With the Audi Q4 e-tron, the brand\u2019s electrification programme has come of age. While this mid-size SUV is by no means the most powerful, prestigious, or sizeable EV that Audi offers, it is definitely the best to date, mostly by virtue of its mix of the familiar and the practical...
, probably the most complete electric sports car you can buy. However, as we’ve noted before, speed is increasingly becoming a secondary consideration for electric vehicles. Until batteries are capacious enough to dispel the last dregs of range anxiety, most EV buyers find themselves becoming compulsive ‘hypermilers,’ carefully conserving every last watt. The Q4 starts up in ‘efficiency’ mode, which is a small but significant concession to this mindset.
Nevertheless, it is a smooth and pleasurable car to drive, refined and quiet. The electric surge of acceleration is there if you want it, as are wheel-mounted paddles to ramp up the regeneration system, kinetically converting braking power into battery charge. There’s also a Sportback variant of the Q4, offering slightly better aerodynamics for slightly less luggage space. will be small again, as battery density improves and tastes change.