electrical architecture, called E-GMP, and will be launching the Ioniq 5 in the summer.
The SUV is on the road with an 800-volt system.
The car can therefore fill up with electricity with an output of 220 kW, which means shorter charging times at the most powerful fast charging stations.
The Ioniq 5, which is identical in dimensions to the Q4 E-Tron to within a few centimeters, could be charged from ten to 80 percent within 18 minutes.
The Audi will take about twice as long.
The sister brand Kia will also be launched shortly with a similar 800-volt vehicle called the EV6.
We noticed that
the Q4 E-Tron is supposed to set itself apart from the competition through electronic features.
There is the head-up display with augmented reality, which is special for this class: When navigating, a blue turn arrow is reflected in the window.
It seems as if it is floating in the air like a drone about ten meters in front of the car.
If the driver uses the lane departure warning system, a thick red line is virtually placed over the real marking on the road as soon as the car moves to the edge of this marking.
If the adaptive cruise control is activated, you can see a green line across behind the car in front.
There is a lot of space in the Q4 E-Tron - thanks to the electric platform.
Neither the combustion engine nor the transmission or the exhaust system take up space.
In the rear you can almost cross your knees with a body length of 1.80 meters.
"Inside the Q4 E-Tron is almost the same size as a Q7, although the outside length is only between Q3 and Q5, the trunk volume corresponds to that of a Q5," says project manager Klaus Bugelnig.
The cockpit is typically Audi luxurious and a bit futuristic.
The steering wheel is flattened at the top and bottom.
However, this variant costs an extra charge.
Likewise, the huge central display, which should surpass that in the Q8.
The control island is a real innovation at Audi.
It protrudes from the center console below the switch strip and is intended to create a slightly more airy feeling of space.
If you want, you can get an (almost) vegan interior made of recycled plastic bottles and fishing nets for the Q4 E-Tron.
Only for the steering wheel has there not yet been found a suitable leather substitute that can both permanently tolerate sweaty hands and registers when the hands are not on the steering wheel.
The sovereignty of the electric drive in such a car remains fascinating: quiet, smooth and linear in acceleration.
In various other electric cars in this class, however, you can glide along in a similarly relaxed manner.
more on the subject
Autograph: Audi E-Tron GT: The Tesla hunter of the somewhat sad figure by Thomas Geiger
Autograph Audi E-Tron S Sportback: Electrical excess by Thomas Geiger
Autograph Audi e-tron Sportback: Heavyweight with magic eyes by Thomas Geiger
You have to know that:
The Q4 E-Tron is manufactured at Volkswagen in Zwickau.
Audi will probably not start with the 109 kW of the entry-level ID.4, but with 125 kW.
The drive sits in the rear, the battery of the basic version holds 52 kWh of electricity.
It enables a range of around 350 kilometers.
Analogous to the ID.4, there will probably be a medium version with 150 kW.
The MEB architecture currently provides a maximum of all-wheel drive and 220 kW of power.
The largest battery has a net capacity of 77 kWh.
It should be able to cover 450 to 500 kilometers with it.
Anyone who wants to configure the Q4 E-Tron will notice the lack of bright colors.
Red, green, yellow or blue?
Nothing like that.
Audi relies on muted tones, precisely those that customers have chosen the most in the past anyway.
For example, gray, in several variants.
Audi has put various accessories into nine packages.
That should save costs.
We won't forget that:
there is space for bottles at the level of the electric windows, where they are slanted.
"This makes them much easier to stow or pull out," says Q4 designer Arma Vaga.
It's more the little things that make the difference in the Q4 E-Tron.
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