Audi has revealed the latest cog in its upcoming electric onslaught, the Q4 Sportback E-Tron, in concept form.
Having launched its pure-electric range with the E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback, the German manufacturer will follow up with the smaller Q4 E-Tron and Q4 Sportback E-Tron in 2021.
The Q4 Sportback E-Tron concept is a coupe-styled, sloping-backed version of the Q4 E-Tron we saw in Geneva last year.
It’s not quite production ready, but expect only the finer details to change for production. Measuring up at 4.6 metres long and 1.9m wide, it’s slightly smaller than the internal-combustion Q5 SUV, but should offer more interior space thanks to its electric powertrain.
There’s an 82kWh battery pack under the skin, good for a claimed range of more than 450km. It can be charged at 125kW when plugged into a DC fast charger, where it’ll take just over 30 minutes to reach 80 per cent.
Although it’s smaller than the larger E-Tron, the Q4 E-Tron packs a similar dual-motor drivetrain. With a rear motor that makes 150kW/310Nm and a front motor outputting 75kW/150Nm, total claimed power is 225kW.
Often these figures are pure speculation with concept cars, but given Audi’s form – and its commitment to building the Q4 E-Tron – it’s safe to assume these figures will stay largely the same when the production car rolls around.
Externally, the Q4 Sportback E-Tron looks… exactly how we expected it to look. There are slim LED headlamps and a closed-over Single Frame grille in keeping with the wider Audi range.
The sloping roof line is similar to that of the Q3 Sportback, flowing into pronounced hips and a slim LED light bar. Expect the overblown detailing on the rear diffuser and large wheels to be toned down for production, but what you see is likely what you’re going to get.
Q4 E-Tron Sportback concept 
2020 E-Tron interior
It’s a similar story inside, where the Q4 Sportback E-Tron almost looks production ready.
The driver is faced with a digital instrument binnacle, while the dashboard is home to two touchscreens, one each for the infotainment and climate control systems.
Audi has used sustainable trims pieces throughout. The carpeting is made of recycled materials, while surfaces that look like chrome are actually finished using a multi-layer paint application.
With no gear selector or parking brake, the Q4 E-Tron features a large storage bin where the transmission tunnel would otherwise sit.
When it launches in 2021, the Q4 Sportback E-Tron will part the initial wave of electric cars from Audi. The automaker is planning to offer 20 cars with pure-electric power by 2025, and is hoping for hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles to account for 40 per cent of sales in some markets by the same point.
Although smaller, more mainstream vehicles, such as the Q4 models, will be built on the Volkswagen Group’s new MEB electric platform, Audi is also working with Porsche to develop a high-performance PPE platform.
The E-Tron arriving shortly in Australia is built on a variation of the Volkswagen Group’s MLB Evo platform, which is designed primarily for internal combustion engines.
