# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
Decent powertrain happily takes a back seat to dependable quality. This is where the electric vehicle hits the mainstream

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
Decent powertrain happily takes a back seat to dependable quality. This is where the electric vehicle hits the mainstream

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
Decent powertrain happily takes a back seat to dependable quality. This is where the electric vehicle hits the mainstream

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
Decent powertrain happily takes a back seat to dependable quality. This is where the electric vehicle hits the mainstream

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content.description
Decent powertrain happily takes a back seat to dependable quality. This is where the electric vehicle hits the mainstream

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content[]
"description":"Decent powertrain happily takes a back seat to dependable quality. This is where the electric vehicle hits the mainstream"

# data.attributes.field_cars_driving.value
Audi has never quite been able to decide whether it’s supposed to build racy cars or smooth and refined ones. It usually manages the balance quite well, and electric powertrains offer the ideal opportunity to blend those traits, thanks to the instant slug of torque that e-motors offer.

So the Q4 e-tron offers a smooth ride – it’s well damped, but can get occasionally fussy as you drive over small ridges and other bumps, delivering a short sharp shock into the cabin – but it can hustle too, staying flat and clinging grimly on thanks to the low down weight of the battery.

Country way or the motorway?

The Q4 e-tron is not a classic driver’s car – certainly more at home cruising than attacking B-roads – but the steering is firmly weighted and accurate, lightening up the further up the drive select modes you get towards Comfort.

How quiet is it?

The cabin is hushed on the move (even the wipers are silent when it rains) and outside noise has been impressively muted. The problem with that level of noise reduction is that it shines a spotlight on squeaks and grunts from the rest of the car over bumps or round corners, but this Audi is properly screwed together. It’s silent enough to be awkward, so remember your conversational cue cards.

Tell me about the regen braking.

One of the Q4 e-tron's most useful features, that. Controllable through flappy paddles behind the steering wheel. This set-up is optional on Sport and S Line models, and comes as standard on the Edition 1. It quickly becomes second nature, flicking left and right to vary the car’s rate of regeneration when you come off the, er, gas.

# data.attributes.field_cars_driving.processed
Audi has never quite been able to decide whether it’s supposed to build racy cars or smooth and refined ones. It usually manages the balance quite well, and electric powertrains offer the ideal opportunity to blend those traits, thanks to the instant slug of torque that e-motors offer.

So the Q4 e-tron offers a smooth ride – it’s well damped, but can get occasionally fussy as you drive over small ridges and other bumps, delivering a short sharp shock into the cabin – but it can hustle too, staying flat and clinging grimly on thanks to the low down weight of the battery.

Country way or the motorway?

The Q4 e-tron is not a classic driver’s car – certainly more at home cruising than attacking B-roads – but the steering is firmly weighted and accurate, lightening up the further up the drive select modes you get towards Comfort.

How quiet is it?

The cabin is hushed on the move (even the wipers are silent when it rains) and outside noise has been impressively muted. The problem with that level of noise reduction is that it shines a spotlight on squeaks and grunts from the rest of the car over bumps or round corners, but this Audi is properly screwed together. It’s silent enough to be awkward, so remember your conversational cue cards.

Tell me about the regen braking.

One of the Q4 e-tron's most useful features, that. Controllable through flappy paddles behind the steering wheel. This set-up is optional on Sport and S Line models, and comes as standard on the Edition 1. It quickly becomes second nature, flicking left and right to vary the car’s rate of regeneration when you come off the, er, gas.

# data.attributes.field_cars_editor_title
Audi Q4 e-tron review: the family SUV for punctual adopters

# data.attributes.field_cars_inside.value
The interior of the Q4 e-tron is predictably high quality, and even base-spec Sport models get a decent kit list with three-zone aircon, heated front sport seats and a fancy multifunction steering wheel. You also get a three-year subscription to Audi’s connected services, which is nice.

Is that a square steering wheel?

