Audi e-Tron Review | Is it worth your money in 2021?

Here we brought the Audi e-Tron  Review. This electric car is the first purely electric SUV from Audi. and all the figures suggest it’s a good one. according to official tests, the e-Tron electric range is 248 miles* in a full charge. despite power output of 402 BHP (brake horsepower) from its dual electric motors.

*Not the Real-world tests. but official tests. Based on real-world tests, the range will be around 200 miles. may vary with the road quality. Keep reading.

Brake horsepower is the horsepower of an engine measured by the degree of resistance offered by a brake, which represents the useful power that the machine can develop. For an electric motor, brake horsepower is the mechanical horsepower available at the shaft at specified rpm and full load current.

The e-Tron figures look good on paper then. but it has got serious competition in the form of the Jaguar I-pace, the Mercedes EQC, and even the Tesla Model X. not only that but the Mercedes and Jaguar models are usually cheaper. 

So the e-Tron SUV pricing starts at closer to 70,000 pounds. (around $90,500) where those rivals are more like 60,000 pounds starting price. that’s quite a big price gap. 

Not only that, they go further under official tests. so what we need to know is how far does the e-Tron go in the real world is that competitive with its rivals. and can it justify that price?

Battery, and Charging

The electric battery capacity of the Audi e-Tron 2020 is 95 kWh. the car comes with standard type 2, and 3 pin cables that are both 4 and 1/2 meters in length. and there a charging port located on both front wings of the car. 

When you connect to a 7kW charger, which is a standard speed for many home chargers. and you’ll be able to charge each one up in around for 13 hours. however, it is also capable of charging at speeds of up to 150 kW from a DC rapid charger. so if you can find a station offering that charging level. you’ll be adding around 100 miles of range to the car in 15 minutes.

However, you’re more likely to find a 50 kW charger in a UK motorway service station. and these will take more like an hour to deliver that 100 miles of range.

When you’re done with charging, there’s a useful storage base underneath the boot floor to keep the cables. or there is additional space in the nose of the car. although you do have to access it via a very old-school bonnet opening release to get to it.

Audi e-Tron Range

So to get straight to the point that each one’s real-world range is actually a bit disappointing. so this has got a 95 kWh battery which is one of the biggest in the class. it’s bigger than the Merc and the Jags batteries. and yet the real-world range is around about 200 miles and that’s even in quite good weather, and if you’re driving reasonably sedately.

If you really try a bit and you know a conscious of the range. then you can eat get up to about 220 -230. but if you use the motorway a lot or if it’s cold weather then you know 200 miles is gonna be the best range you’re going to get. so it is a bit disappointing, to be honest. 

A Comfortable EV

But it is at least a nice car to drive. it’s very comfort-oriented. I mean, this electric SUV is very comfortable for sure. so you get air suspension as standard. it’s got a really lovely sort of woefully way of going down the road. it controls the body quite nicely. especially for such a heavy car. 

Handling

so it doesn’t feel too floaty or wallowing or any of that stuff. it’s just really nice. very nice and easy and smooth to drive. Handling is fine for the e-Tron. anyway, it’s not a fun car around corners at all relations. it’s a very heavy feeling. very neutral and grippy. 

Towing Capacity

Audi e-Tron can tow 1,800 kg of weight. which is also a good thing some electric cars aren’t even rated for time.

Top Speed, Acceleration, and Motor Performance

It’s fast too. This electric SUV has a top speed of 124 mph. e-Tron can accelerate 0-62 mph in 5.7 seconds. which is all well and good you get 302 brake horsepower normally in the e-Tron when you’re just driving around. and then if you decide to absolutely floor it. then you get this massive surge of power. and it’s feeding 402 BHP. to all four wheels at that point for 8 seconds. so it’s a bit like an over-boost function.

That’s the most entertaining aspect of driving the e-Tron. going around corners. like I said just neutral and grippy. but it is fast. it’s not as fast as the Mercedes EQC. or the Jaguar I-pace. let alone the Model X. this is a heavy car and it shows. but still, it’s fast by anybody’s standards.

Regenerative Braking

Probably more important to most people buying the e-Tron is the break regen. now, this is the system whereby all-electric cars have it. when you lift off the throttle, then it automatically applies the brakes so that it can harvest all that energy and increase the range of the car. it’s an efficiency thing. the Audi e-Tron has got two regenerative braking settings. so you can have sort of mid-level regen or stronger regen braking. 

There’s also an automatic brake regen mode, which is clever. because it senses if there’s a car in front, and we’ll keep the Audi a decent distance away automatically. so it means that it’s varying that brake force as it sees fit to keep you safe and to make the most of the efficiency. 

Virtual Wing Mirrors

The last thing to think about is those wing mirrors. because the e-Tron if you go for the top-spec model gets virtual wing mirrors. an actual camera on the outside of the car. that beams a video into the car and shows you what’s in your rear three-quarters and functions as a normal wing where except it’s a camera. 

That is all very exciting and very high-tech. and will appeal to all your kind of gadget geeks out there. so I get that the reality is that a standard wing mirror is just better. yes, it is. it’s more intuitive. it’s less distracting. so do avoid the virtual windows if you possibly can. (it’s just a personal opinion)

Audi e-Tron Interior

This interior is one of the special things about the e-Tron. it feels absolutely gorgeous. because it’s all about these screens. it also feels extremely minimalist. it is a comfortable interior and the equipment is very good. so you get electrically adjustable heated seats with lumbar adjustment. you get cruise control, keyless entry, LED headlights, 20-inch alloys. so you get really most of the stuff you’re going to want. but there are loads of options that you’re probably going to want to also splurge on. including a head-up display, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control. yeah, there’s loads of stuff you really can go to town if you want to.

But we would say you’re still better off going for a standard each one rather than the launch edition. which is the only other trim available but cost like 10,000 pounds more. so go for the cheaper model and just be a bit picky about your options.

Infotainment

Of course, in the e-Tron, it’s really all about the screens. the two HD touch screens. in the middle of the dash totally dominate the interior. the lower of the two screens is for climate control, seat heating, and all of your cabin and comfort settings doubles up as a touchpad or keyboard when you need it to. the top screen is for media and nav where you get all the features you want as standard on every model including apple car play, and android auto. also sat-nav, Bluetooth, digital radio, wireless phone charging, and a 3-year subscription to Audi’s online services.

The system is easy to use despite the initially overwhelming array of screens. when you access a function or change a setting. the screen actually clicks so it’s easy to know that it’s responded. plus the menu layouts are mostly quite logical and the icons easy to understand. it’s certainly one of the most high-tech systems in any production car. and one of the best.

“Practicality” is another strong point for the e-Tron. there’s more room in the back than you’ll get in the I-pace or EQC and the huge boot is also bigger than in any rivals shorter the Tesla Model X.

Conclusion

The e-Tron is a great car that is so lovely inside. and it’s really practical and comfortable. those are its real strengths. but there is no getting around the fact that that real-world range is pretty disappointing. particularly given how big the battery is on this car. and its rivals of Cheaper. so if you are going to spend this kind of cash on a premium electric SUV. think very carefully about whether one of the longer-range alternatives might do much the same if not a better job. for a bit less cash. 

You may also like to read: Hyundai Kona Electric Ultimate In-depth Review 2020