A real eye-catcher among the electric cars

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The Audi E-Tron Sportback is a sporty SUV coupé that can be customized like hardly any other electric car. A test.

No matter whether in the supermarket parking lot or in the middle of the Black Forest – wherever we go with the Audi E-Tron Sportback, other drivers ask us about the “beautiful” car. But with the second fully electric model of the E-Tron series, Audi has not only created a real design highlight, but also a first-class electric car.

Because although the E-Tron Sportback is an SUV coupé, the engineers have managed to achieve a drag coefficient, i.e. CW value, of just 0.25 – and that without any experimental design features like those found in others Manufacturers from time to time. This brings the 4,901 millimeter long, 1,935 millimeter wide and 1,616 millimeter high electric car to an everyday range of a solid 330 to 380 kilometers. In conjunction with a charging capacity of 150 kilowatts, the comfortable Audi is also perfect for longer journeys.

But more on that later. First we take a look at the configurator, because there is a lot to see here at the Ingolstadt-based company.

When you open the configurator at Tesla or Polestar, you select a model (performance, long range, etc.), specify the color and rims – and then you can tick a few options (trailer hitch, sunroof, etc.) . But that’s about it. There are buyers who love this minimalism. But there are also people who want to individualize their cars – and they get their money’s worth with the Audi E-Tron Sportback.

It starts with the drive. The E-Tron Sportback 50 Quattro has 408 hp. The battery has 71 kilowatt hours (64.7 kilowatt hours net). The E-Tron Sportback 55 Quattro then already has 95 kilowatt hours (86.5 kilowatt hours net) and 435 hp. If that’s still not enough, Audi has the E-Tron S Sportback with three electric motors on offer. Up to 503 hp are then available to the driver, which catapults the vehicle from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.5 seconds. For comparison: With the competition in the form of the Mercedes-Benz EQC or BMW iX3, there is only one motor and one battery size to choose from.

Of course, you can really let off steam with the exterior and interior design, but it gets really exciting with the special equipment. In addition to “classics” such as driver assistance or infotainment, there are some features that you will not find in many other manufacturers in the field of electromobility. These include, for example, the virtual exterior mirrors, i.e. a camera system that transmits the recordings directly to an OLED touch display on the inside of the door. From an e-mobility point of view, however, the charging options are even more exciting. Like the Porsche Taycan, the E-Tron Sportback has an optional second AC charging port on the passenger side, which provides significantly more flexibility at the charging station. And what is even more important: With the on-board charger, you can choose between 11 kilowatts and 22 kilowatts, which is currently rather a rarity in the premium segment.

Of course, you have to decide for yourself whether you need these features. But at least Audi gives you the option of “upgrading” your electric car as you wish and adapting the engine to your individual needs.

An E-Tron Sportback 55 Quattro was available for our test, i.e. the version with a large battery (86.5 kilowatt hours net), 265 kilowatts of power and a torque of 561 Newton meters. It goes from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 6.6 seconds. The E-Tron Sportback is pleasantly comfortable to drive in everyday life, as the acceleration is neither too strong nor too weak. And if you have to go faster, there would be speed level S. If you activate this, the so-called “boost mode” is available. Here the drive produces 300 kilowatts of power and 664 Newton meters of torque for eight seconds. The sprint to 100 kilometers per hour then only takes 5.7 seconds.

These values ​​fit the image of the E-Tron Sportback, which has “Sport” in the model name, but is primarily a comfortable car for relaxed journeys. That is not to say that you cannot drive dynamically with the SUV coupé, but it is not an Audi E-Tron GT.

