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Feann Torr5 Dec 2018
REVIEW

Audi e-tron 2019 Review

Long-awaited Audi EV has ultra-premium feel and concept car wow factor
Model Tested
Review Type
International Launch
Review Location
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

According to science, humans evolved from great apes almost three million years ago, and now the humble motor car is beginning to shrug off its primitive origins too. The combustion engine is slowly but surely making way for simpler, quieter, more powerful and less polluting electric motors and the new Audi e-tron SUV is one of the first of this new species from Europe. It will be an expensive car at around $140,000 when it touches down in Australia in the second half of 2019, but it’s less about sales volume and more about a statement of intent.

How far will the Audi e-tron travel?

As the sun sets over vast sand dunes beyond the sprawling desert city that is Abu Dhabi, a few blokes snapping photos of the Audi e-tron in the ruddy golden light, it hits me like a fist in the solar-plexus: the modern motor car is changing forever.

Perhaps our lives will too…

Imagine never going to the petrol station ever again? The time and money that would save over three, four, five years would be significant.

But even with a couple of Audi support vehicles hanging around while I take the last Insta shot, standing atop a sand dune like Luke Skywalker pondering his future on Tatooine, I can't help but worry about whether I have enough electrons in the tank to get home.

It's a niggle that won't go away for those who regularly travel longer distances.

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My favourite surf spot at home in Australia is a 220km round trip and often it involves a fair bit of right foot flexing. Given that the Audi e-tron's trip computer initially claimed a 392km range with a full charge, but provided a lot less (just under 300km) after half a day of very enthusiastic driving, there's clearly work to be done.

Audi still doesn't have an official WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) range for the e-tron, but is aiming for 22-25kWh/100km and says a cruising range of around the 400km mark will be guaranteed. I can believe that. But like diet pills, let's just say that results will vary.

Blasting up the winding Jebel Hafeet mountain pass, the Audi e-tron SUV's range dwindled from around 300km to less than 200km after 16 kays of full-throttle, tyre-screeching driving. According to one Audi engineer the optimal speed for the best mileage is between 50 and 80km/h, depending on the conditions.

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The average speed of the WLTP or real-world fuel/energy economy system is 43km/h. Drive at that speed and you'll reach 400km in a dodgem car.

I have no doubt the Audi e-tron will be able to travel 450km on a single charge but that's if you drive it like shy auntie Bethel on the way home from bingo. Flip that coin and commuting 40km each day will be easy; you could probably charge once a week.

But what if there's a family emergency in the country or some such? Food for thought.

The battery pack in the Audi e-tron is one of the biggest and densest on the market today -- a 95kWh water-cooled lithium-ion unit -- and getting 400km out of a 2.5-tonne vehicle is par for the course by today's standards; it’s neither brilliant nor shameful.

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What's the Audi e-tron like to drive?

In terms of how prestige car brands want to mould their products and create premium experiences, EVs fit the luxury car mould impeccably.

The Audi e-tron is arguably the quietest car I've ever driven. Bar none. Even the upstart Jaguar I-PACE. There's no engine drone, lots of sound damping materials and super-slim virtual mirrors to help quell wind noise.

This tranquility adds another tasty layer to the premium car sandwich; conversation flows more easily, music sounds clearer and although I do miss the thrum of a rorty V8, I could really get used to the serene milieu.

This relaxed atmosphere is enhanced via smooth ride comfort, which is in large part thanks to its air suspension that, with a little help from its giant computer brain, helps even out even the smallest bumps in the road.

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The only meaningful, discernable audio from the car's running gear is a touch of tyre noise and the regenerative brakes when decelerating.

But don't for a minute think that 'quiet' means 'boring'. Oh no! The twin asynchronous electric motors -- one driving the front axle, one for the rear -- pump out 265kW/561Nm, which is roughly the same clout as the 3.0-litre turbo V6 in the SQ5.

The main difference is there's only one gear and the motors don't have to 'rev' to find maximum propulsion. It's always 'on', if you will. The lack of a gearbox is odd at first but having instant thrust at any speed -- even high speed -- is going to make EVs very popular.

Indeed, instant torque allows the big Audi SUV to accelerate smoothly yet with the kind of haste that belies its lardy 2490kg weight. Fair dinkum, the e-tron is fast, with a boost mode that ramps up 300kW/664Nm for eight seconds when you bury your foot.

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You feel it too, pinning bodies very firmly into their seats like few other petrol-powered vehicles do.

The 0-100km/h time of 5.7sec isn't class-leading – the Jaguar I-PACE and Tesla Model X do it faster – but the fact is the car maintains this level of pace to about 160km/h. It has an almost unending supply of thrust that's so utterly refined in its delivery that you'll constantly want to keep blasting forward.

We recorded the 80 to 120km/h roll-on acceleration in 3.5 seconds for the 4901mm long machine, which is very, very swift for a vehicle this big – close in dimensions to an Audi Q7 (5052mm).

High-speed refinement? Staggeringly good. Even at 160km/h it doesn't feels flustered or generate much wind noise. A big part of this are the virtual mirrors, but they’ll probably be an option on Aussie cars. In Europe, they add €1500 so expect at least $2000 here.

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They reduce wind noise considerably and look cool but they require familiarity. After about a day in the saddle I became used to them but video relay feed is inside the car, so you don’t look out the window.

Learning to look a little lower takes time to adjust to, but the visuals are ultra-sharp and work well at night without dazzling you.

