Audi’s long-awaited and cutting-edge e-tron and e-tron Sportback full-electric SUVs are set to arrive in Australia by September, arriving to compete head-on with the Mercedes-Benz EQC.
Tantalising figures are aplenty with outputs of 300kW and 660Nm, 400km of real-world range, 150kW fast-charging capability and the icing on the cake – six years of free charging.
While bringing stronger competition to fellow German brand Mercedes-Benz, Audi’s suite of e-tron crossovers also provide a greener alternative for buyers interested in the brand’s dimensionally similar Q7 and high-spec Q5 SUVs.
The e-tron SUVs are fully electric.
But Paul Sansom, Managing Director of Audi Australia, assured us that the e-Tron is more than just an alternative, it’s the “start of a new era of mobility from Audi”.
There will be two powertrains available, starting with the $137,700 (driveaway pricing TBA) e-tron 50 Quattro that revolves around a 71kWh battery pack and dual electric motors. Combined outputs are 230kW and 540Nm, and Audi suggests a real-world range of around 300km. The e-tron 50 competes directly with the Mercedes-Benz EQC 400, which costs $137,900 (around $161,000 driveaway).
Naturally, there is an energy-recovery system controlled by steering wheel-mounted paddles which will provide around 30% of the e-tron’s real-world range and 90% of braking force.
Audi Australia have partnered with the Chargefox rapid charger network.
Each e-tron battery is made up of 27 separate lithium-ion ‘modules’ which Audi says can be replaced individually if they fail. No official pricing has been released, but we imagine it will be more cost-effective than battery replacement – both for the wallet and the environment.
The more potent e-tron 55 Quattro starts at $146,700 (driveaway pricing TBA) and uses 36 of the same modules for a 95kWh battery capacity and a claimed range of around 400km.
Of course, more power is available with outputs raised to 300kW and 660Nm, good for a 0-100km/h time of 5.7 seconds. Fast-charging will be possible at 150kW for the e-tron 55, providing 80% charge in as little as 30 minutes. The more affordable e-tron 50 grade is capable of charging at 120kW.
The e-tron SUV sits between the Q5 and Q7 in size.
Audi has worked on optimising full charge potential with the 55 Quattro able to reach 100% charge in as little as 45 minutes, which beats out competitors where the same charge level would take 90 minutes to achieve.
Regardless of fast-charging, Audi’s Matthew Dale re-iterated that all e-trons will be “suitable for everyday use”. This claim is backed-up by the Audi smartphone app, which is intelligent enough to calculate a route from Melbourne to Brisbane accounting for fast-charger locations, and time taken to charge the SUV.
Audi has partnered with the Chargefox network to offer fast-charging services to customers in Australia. Mr Dale said there are already “500 chargers in Australia, with more cropping up every day”.
Cameras replace traditional wing mirrors in the e-tron.
The Chargefox partnership is designed to create peace of mind around charging infrastructure for new EV buyers. To that end, Audi is also bundling a particularly generous free charging package with the e-tron at launch.
Customers will be able to tap into six years of free, unlimited charging on the Chargefox network – a period matched in duration by Audi’s roadside assist programme, which includes flat battery recovery. The e-tron’s batteries are warranted for eight years and 160,000km.
Cues to the e-tron’s electric power are few and far between, though the aerodynamically-optimised 20-inch wheels will alert trainspotters. So too, will the corporate grille which is active in this application; the slats will close when extra cooling isn’t needed to lower drag. At low-speeds, they reopen to aid battery cooling.
The e-tron Sportback is a slicker-looking variant.
If you’re after something slicker looking then the Sportback is the option, Audi Australia says a fair share of prospective e-tron buyers will be young professionals without families, who won’t be concerned at the shrunken backseat headroom.
The Sportback improves this SUV’s drag coefficient – the wagon-bodied e-tron boasts an already impressive figure of 0.28, the Sportback improves this to 0.25.
An e-tron isn’t cheap, but standard equipment is generous. Both 50 and 55 Quattros get adaptive air suspension, a digital drivers display, dual haptic touch screens – 10.1 inch for infotainment and a supplementary 8-inch below – wireless Apple CarPlay, heated front seats and luxurious leather-appointed interior.
70 high-spec First Editions will come to Australia.
There will be an especially high-spec First Edition grade offered at launch for early birds. The e-tron First Edition will start at $159,600 (driveaway pricing TBA) for the 50 Quattro, climbing to $169,950 (driveaway pricing TBA) for the 55 and be limited to 70 units.
For the additional asking price the First Edition gets larger 21-inch wheels, orange brake callipers, black exterior highlights, a head-up display, four-zone air-conditioning, a premium Bang & Olufsen stereo and, the icing on the cake, a set of fixed-back sports seats finished in premium Valcona leather.
A brace of option packs will be available; the $9,700 ($6,500 for the Sportback) Premium Plus package adds Matrix LED lights, 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo, ambient lighting and the must-have virtual mirrors.
Or for $2,950 the premium interior package nets those aforementioned fixed-back seats and opulent Valcona leather upholstery.
Available to order online from June 19, Mr Dale suggests plenty of interest for the EVs with around 100 e-trons on pre-order and anticipates the first customer cars will arrive in September 2020.
