Electricity is slowly but surely making its way into our cars more and more. That is especially true in the high-end luxury SUV space with Mercedes and Jaguar already launching their EVs. Now Audi is throwing its EV counterpart into the boxing ring with the e-tron in India.
The e-tron is the first Audi to be fully electric and is a luxury SUV sandwiched between the Q7 and Q5. While prices for the Audi e-tron in India are not yet out, expect it to be on the premium side with being more than the Q7 since it is a full import.
That said, the e-tron has enough in its packaging to make it stand out from any other Audi SUV.
Audi e-tron India Electric SUV Review
Dimensions And Outer Appearance
Size-wise it is bigger than a Q5 and along the lines of the Q8. The dimensions read as 4,901 millimeters (16.1 ft) long, 1,935 millimeters (6.3 ft) wide and 1,616 millimeters (5.3 ft) high.
The styling is radical too with enough EV-like touches. Up-front you cannot mistake it for anything else but an Audi with the large octagonal-design Singleframe grille with vertical struts.
That said, the grille is finished in gray to give it an EV status of sorts. The headlamps are also “Digital Matrix LED units” which look unique along with a distinctive light signature.
We like sculpted rear as well which gets a light bar that connects the rear tail-lamps. On both sides, you find the charging flap while the car we had wore 20-inch wheels with color-coded brake calipers.
What About The Interior And Features?
Inside, the 2.93-meter wheelbase makes for a fairly roomy cabin with the rear seats comfortable enough for sitting three passengers. You can also pack in 1,725 liters of luggage too.
Quality and design are very much standard Audi fare by which we mean a high-quality cabin. There are three screens with a virtual cockpit facing the driver and two screens in the center console.
The two screens in the middle divide the climate control and navigation functions amongst others. The haptic touch feedback is impressive along with the high-quality display though it needs a firm push by your finger.
The feature list contains four-zone climate control, wireless charging, soft close doors, ambient lighting, 16-speaker B&O audio system, and even a heads-up display.
The air conditioner is amongst the best we have used on a luxury car as it cooled won the cabin effectively on a hot day while the audio system sounds terrific as well. The heads-up display is clear too and shaves off time from looking down at the dials.
Audi e-tron India: Performance And Ride Quality
We have the 55 Quattro model in India which means two electric motors at each axle with 408 hp and 664Nm (in full boost).
Performance is electric, to say the least! The e-tron accelerates rapidly and will shock you with its pace. With an EV, you get all of the power and torque at the same time, which means it is quick from the word go.
Among the various drive modes on offer, comfort is the best for overall city use plus you can also raise the car via air suspension.
You also use the steering paddles for regenerative braking but unlike other EVs, the regen works smoothly and does not catch you off-guard. Quattro four-wheel drive gives the car very good grip levels which means you can drive fast easily with confidence, especially in rainy conditions or slippery roads.
Unlike other EVs, ground clearance is not an issue, and the fact that you can increase it is a bonus which means clearing the worst of speed breakers is not an issue and the battery pack is safe.
Electric Range: How Far Can It Go On Indian Roads?
In terms of range, the onboard read-out showed 400km plus while in real-world expect 350-370km which is still very impressive.
Audi will give a charging set-up as standard with an e-tron which will charge up the car to 80 percent in 8.5 hours. Using a DC charger will reduce that time to mere 30 mins to an hour.
The price for the Audi e-tron in India would be out on the 22nd but it is clear that the e-tron is an impressive EV that can be a luxury SUV too with its ground clearance, design, and quality. The future is electric but Audi is already ready with it in the present!
