Since I don’t know when, being a pure electric platform, having OTA updates, and possessing assisted driving features have become the standards for measuring an excellent new energy vehicle. It seems that new energy cars that cannot achieve these functions, can be directly deemed as “not qualified” just by looking at the parameter table, and I also found myself following this trend.
When I received the invitation to test drive the e-tron, my heart was actually conflicted. As a longtime Volkswagen and Audi enthusiast, and the owner of an R20, I had previously been challenged by an S3 that had been modified with a three-stage 0-100km/h acceleration time of 2.7 seconds. Audi had also been my passion, and I feared that it would become a “piece of junk.”
During the silent early hours before test driving the e-tron, I fell into deep thought. What kind of user would take out 700,000 to 800,000 yuan to buy an Audi electric vehicle? I tried to find the answer by desperately searching for more information about the e-tron, but ultimately returned empty-handed until I stumbled upon a picture from history.
Instantly, my heart shifted from being conflicted to being “excited.”
I parked the e-tron in a car park by Yangcheng Lake, where there was heavy traffic flow, and in order to attract attention, I parked in two spaces. The first impression I had of the e-tron was, “It’s just so Audi.” A major difference is that the center part of the front grille will automatically open or close depending on the battery temperature. As for the exterior, I don’t know what else to say.
Sitting in the e-tron, I actually felt somewhat unfamiliar, to the point where I almost didn’t know how to shift into gear. For a long period of time, I had been focused on the development of new powers and had not paid attention to Audi, so I was surprised to learn that Audi’s interior design had already undergone a generational change. To be honest, this technology is very non-traditional.“`markdown
The first person who came to talk to me was a Tesla Model 3 owner around 30 years old. “This is my first time seeing the actual car,” he said, and after delivering his opening lines, he took out the latest iPhone 12 and started crazily taking pictures of the e-tron, then satisfied, he left. As for whether he was taking photos, I wasn’t sure, he might have just been using the QR code to check its authenticity.
The second person who came to talk to me was also a Mercedes C 200 owner around 30 years old. “Is this an all-electric Audi, and what’s the range?” Two consecutive questions showed his strong interest. When he knew that the guide price started at 692,800 yuan, a sentence “it’s too expensive” ended my chance encounter with him.
The third person I met on the way, I talked to him for a while. He is a middle-aged man between 45 and 50 years old. “Young man, does this car have air suspension?” Just by listening to this question, I knew this was no ordinary man. As expected, I met an owner of a Volkswagen Touareg and a Mercedes V-class cars. According to him, the Mercedes V-class is mainly used for company business, while the Touareg is for personal use, but the car is already 8 years old, so he has the idea of buying a new one. He had also looked into some all-electric cars before, but could not find a suitable one. “I just want to spend about the same amount of money as the Touareg and buy a car that is just as comfortable, but I can’t buy another Touareg, can I?” He revealed his helplessness.
I Educated C 63 with e-tron
Suddenly, I had a rough picture of e-tron users. “This may be a car for Audi A8L and Volkswagen Phaeton owners to enjoy driving themselves.” Based on the price of the e-tron, I tried to put myself in the shoes of users with equivalent spending power.
To verify this idea, I took the e-tron to the highway with a speed limit of 120 km/h.
In comfort mode, the acceleration of the e-tron pedal is very stable and does not jump like some electric cars at low speeds. Audi’s engineers understand exactly how a luxury car should perform during acceleration. “As a person worth eight figures, I don’t like any sudden acceleration on this car.” At the same time, the e-tron’s excellent NVH performance perfectly embodies the qualities that a luxury car should have, without affecting my ability to conclude a “small target” project with a customer in the car.
Following the trend, the central differential in four-wheel-drive systems is also moving towards electrification and multiple clutches are eating into the market of Torson. As someone who moved Torson to R20, although I feel sorry about it, the process of electrification replacing mechanization cannot be stopped.
“`Normally, the Audi e-tron relies on the rear motor to drive, but when any of the wheels lose traction, the four-wheel drive system can achieve torque distribution of any individual wheel from 0-100%. Even if all three wheels lose traction, this system can release the 664Nm of torque onto a tire with traction, so this heavy 2.6-ton vehicle can rescue itself.
Suddenly, I remember something important — as a big shot, my daily schedule is often very tight, and I need a car that can quickly take me to my destination.
To test this feature, I turned on the dynamic mode of the e-tron, lowered the air suspension and activated the Boost mode. For the sake of fun, I invited a friend’s Mercedes C 63 to do a simple red-green light starting test.
As soon as I floored it, I heard the Mercedes next door sliding and roaring, while the e-tron with four-wheel drive steadily rushed out and took the lead. “5.7 seconds KO 4 seconds, four-wheel drive KO rear-wheel drive.” I laughed wildly in the car, and fortunately, Audi’s engineers already knew that big shots have some privacy they don’t want to share, and the double-layer insulated glass kept this little secret in the car.
Of course, don’t misunderstand, it’s just a race. Sliding of the rear-wheel-drive car with high power and torque steering of the front-wheel-drive car, under the operation of non-professional drivers like us, is common at red-green light intersections, and it is normal to not be able to outrun the four-wheel drive. But if the racetrack is longer, the result will definitely be reversed.
I learned a lesson with the e-tron
After a few days of experience, in my opinion, the e-tron is not only a luxurious car, but also a sports car.
The sound insulation performance is also incredible, and the tuning of the air suspension is definitely at the level of a million-dollar car model.
From these aspects, it can be seen that Audi has put a lot of effort into polishing the e-tron, while also having high expectations for it.
Undoubtedly, in the current new energy vehicle market, the mechanical quality and driving experience of the e-tron are among the best.
So the question is, why is it not recognized by some media?
This made me think deeply about why I was willing to spend more money to buy a 5-second Golf R instead of a much cheaper and more intelligent BYD Qin that also runs in 5 seconds. After 0.01 second, I realized a very simple truth, “better mechanical quality is the standard for measuring whether a car is excellent or not.”The same mindset applies today as it did before. The current focus is on the range and intelligence development of new energy vehicles, while the tuning of the fundamental vehicles themselves is being treated with a very tolerant attitude.
While the battery, motor and electronic control technology, energy recovery system, and intelligent development are the key points of new energy vehicles at the present stage, too much attention on this field in the long-term will only make the brand and manufacturers feel that it’s not a problem if the mechanical tuning is slightly less than optimal, because the media and consumer market do not attach great importance to this aspect.
The development of the times has made large-displacement NA engines on the verge of being phased out of history, and large V8 engines are becoming more and more luxurious. No one can stop the wave of new energy, but with something gained, something is lost. As enthusiasts and supporters of driving enjoyment, we are greedy and hope to lose as little as possible.
Most traditional luxury car companies have their own totem models, such as the Audi A8 W12, R8 V10, and marketing is also initiated from the top to down. Among the new forces, there are only two companies with totem models, NIO and Tesla, with a relative successful top-down marketing model. However, what sets Tesla and NIO apart is that their totem models are “real totems that hang at home.”
As a Tesla, NIO, and former R20 owner, I understand the benefits of the new forces, but I also know their shortcomings.
In today’s market environment, the trend of promoting vehicles from hardware-defining to software-defining is too strong, so the voice of mechanical tuning, which originally belonged to a small number of car enthusiasts, is becoming lighter. It is my responsibility to “bring salt” to this group of users.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.