Lower spec models get a more rounded offering, but the Austin Allegro is sat weeping in its grave at the injustice of it all – the likes of Audi introduce a square steering wheel and suddenly it’s cool. In fact, Audi has managed a solid job of keeping the Q4 e-tron’s insides on brand while simultaneously giving them the sort of angular, glossy look we’ve come to hope for from these machines of the future. Nightmare to keep the fingerprints off, though – you’ll end up with a microfibre cloth or three stuffed in the door bin.

It looks quite minimalist, doesn’t it

It’s a pared back interior, for sure. The gear selector is a tiny button that you nudge forwards or backwards, flanked by the start button, an iPod-style controller for the infotainment, Audi Drive selector at the back and a button to turn the ESP off. Otherwise that’s your lot. There’s a reasonable amount of storage, but covered cubbies are limited to the glovebox or a deep central bin under the armrest.

The boot floor is set quite high, but there’s a decent sized compartment underneath the floor in which you can squirrel away your cables and other gubbins. Overall the boot is a good size, offering a chunk more space than electric rivals such as the Volvo XC40 Recharge and Mercedes EQA.

What about the infotainment?

We can’t avoid talking screens here, and the Audi offers a 10.1-inch touchscreen display in the middle and a 10.25-inch virtual instrument panel behind the steering wheel. The Volkswagen Group has gone a little astray with its electronics, and the Q4 e-tron does suffer here, but less so than in some of its relatives.

We criticise these things because the company clearly takes such pride in the details: the control stalks on the steering column are perfectly sculpted for a fingertip flick, and the carmaker long ago pioneered cheeky little details like holding down the unlock button on your fob to open all the windows. The imperfections here only serve to highlight how consistently high performing Volkswagen’s output has been for a long time.

# data.attributes.field_cars_inside.processed
The interior of the Q4 e-tron is predictably high quality, and even base-spec Sport models get a decent kit list with three-zone aircon, heated front sport seats and a fancy multifunction steering wheel. You also get a three-year subscription to Audi’s connected services, which is nice.

Is that a square steering wheel?

Lower spec models get a more rounded offering, but the Austin Allegro is sat weeping in its grave at the injustice of it all – the likes of Audi introduce a square steering wheel and suddenly it’s cool. In fact, Audi has managed a solid job of keeping the Q4 e-tron’s insides on brand while simultaneously giving them the sort of angular, glossy look we’ve come to hope for from these machines of the future. Nightmare to keep the fingerprints off, though – you’ll end up with a microfibre cloth or three stuffed in the door bin.

It looks quite minimalist, doesn’t it

It’s a pared back interior, for sure. The gear selector is a tiny button that you nudge forwards or backwards, flanked by the start button, an iPod-style controller for the infotainment, Audi Drive selector at the back and a button to turn the ESP off. Otherwise that’s your lot. There’s a reasonable amount of storage, but covered cubbies are limited to the glovebox or a deep central bin under the armrest.

The boot floor is set quite high, but there’s a decent sized compartment underneath the floor in which you can squirrel away your cables and other gubbins. Overall the boot is a good size, offering a chunk more space than electric rivals such as the Volvo XC40 Recharge and Mercedes EQA.

What about the infotainment?

We can’t avoid talking screens here, and the Audi offers a 10.1-inch touchscreen display in the middle and a 10.25-inch virtual instrument panel behind the steering wheel. The Volkswagen Group has gone a little astray with its electronics, and the Q4 e-tron does suffer here, but less so than in some of its relatives.

We criticise these things because the company clearly takes such pride in the details: the control stalks on the steering column are perfectly sculpted for a fingertip flick, and the carmaker long ago pioneered cheeky little details like holding down the unlock button on your fob to open all the windows. The imperfections here only serve to highlight how consistently high performing Volkswagen’s output has been for a long time.

# data.attributes.field_cars_owning.value
The Q4 e-tron range starts at £49,215 for the entry level Sport model, £51,315 for the S line and £55,410 for the range-topping Edition 1 model. If you want to upgrade to the 50 powertrain it costs around £5k–6k extra.