The E-Tron Sportback collects real plus points when it comes to driving comfort. This is mainly due to the built-in air suspension, which Audi calls “adaptive air suspension” – a feature that is also found in vain in most of the fully electric models of the competition. At higher speeds or in dynamic mode, the body of the E-Tron Sportback is lowered by up to 26 millimeters. In all-road or off-road mode, it goes up to 35 millimeters. If you choose “Lift”, even up to 50 millimeters are possible. Of course, the dampers also adapt accordingly, so that you are comfortable and efficient on the road in every situation. On our route through the Black Forest, which leads us over motorways, winding country roads and unpaved roads, the E-Tron Sportback can in any case fully exploit the potential of its chassis.

The Audi E-Tron Sportback has a boot volume of an impressive 615 liters, with the rear seat folded down it is even 1,655 liters – and the occupants also have plenty of space in the front and rear seats. In view of this, it should come as no surprise that the SUV coupe is not a range wonder. In the WLTP cycle, the range is 452 kilometers; in everyday life, depending on the driving style and route profile, it is closer to 320 to 370 kilometers. Our test consumption (motorway, country road, urban) was around 23 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers. That’s a good number considering the size and performance of the car. But of course it also means: no kick-downs and a maximum of 130 kilometers per hour. Incidentally, the SUV coupé achieves up to 30 percent of its range through recuperation. This can be regulated in three stages using paddles on the steering wheel, but never so strong that real one-pedal driving would be possible.

With the E-Tron Sportback, the issue of range is not that important because it has one of the best charging performances on the market. Specifically, this means: While the competition is sometimes bobbing around 100 kilowatts and only holds it up to around 50 percent SoC (State of Charge), the Audi has almost 150 kilowatts available from the start – and these are used over large parts of the charging process also held. Only at around 75 percent does the charging power drop continuously to below 100 kilowatts. A charging process (5 percent to 80 percent) therefore takes 30 minutes. If you set off at 100 percent at home, you have to plan two breaks of 20 minutes each for a distance of 600 kilometers.

This also shows a general trend in the premium area: Either the range of the vehicle is very high, but the charging speed is below what is technically possible (Mercedes-Benz EQS). Or the range is a little less, but the charging speed is at the current maximum (Porsche Taycan, Audi E-Tron GT).

The Audi E-Tron Sportback is a thoroughly successful electric car that undoubtedly lives up to its premium claim. The driver assistance systems are state of the art, the Bang & Olufsen sound system is a real treat for the ears. The 12.1-inch touchscreen, which is used to control the MMI infotainment system, even displays Apple Carplay properly – something that is even the case in very few vehicles.

Nevertheless, the driver quickly asks himself why Audi has placed the 8.6-inch display, which is used to control the air conditioning and enter texts, at the bottom behind the gearshift. If you don’t take your eyes off the road, it’s a matter of luck, especially at the beginning, to hit the right areas. The haptic feedback doesn’t change that either. You get used to it over time, but the positioning of the display is still suboptimal from a usability point of view.

The 12.3-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit behind the steering wheel, on the other hand, is extremely successful. With a resolution of 1,920 by 720 pixels, it displays all the relevant parameters in a razor-sharp manner. With the View button you can easily switch between the different views and show and hide different information as required.

Similar to the Audi E-Tron, the Sportback model also focuses on generous space in combination with a high level of driving comfort. The E-Tron Sportback is neither a range miracle nor does it come up with insane acceleration times. But that is exactly what makes this electric car coherent.

Especially since you always have to be realistic: with a range of 320 to 370 kilometers, the SUV coupé covers 95 percent of all everyday situations (commuting to work, weekend trips, etc.) for most people. And if you drive 700 kilometers on vacation or to visit your in-laws once a year, you can take a 40-minute break and a six-hour drive either way.

Compared to other electric cars in the premium range, the Audi E-Tron Sportback not only offers plenty of space and comfort, but also numerous equipment features that are not found in other models. This of course has its price. The E-Tron Sportback 50 Quattro starts at a gross list price of 71,350 euros, but if you pick up the 55 Quattro and add a few extras, the 100,000 euros mark is quickly exceeded. That’s a lot of money, but you also get a lot of (electric) cars for it.

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