Audi Q4 e-tron review

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.