There are various packs and options to whack on top, but the £950 heat pump is a must-have, because it helps minimise loss of range in cold weather when you’re running the heating.

Which one should I go for?

The 40 is the big seller, offering reasonable performance with bigger range. The main sell of the 50 is the reassurance that four-wheel-drive offers, but you’d need to be looking at fairly terrible conditions for the entry car to be flummoxed in day to day driving.

The Sport spec is on balance the best one to pick – anything higher up the price list is essentially just adding pretty things rather than anything particularly useful. This is also the model that offers the best range.

What about rivals?

Of course, Audi expects that you’ll be looking at other posh EVs when considering the Q4 e-tron. A Mercedes EQA starts at £52,010 for a 2WD EQA 250+ AMG Line 250 with a 70kWh battery, while the Volvo XC40 Recharge Core and its 78kWh costs from £46,505. Its cousin, the Polestar 2, can be had from £44,950 in Standard range Single motor guise.

All these cars can be had on one per cent BIK rates if you’re looking for a company car, which definitely makes them worth looking at. The Audi has the biggest boot, the Volvo is the quickest, the Polestar is the coolest and the EQA is the Mercedesest.

# data.attributes.field_cars_owning.processed
The Q4 e-tron range starts at £49,215 for the entry level Sport model, £51,315 for the S line and £55,410 for the range-topping Edition 1 model. If you want to upgrade to the 50 powertrain it costs around £5k–6k extra.

There are various packs and options to whack on top, but the £950 heat pump is a must-have, because it helps minimise loss of range in cold weather when you’re running the heating.

Which one should I go for?

The 40 is the big seller, offering reasonable performance with bigger range. The main sell of the 50 is the reassurance that four-wheel-drive offers, but you’d need to be looking at fairly terrible conditions for the entry car to be flummoxed in day to day driving.

The Sport spec is on balance the best one to pick – anything higher up the price list is essentially just adding pretty things rather than anything particularly useful. This is also the model that offers the best range.

What about rivals?

Of course, Audi expects that you’ll be looking at other posh EVs when considering the Q4 e-tron. A Mercedes EQA starts at £52,010 for a 2WD EQA 250+ AMG Line 250 with a 70kWh battery, while the Volvo XC40 Recharge Core and its 78kWh costs from £46,505. Its cousin, the Polestar 2, can be had from £44,950 in Standard range Single motor guise.

All these cars can be had on one per cent BIK rates if you’re looking for a company car, which definitely makes them worth looking at. The Audi has the biggest boot, the Volvo is the quickest, the Polestar is the coolest and the EQA is the Mercedesest.

# data.attributes.field_cars_stand_first
Audi's Q4 e-tron is a smart family SUV first, electric vehicle second. As will be the way of things from now on...

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict.value
Audi is pursuing a policy of relentless ordinariness with most of its electric cars – it sounds damning with faint praise, but it’s a genuinely interesting moment that the latest space age technology or controversially distinctive looks aren’t a focal point here.

The Q4 e-tron is a useful family SUV that just happens to be electric. It’s relentlessly capable and easy to live with as a car full stop. If you’re making the switch to electric it’s a great place to start, a deft blend of EV glamour and SUV practicality.

The small SUV is the best blend of big-enough-to-squeeze-in-a-load-of-batteries and small-enough-to-be-manageable, and gingerly sidesteps the inherent tension in going electric to try and save the planet but doing it in a ginormous SUV. There’s enough range here too that you can forget about the driving and cut loose a little.

The Q4 e-tron is the perfect car for those punctual adopters who have watched others try things out. You’ll probably still get on better with it if you’re able to charge at home, but the UK infrastructure is improving all the time – it’s definitely the moment to consider the switch.

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict.processed
Audi is pursuing a policy of relentless ordinariness with most of its electric cars – it sounds damning with faint praise, but it’s a genuinely interesting moment that the latest space age technology or controversially distinctive looks aren’t a focal point here.