My only criticism of these optional virtual mirrors is the level of adjustability. I think they need more movement to get the right coverage. Oh, and the fact they only improve aerodynamic drag by a cat’s whisker, adding around 2.5km per 400km charge, says Audi.

In terms of freeway cruising, the Audi e-tron feels good when coasting and doesn't require much pedal input to maintain a decent speed. Throttle response is a bit weird from standstill and finding the friction point for propulsion – a few more degrees of pedal travel than conventional cars – takes getting used to, but the pros far outweigh the cons in almost all driving scenarios.

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All Aussie models will come with the latest semi-autonomous driving aids -- including auto steering, acceleration and braking -- all of which work well.

Air suspension will be standard equipment too and during a hasty blast up the Jebel Hafeet mountain pass near Oman, I was impressed with both the SUV's body control and grip levels.

OK, the tyres start to protest when you turn up the tempo mid-corner, but for a vehicle that weighs around 2500kg it's remarkably nimble.

But I was expecting to be blown away with this car and I probably would have been had the Jaguar I-PACE not beaten it to the punch. It stole the Audi's thunder, if you like, and does a very good job too.

They are slightly different animals -- the Audi e-tron like a powerful draught horse, the Jaguar I-PACE smaller and faster like a cheetah -- but there's no denying that EVs are finally coming of age.

How do you charge the Audi e-tron battery?

There are two charging ports: one on each side of the vehicle near the front wheel. Just shove the plug in and you're done.

With a specially-installed (11kW) wallbox in your house or office carpark, which retails for around $2000, expect to wait 8.5 hours to get a full charge. Charging via a standard household power point will take significantly longer.

Audi is talking up fast-charge stations, such as the 350kW scorchers that ChargeFox is setting up in Australia. These promise to charge vehicles like the Audi e-tron to 80 per cent in just 15 minutes and will likely be accessible via a paid subscription and swipe card.

However, the new charging network won't be up and running until late 2019.

We plugged the Audi e-tron into a 150kW fast-charger at the Abu Dhabi zoo with about 20 per cent battery charge left. The digital readout on the charge station said it would take around 50 minutes to recharge – not the 30 minutes that Audi quotes for an 80 per cent charge at the 150kW rate.

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The charging station was spinning up to around 120kW, which was apparently slower than usual because it had been blasting out energy all day. Whatever the case, it highlights the fact that claimed charging times are not always accurate.

I can't help but wonder if an Audi Q7 e-tron plug-in hybrid would be a better option for Aussie buyers at this stage? It's got more range thanks to its twin diesel/electric motor set-up and the chances of becoming stranded are lower.

The Audi e-tron’s water-cooled Lithium-ion battery weighs 700kg, accounting for a fair whack of the car's 2.5-tonne mass, and is covered by a 160,000km, eight-year warranty.

Audi's techno-boffins explained that if the battery packs it in, it's most likely due to a single module, which is relatively straightforward to fix. It's like replacing one brick of a large Lego wall.

The car itself will come with a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty like regular Audi cars and the two electric motors that propel the e-tron should be good for around 300,000km, according to Audi's powertrain engineering people.

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What's the Audi e-tron like inside?

While I'm not convinced the Audi e-tron is better to drive than the Jaguar I-PACE, which certainly offers better steering feel and engagement, it's a bigger vehicle and this will certainly deliver benefits for buyers who need more space.

Measuring just over 4.9 metres long and 1.93 metres wide, the extra length and width provides loads of room for front and rear passengers. Boot space copious at 600 litres, plus there's a small 60-litre compartment under the bonnet.

Some of the features in the car include a quad-zone climate-control system, two USB ports in the front and two in the rear, and more LCD screens than you can shake a cathode ray tube at.

Up front there are four LCD screens (six if you add virtual mirrors) for the driver, including the virtual cockpit with its gorgeous display and integrated Google Earth mapping system.

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A pair of infotainment screens feature capacitive feedback, so they require a bit of a push and go 'click' to confirm an input. It’s neat having this haptic response and adds a special touch, a la some Porsche models. The last screen is the head-up display, which offers road speed and navigation instructions.

The quality of the leather on the seats is suitably supple and the orange pin-striping is a nice touch, communicating the car’s high-tech nature. Continuing the luxury theme, there are also smatterings of suede trim on touch points such as the door inserts.

Overall, the interior design is equal parts luxurious and high-tech, although the gear shifter can go and jump in a lake. It would have been simpler to just make it push-button, instead of a quasi-lever/button combo that'll just end up confusing auntie Bethel.

Audi says servicing intervals will be 15,000km or 12 months and the German prestige brand accepts the e-tron will be a tough sell in Australia.

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But you have to start somewhere, and this somewhere is impressive. The e-tron looks like an Audi and feels like one – a highly evolved, smooth and sophisticated premium SUV whose audio pollution is as low as its CO2 emissions.

The motor car is evolving and the chimp is slowing becoming a homo sapien. The Audi e-tron is an impressive feat of engineering.

However, for all its triumph I still can’t completely shake my range anxiety. Australia will need vastly improved EV charging infrastructure and some form of ownership incentive to get the ball rolling.

But at least there's a ball now, which is something.

How much does the 2019 Audi e-tron cost?
Price: From $140,000 (estimated)
Engine: Two asynchronous electric motors, 95kWh
Output: 265kW/561Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Fuel: 400km (WLTP cycle)
CO2: 0g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBC

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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
82/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
17/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
15/20
Safety & Technology
16/20
Behind The Wheel
17/20
X-Factor
17/20
Pros
  • Refinement
  • Performance
  • Technology
Cons
  • Price
  • Weight
  • Range limitations
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