The dedicated electric Audi Q4 e-tron is high on the local division’s wishlist, but it’s still not confirmed if or when it’ll arrive in Australian showrooms.
“We’re still evaluating and working on it. No confirmation yet,” said Shaun Cleary, Audi Australia’s corporate communications manager.
Revealed earlier this year and already on sale in markets like Europe, the Audi Q4 e-tron and Q4 e-tron Sportback are the four-ringed marque’s more luxurious take on the Volkswagen ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq electric SUVs.
The Q4 e-tron family rides on the same MEB architecture that underpins its VW Group siblings, meaning it’s a dedicated electric vehicle offering both rear- and all-wheel drive electric powertrains.
Four drivetrain variants are offered abroad: the 35, 40, 45 quattro and 50 quattro. Power outputs range from 125kW to 220kW, while range starts at 308km (35 e-tron, WLTP) at its lowest to 520km (40 e-tron, WLTP) at the top end.
Base 35 e-tron models feature a 55kWh lithium-ion battery pack, while all other variants get a larger 82kWh unit. The 35 and 40 e-tron variants have a single e-motor on the rear axle, while quattro versions have a dual-motor setup with a second electric motor on the front axle.
Audi Australia has gone on record for a number of years saying it’s focusing on all-electric e-tron models before PHEVs, with the e-tron quattro and e-tron Sportback quattro large SUVs being the first cabs off the rank Down Under.
It’s likely part of the issue is Australia’s lagging fuel and emissions standards, which has been the line given time and time again by Volkswagen and Skoda. Europe’s strict legislation and looming penalties for non-compliance have seen countless manufacturers prioritise PHEV and EV manufacturing for that region to avoid massive fines.
However, Spanish VW subsidiary Cupra has confirmed the MEB-based Born hatchback for Australia in late-2022 or early-2023, while the Skoda Enyaq is all but confirmed for our market – it’s just a question of when it’s coming.
Volkswagen has flagged the ID.4 will be its first all-electric model in Australia, but launch timing has been delayed all the way until late 2023 at the earliest, along with the ID.3 hatchback.
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