Audi Q4 e-tron review: a highly practical premium electric family SUV
Still wondering whether electric power is right for a family SUV, then the Audi Q4 e-tron has all the answers
The all-electric Audi Q4 e-tron ticks all the boxes for a premium SUV: refined, well-equipped, practical and relaxing to drive, it’s not hard to see why it became the German company’s biggest selling SUV and one of its most popular cars, full stop. Build quality and the interior as a whole is top class, while Audi’s infotainment system is as slick and easy to use as ever.
The Q4 e-tron’s claimed range is competitive in the mid-size electric SUV segment, and our testing has confirmed that it does the business in the real-world where it matters. Performance is strong, too, even if the car’s strengths lie more in the comfort and quality departments. If you’re after a premium family SUV and feel ready to ‘go electric’, then the Audi Q4 e-tron must be on your shortlist.
Our choice: Audi Q4 45 e-tron Sport
About the Audi Q4 e-tron
The Audi Q4 e-tron SUV has led Audi’s charge into the EV mainstream, with a breadth of talent that will fulfil the needs of most families. Like its more expensive Audi Q8 e-tron and Audi e-tron GT siblings, the Q4 e-tron still trades on a high level of luxury and refinement, but its main task is to entice potential buyers away from rivals such as the Tesla Model Y, BMW iX1 and BMW iX3, Volvo EX40, Genesis GV60 and recently updated Mercedes EQA.
Used - available now
2018 Nissan
Qashqai
52,849 milesManualDiesel1.5L
Cash £10,900
2022 Peugeot
5008
46,225 milesManualDiesel1.5L
Cash £18,506
2023 Ford
Puma
67,042 milesManualPetrol1.0L
Cash £12,506
2023 Mercedes
EQC
21,307 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £26,000Audi is yet another Volkswagen Group subsidiary to utilise the automotive giant’s electric MEB platform, with the Q4 e-tron sitting on the architecture that also underpins the Volkswagen ID.4 SUV and Volkswagen ID.5 coupe-SUV, plus the Skoda Enyaq SUV and Cupra Born hatchback. Of course, Audi has seen to it that the Q4 e-tron has the company’s trademark luxury feel and restrained good looks, which helps complete a first-rate package.
Launching coupe-ish versions of SUVs has become something of a trend in recent times, and Audi has followed suit by offering a Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback version with a swooping roofline and an 18mm drop in ride height. This particular body style is Audi’s alternative to similarly rakish EVs like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volvo EC40 and Kia EV6.
The entry-level Q4 35 e-tron, which used a smaller battery was axed in the UK not long after launch. More recently, Audi launched a raft of updates for the 2024 model year that replaced the old 40 and 50 models with the 45 and 55. Although the Q4 e-tron remained visually the same, power, range and charging speeds all received a boost.
The range starts with the Q4 45 e-tron, which uses a single 282bhp electric motor to drive the rear wheels. You can upgrade to a quattro four-wheel drive version of this car with two electric motors for around £1,400, while the flagship Q4 55 e-tron quattro (which is quite the mouthful) flagship model increases the total power output to 335bhp.
Both versions are powered by a 76.6kWh (usable) battery pack that’s good for a range of up to 330 miles in the 45 e-tron, or up to 312 miles in the more powerful 55 e-tron quattro. Sportback variants slip through the air a little more easily and officially return up to 339 miles for the 45 e-tron, and 326 miles for the 55 e-tron quattro.
Trim levels are equally straightforward. Sport, S line, and Black Edition specs are offered with both powertrains and all models get lots of standard kit. Every Q4 e-tron is equipped with alloy wheels (19 to 21 inches in size, depending on the trim level), LED headlights, front sports seats, an 11.6-inch touchscreen with integrated sat-nav and Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital driver’s display, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a reversing camera and adaptive cruise control, among other safety systems.
Prices start just under £50,000 for the SUV version with the Sportback coming in at £1,500 more model-for-model. Given that the car’s strengths reside in its quality and comfort more than its dynamic prowess, we think the pick of the range is the base Audi Q4 45 e-tron in Sport trim. S line gets sports suspension, which makes things a bit too firm, and the 55 versions cost more while offering a reduced range.
Audi Q4 e-tron 50 quattro: long-term test
In 2022, our Editor-in-chief, Steve Fowler, ran the now-discontinued Audi Q4 e-tron 50 quattro over a six-month long-term test. He found the lower sports suspension on his S line model a little too firm but was otherwise highly impressed by the car’s user-friendly design. The large boot area worked perfectly for his dog, Sky, and he found the underfloor storage space for the charging cables very handy. Steve averaged 3.2 miles-per-kWh on his test in mixed driving.
