Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Audi Q4 e-tron review: a highly practical premium electric family SUV

Still wondering whether electric power is right for a family SUV, then the Audi Q4 e-tron has all the answers

Overall Auto Express rating

4.5

How we review cars
Price
£47,030 - £69,035
  • Great practicality
  • Excellent interior
  • Slick infotainment system
  • Pricey top-spec versions
  • Average warranty cover
  • Firm ride with S line trim
Find your Audi Q4 e-tron
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car
Advertisement

The all-electric Audi Q4 e-tron ticks all the boxes for a premium SUV: refined, well-equipped, practical and relaxing to drive, it’s not hard to see why it became the German company’s biggest selling SUV and one of its most popular cars, full stop. Build quality and the interior as a whole is top class, while Audi’s infotainment system is as slick and easy to use as ever.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The Q4 e-tron’s claimed range is competitive in the mid-size electric SUV segment, and our testing has confirmed that it does the business in the real-world where it matters. Performance is strong, too, even if the car’s strengths lie more in the comfort and quality departments. If you’re after a premium family SUV and feel ready to ‘go electric’, then the Audi Q4 e-tron must be on your shortlist.

Our choice: Audi Q4 45 e-tron Sport

About the Audi Q4 e-tron

The Audi Q4 e-tron SUV has led Audi’s charge into the EV mainstream, with a breadth of talent that will fulfil the needs of most families. Like its more expensive Audi Q8 e-tron and Audi e-tron GT siblings, the Q4 e-tron still trades on a high level of luxury and refinement, but its main task is to entice potential buyers away from rivals such as the Tesla Model YBMW iX1 and BMW iX3, Volvo EX40, Genesis GV60 and recently updated Mercedes EQA.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Audi is yet another Volkswagen Group subsidiary to utilise the automotive giant’s electric MEB platform, with the Q4 e-tron sitting on the architecture that also underpins the Volkswagen ID.4 SUV and Volkswagen ID.5 coupe-SUV, plus the Skoda Enyaq SUV and Cupra Born hatchback. Of course, Audi has seen to it that the Q4 e-tron has the company’s trademark luxury feel and restrained good looks, which helps complete a first-rate package.

Launching coupe-ish versions of SUVs has become something of a trend in recent times, and Audi has followed suit by offering a Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback version with a swooping roofline and an 18mm drop in ride height. This particular body style is Audi’s alternative to similarly rakish EVs like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volvo EC40 and Kia EV6.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The entry-level Q4 35 e-tron, which used a smaller battery was axed in the UK not long after launch. More recently, Audi launched a raft of updates for the 2024 model year that replaced the old 40 and 50 models with the 45 and 55. Although the Q4 e-tron remained visually the same, power, range and charging speeds all received a boost.

The range starts with the Q4 45 e-tron, which uses a single 282bhp electric motor to drive the rear wheels. You can upgrade to a quattro four-wheel drive version of this car with two electric motors for around £1,400, while the flagship Q4 55 e-tron quattro (which is quite the mouthful) flagship model increases the total power output to 335bhp.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Both versions are powered by a 76.6kWh (usable) battery pack that’s good for a range of up to 330 miles in the 45 e-tron, or up to 312 miles in the more powerful 55 e-tron quattro. Sportback variants slip through the air a little more easily and officially return up to 339 miles for the 45 e-tron, and 326 miles for the 55 e-tron quattro. 

Trim levels are equally straightforward. Sport, S line, and Black Edition specs are offered with both powertrains and all models get lots of standard kit. Every Q4 e-tron is equipped with alloy wheels (19 to 21 inches in size, depending on the trim level), LED headlights, front sports seats, an 11.6-inch touchscreen with integrated sat-nav and Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital driver’s display, wireless Apple CarPlayAndroid Auto, a reversing camera and adaptive cruise control, among other safety systems. 

Prices start just under £50,000 for the SUV version with the Sportback coming in at £1,500 more model-for-model. Given that the car’s strengths reside in its quality and comfort more than its dynamic prowess, we think the pick of the range is the base Audi Q4 45 e-tron in Sport trim. S line gets sports suspension, which makes things a bit too firm, and the 55 versions cost more while offering a reduced range.

Audi Q4 e-tron 50 quattro: long-term test

In 2022, our Editor-in-chief, Steve Fowler, ran the now-discontinued Audi Q4 e-tron 50 quattro over a six-month long-term test. He found the lower sports suspension on his S line model a little too firm but was otherwise highly impressed by the car’s user-friendly design. The large boot area worked perfectly for his dog, Sky, and he found the underfloor storage space for the charging cables very handy. Steve averaged 3.2 miles-per-kWh on his test in mixed driving. 