The Q4 e-tron is a useful family SUV that just happens to be electric. It’s relentlessly capable and easy to live with as a car full stop. If you’re making the switch to electric it’s a great place to start, a deft blend of EV glamour and SUV practicality.

The small SUV is the best blend of big-enough-to-squeeze-in-a-load-of-batteries and small-enough-to-be-manageable, and gingerly sidesteps the inherent tension in going electric to try and save the planet but doing it in a ginormous SUV. There’s enough range here too that you can forget about the driving and cut loose a little.

The Q4 e-tron is the perfect car for those punctual adopters who have watched others try things out. You’ll probably still get on better with it if you’re able to charge at home, but the UK infrastructure is improving all the time – it’s definitely the moment to consider the switch.

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict_against
It's a bit too much of a family car. Does it look cool enough from the outside?

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict_for
This is the best version of VW’s ID.4 yet, almost seamless to live with

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict_text
The Audi Q4 e-tron is a useful family SUV that just happens to be electric... it’s definitely the moment to consider the switch

# data.attributes.field_cars_what_is_it.value
This is Audi’s smallest electric SUV, until it inevitably shoehorns a smaller one into the lineup. The Q4 e-tron sits between the Q3 and Q5 in Audi’s increasingly complex range of SUVs: 100mm longer than the former (and 40mm shorter than the latter), a smidge taller and wider, but with a smaller boot thanks to its pesky battery. It’s also £10k more expensive thanks to its pesky battery, so Audi needs to put some effort in to make the Q4 e-tron feel a bit more special.

A sleeker Sportback version of the car with a more sloping roof and a jaunty hatchback is also available. It’s one of the modern automotive world’s more perplexing features – for a slight premium you can get mildly reduced practicality. Funny how that works.

Isn’t this just a more expensive VW ID.4?

That’s the other way to look at the Q4 e-tron. It shares its undercrackers with the rest of its Volkswagen family and it’s built on the MEB electric platform that has been deployed across the company. Essentially it is an Audi-skinned version of the ID.4, along with Skoda’s Enyaq, and it’s even built on the same production line as the Volkswagen in Zwickau – they really are a close family. But Volkswagen’s electric smarts combined with Audi’s interior panache? Consider us interested.

There are two basic starting powertrains to choose from: the 40- and 50-badged models. The two-wheel-drive 40 e-tron gets a 77kWh battery, 300-mile WLTP range and a 201bhp motor, while the 50 e-tron quattro has the same battery set-up as the 40 but with an extra front motor to give the car four-wheel drive, boosting available power to 295bhp but reducing the official range to 292 miles. Those cars can then be chosen in three trims – Sport, S Line and Edition 1.

Will I be stuck for ages charging?

Rapid charging comes as standard on the Q4 e-tron, so if you’re in a rush, the battery charges at up to 125kW – not as fast as some recent new launches onto the market, but enough to get you back on the road fairly sharpish. It’ll take about half an hour to get you from 5 per cent to 80 per cent charge.

So what sets the Q4 apart from the other VWG cars?

Perhaps not the car’s looks – the Q4 is fairly handsome and well proportioned, but from the side you’d be hard pressed to recognise it as an Audi. There are clear benefits to the disciplined platform sharing that the Volkswagen Group has introduced, with the downside being that it’s clearly tough sometimes for the different brands’ designers to carve out a unique identity. Still, they’ve done a marvellous job on the inside of the Q4 e-tron, with an angular interior that showcases the solid quality that we’ve come to expect from Ingolstadt.

What physical buttons there are all move with a pleasing tactility, and the driving experience communicates a sense of solidity. The pedals are all well weighted and the steering is firm and accurate. Audi’s done a good job too of disguising the car’s heft, with a well damped ride that mostly smooths out the road’s imperfections.

You haven’t mentioned the touchscreen yet…

We don’t like to go on about these things for the sake of it, but with a company as relentlessly competent as the Volkswagen Group, it’s very surprising when it wanders as astray as the carmaker has with its latest generation of interior electrics.

