Audi has launched the Q4 e-tron Sportback concept car, with plans to release the production version in 2021.
When the Q4 e-tron concept car was unveiled at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, it immediately caught the attention of many consumers.
Building on the Q4 e-tron concept car, Audi has now released the Q4 e-tron Sportback, a pure electric compact SUV coupe.
Because the production won’t start until 2021, consumers who like these two cars have a year to consider which version to choose.
Let’s take a look at the specific specifications of this car.
The Q4 e-tron and Q4 e-tron Sportback are sister models, so the two models will share a variety of technologies.
The first is the same driving technology. Both the Q4 e-tron and the Q4 e-tron Sportback are equipped with two electric motors with a maximum power of 225 kW. The acceleration time of the two models is 6.3 seconds per 100 km, and the top speed is 180 km/h. Both models will also be equipped with Audi’s classic four-wheel drive system.
Second, the size is almost the same. The Sportback version is 4.6 meters long, 1.9 meters wide, and 1.6 meters high. Compared with the Q4, it is 1 centimeter longer, but the design of the coupe back will make it look flatter visually.
Third, both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and Q4 e-tron are equipped with an 82 kWh battery pack. The official said that the range of the four-wheel drive version can reach 450 km under the WLTP standard, while the range of the rear-wheel drive version can reach more than 500 km under the WLTP standard mode.
Fourth, the Q4 e-tron Sportback is also built on the Volkswagen MEB platform, which is Volkswagen’s pure electric platform. The platform’s production models can cover many pure electric products from compact to medium-sized.
Continuing Audi’s Family Design, But More Technology
There are not many changes in the design of the Q4 e-tron Sportback compared to the Q4 e-tron, after all, it is a derivative model. The main change is the sleek roof curve that tilts towards the D-pillar, which coincides with the body at the tail light, creating a particularly strong sense of motion visually.
After the electrification of cars, there have been many design schemes for car styling, which has led to easier achievement of a more technological and sporty feel in the design of electric cars, especially in the front face.
From the front view, an almost upright octagonal grille replaces the traditional hollow grille for heat dissipation and air intake, and the overall layout is very unified. Personally, I really like this design.
When it comes to design, Audi’s headlight design cannot be ignored. The front headlight lines of the Q4 e-tron Sportback concept car blend seamlessly with the front hood, with a simple and three-dimensional appearance. The arrangement of the inner light beads in the headlights is still Audi’s classic matrix style, but divided into top and bottom lines. The entire headlight shape is flat and elongated, with a very sharp visual feel.
At the rear, there is a through-type taillight, which connects two taillight units and has high recognition when lit at night.
According to official introduction, the Q4 e-tron Sportback uses a brand-new dynamic gray color with bright metallic and pearl effects, which can present a distinct green under different light angles. The lower part of the car body is dark gray. This color segmentation can highlight the width and horizontal direction of the car body structure.
Audi’s interior can also be very technological
Many netizens say that Mercedes-Benz has the most luxurious interior and the best technological feel among the BBA brands, while the interior of the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback and Q4 e-tron is different from previous Audi models, with a very simple and clear layering.
At first glance, you will find Audi’s shadow in this interior, but you will also feel very novel. The combination of light and warm colors can enhance the sense of space in the cockpit, similar to the Nordic style of Volvo.
The car roof, door columns, and instrument panel are all made of white and beige ultra-fine fiber fabrics, and the seats are made of Alcantara.
The central console will use a three-screen design, and a known central console will use a 12.3-inch high-definition screen.
The steering wheel uses touch buttons for common functions, which is convenient but may cause inadvertent touches that affect the overall experience. The car is also equipped with an augmented reality HUD, which has AR display capability. Specific functions will only be known after mass production experience.
Audi’s interior design eliminates complex lines, uses colors and unified curves to delineate and create space with the benefit of making passengers feel relaxed.
Audi is becoming more sporty
People who have experienced the new A4L and the new 3 Series should feel that this generation of A4L is more sporty, while the 3 Series has become more comfortable.
For pure electric vehicles, performance is no longer difficult to achieve. Volkswagen considered this point when developing the MEB platform, which has a larger tolerance for adjustments of the drive and power.
The Q4 e-tron Sportback is equipped with a dual-motor drive system front and rear. The maximum power of the front axle motor is 75 kW, with a maximum torque of 150 N·m. The maximum power of the rear axle motor is 150 kW, with a maximum torque of 310 N·m, and the total system power reaches 225 kW.
As there is no mechanical connection between the axles, the Q4 e-tron’s torque release and distribution will be very direct. During daily driving, the system will monitor the required power, and because the rear axle uses a more efficient permanent synchronous motor, in most cases, the rear axle will receive more torque allocation.
The Q4 e-tron Sportback places a 510 kg high-voltage battery on the bottom of the vehicle, which brings the benefit of a particularly low center of gravity. This enhances tire grip during high-speed cornering, reduces lateral centrifugal force, and prevents overturning, especially during high-speed driving, due to the 50:50 weight distribution front and rear.
Audi’s first car on the MEB platform
The Volkswagen Group dominated the automotive industry during the era of fossil-fuel cars, by establishing “half of the empire” with MQB and MLB platforms. All vehicle models derived from these two platforms are almost stars in various sub-sectors.In the era of electrification, Volkswagen still follows its platform strategy and has built the pure electric platform MEB. The e-tron is also Audi’s pure electric product on this platform.
It is reported that Audi will have three models on the MEB platform, with the e-tron series being an SUV. It is expected that Audi will also build a pure electric sedan based on this platform in the future.
This platform will cover all of Volkswagen’s vehicle models, including Audi’s compact car models. The Q4 e-tron’s competitor directly targets Tesla’s Model Y, and as the technical research and development leader of the Volkswagen Group, there are high expectations for the Q4 e-tron Sportback after mass production.
As Audi’s first pure electric model, the Q4 e-tron will not only be a pioneer of Audi’s electrification, but also carry the future of the MEB platform.
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.