Frequently Asked Questions
Comfortable, refined, practical and well-built – the Audi Q4 e-tron is not just a brilliant EV, but one of the best premium SUVs around.
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Have you considered?

BYD Seal U review
BYD Seal U DM-i - front

BYD Seal U review

In-depth reviews
1 Nov 2024
Renault 5 review
Renault 5 - front tracking

Renault 5 review

In-depth reviews
31 Oct 2024

More on Q4 e-tron

Show me:
Cheaper, rear-wheel drive Audi Q4 35 e-tron to hit the UK in 2025
Audi Q4 35 e-tron - front 3/4

Cheaper, rear-wheel drive Audi Q4 35 e-tron to hit the UK in 2025

Audi’s mid-size electric SUV will soon gain the option of a smaller battery for a lower starting price that could be under £40,000.
News
29 Jul 2024
BMW iX2 vs Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron: premium electric SUVs fight for glory
BMW iX2 and Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback - front tracking

BMW iX2 vs Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron: premium electric SUVs fight for glory

Sporty electric coupe-SUVs go head to head, as the new BMW iX2 takes on the updated Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron
Car group tests
27 Jul 2024
Best cheap family cars
Best cheap family cars - header image

Best cheap family cars

Families don’t come cheap, but these used family cars do
Best cars & vans
20 Mar 2024
New Audi Q4 e-tron 2024 review: more power, more range and faster charging
Audi Q4 e-tron 45 - front

New Audi Q4 e-tron 2024 review: more power, more range and faster charging

Rather than a cursory bumpers ‘n’ lights refresh, Audi has delivered upgrades under the Q4 e-tron electric SUV’s skin, making it a tangibly better car
Road tests
6 Mar 2024
Deal of the Day: all-electric Audi Q4 e-tron with an impressive £6,500 off
Audi Q4 e-tron - front tracking

Deal of the Day: all-electric Audi Q4 e-tron with an impressive £6,500 off

The Audi Q4 e-tron ticks all the boxes for an EV - and with big saving on offer, it’s our pick for 26 October
News
26 Oct 2023
More performance, range and value: Audi Q4 e-tron upgraded for 2024
2024 Audi Q4 e-tron SUV - front

More performance, range and value: Audi Q4 e-tron upgraded for 2024

Substantial updates are inbound for Audi’s Q4 e-tron and Q4 e-tron Sportback
News
21 Sep 2023
Audi Q4 e-tron 50 quattro: long-term test review
Audi Q4 e-tron final report: Steve Fowler with Q4 e-tron outside Autovia offices

Audi Q4 e-tron 50 quattro: long-term test review

Final report: Our super-stylish SUV has impressed in and out of town
Long-term tests
30 May 2022
Audi Q4 e-tron: full UK prices and specifications
Audi Q4 e-tron - front

Audi Q4 e-tron: full UK prices and specifications

The Audi Q4 e-tron has been upgraded with 135kW charging, a new 11.6-inch display and expanded online features
News
3 Mar 2022
Tesla Model Y vs Audi Q4 e-tron: 2021 group test review
Tesla Model Y vs Audi Q4 e-tron

Tesla Model Y vs Audi Q4 e-tron: 2021 group test review

The new Tesla Model Y comes with high expectations, so can it brush aside the Audi Q4 e-tron?
Car group tests
30 Oct 2021
New Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback 2021 review
Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback

New Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback 2021 review

Electric coupe-SUVs are hugely popular right now - so is the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback the right car at the right time?
Road tests
23 Sep 2021
Audi Q4 e-tron vs Mercedes EQA
Audi Q4 e-tron vs Mercedes EQA

Audi Q4 e-tron vs Mercedes EQA

The Audi Q4 e-tron and Mercedes EQA tough it out for luxury small electric SUV honours
Car group tests
24 Jul 2021
Skip advert
Advertisement
New Audi Q4 e-tron 2021 review
Audi Q4 e-tron 2021  front

New Audi Q4 e-tron 2021 review

We get involved with the new all-electric Audi Q4 e-tron SUV on UK roads for the first time
Road tests
17 Jun 2021
New 2021 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron concept previews electric coupe SUV

New 2021 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron concept previews electric coupe SUV

Swooping electric SUV will be capable of over 310 miles and will be Audi’s seventh electric car by next summer
News
7 Jul 2020