Audi’s big push into electric cars is picking up speed.
The smaller Q4 E-Tron and Sportback E-Tron are coming to sit below the E-Tron, debuting the Volkswagen Group’s latest MEB electric platform for Audi in the process.
The same platform first featured in the Volkswagen ID.3 hatchback, and will be widely used across the Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Audi, and even Ford line-ups.
As for the Q4 E-Tron Sportback? As the name suggests, it’ll be a sporty companion to the regular Q4 wagon with a sloping roofline and sharper looks.
As with the larger E-Tron, the Q4 is expected to adopt a very conventional look on the outside. The headlights borrow plenty from the Q8 SUV, while the rear has a bit in common with the Q3 and A3.
Expected to measure around 4.6 metres long, the new Q4 will be sized between the Q3 and Q5. Its dedicated electric underpinnings should ensure it has more interior space than the mid-sized Q5, however.
All in all, the Q4 E-Tron’s styling bears a striking resemblance to the 2019 concept car, which featured a 225kW dual-motor all-wheel drive system and a 82kWh battery pack good for around 450km of electric range.
It’s unknown what drivetrains will be offered in the production version.
Single motor rear-wheel drive options available in the related Volkswagen ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq include 109kW and 125kW motors paired to a 52kWh battery, and a 129kW or 150kW motor with a 77kWh battery.
Inside, the Q4 E-tron and the Q4 E-Tron Sportback will have a large capacitive touchscreen infotainment system and a customisable digital instrumentation screen.
Expect plenty of piano black and metal-effect trim, along with displays integrated into the dashboard rather than the freestanding units being rolled out across the Volkswagen range.
The Q4 E-Tron is likely to debut some time in 2021 and should undercut by a hefty margin the larger E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback models, which start from $137,700 before on-road costs.