Audi has managed to avoid the worst of VW’s electronic excesses, retaining a smattering of useful buttons in the cabin, but the infotainment is still a touch laggy, the phone connection occasionally unreliable and the whole thing randomly prone to freezing. In this bright new age of over-the-air updates they can sort these things out over time, but such niggles are a measure of how reliable the company has always been.

# data.attributes.field_cars_what_is_it.processed
This is Audi’s smallest electric SUV, until it inevitably shoehorns a smaller one into the lineup. The Q4 e-tron sits between the Q3 and Q5 in Audi’s increasingly complex range of SUVs: 100mm longer than the former (and 40mm shorter than the latter), a smidge taller and wider, but with a smaller boot thanks to its pesky battery. It’s also £10k more expensive thanks to its pesky battery, so Audi needs to put some effort in to make the Q4 e-tron feel a bit more special.

A sleeker Sportback version of the car with a more sloping roof and a jaunty hatchback is also available. It’s one of the modern automotive world’s more perplexing features – for a slight premium you can get mildly reduced practicality. Funny how that works.

Isn’t this just a more expensive VW ID.4?

That’s the other way to look at the Q4 e-tron. It shares its undercrackers with the rest of its Volkswagen family and it’s built on the MEB electric platform that has been deployed across the company. Essentially it is an Audi-skinned version of the ID.4, along with Skoda’s Enyaq, and it’s even built on the same production line as the Volkswagen in Zwickau – they really are a close family. But Volkswagen’s electric smarts combined with Audi’s interior panache? Consider us interested.

There are two basic starting powertrains to choose from: the 40- and 50-badged models. The two-wheel-drive 40 e-tron gets a 77kWh battery, 300-mile WLTP range and a 201bhp motor, while the 50 e-tron quattro has the same battery set-up as the 40 but with an extra front motor to give the car four-wheel drive, boosting available power to 295bhp but reducing the official range to 292 miles. Those cars can then be chosen in three trims – Sport, S Line and Edition 1.

Will I be stuck for ages charging?

Rapid charging comes as standard on the Q4 e-tron, so if you’re in a rush, the battery charges at up to 125kW – not as fast as some recent new launches onto the market, but enough to get you back on the road fairly sharpish. It’ll take about half an hour to get you from 5 per cent to 80 per cent charge.

So what sets the Q4 apart from the other VWG cars?

Perhaps not the car’s looks – the Q4 is fairly handsome and well proportioned, but from the side you’d be hard pressed to recognise it as an Audi. There are clear benefits to the disciplined platform sharing that the Volkswagen Group has introduced, with the downside being that it’s clearly tough sometimes for the different brands’ designers to carve out a unique identity. Still, they’ve done a marvellous job on the inside of the Q4 e-tron, with an angular interior that showcases the solid quality that we’ve come to expect from Ingolstadt.

What physical buttons there are all move with a pleasing tactility, and the driving experience communicates a sense of solidity. The pedals are all well weighted and the steering is firm and accurate. Audi’s done a good job too of disguising the car’s heft, with a well damped ride that mostly smooths out the road’s imperfections.

You haven’t mentioned the touchscreen yet…

We don’t like to go on about these things for the sake of it, but with a company as relentlessly competent as the Volkswagen Group, it’s very surprising when it wanders as astray as the carmaker has with its latest generation of interior electrics.

Audi has managed to avoid the worst of VW’s electronic excesses, retaining a smattering of useful buttons in the cabin, but the infotainment is still a touch laggy, the phone connection occasionally unreliable and the whole thing randomly prone to freezing. In this bright new age of over-the-air updates they can sort these things out over time, but such niggles are a measure of how reliable the company has always been.

# data.attributes.field_cars_what_we_say
Decent powertrain happily takes a back seat to dependable quality. This is where the electric vehicle hits the mainstream

# data.attributes.field_cars_wildcard_text
If you don't mind the badge it's the same as the Q4 e-tron underneath, but a sight cheaper. 