You’ve gotta hand it to the Germans: they sure know how to do logical model nomenclature. You already know exactly what theis, before you so much as clap eyes on it. That relentlessly rational brand hierarchy positions this new model in bodystyle, footprint, likely cost and powertrain so effectively, making Audi’s job significantly easier to communicate market positioning.
The latter will be a niche seller, then, but it’s certainly rapid – offering 483bhp and 0-62mph in just 4.3 seconds compared with the regular car’s 383bhp and 5.9sec. The quoted towing capacity stands at 2.4 tonnes, impressive for an electric car.
I wasn’t a fan of the haptic sliders on the steering wheel; along with the ‘virtual’ buttons on the driver’s door panel, I miss the simplicity of the physical switchgear that Audi used to do so well. Maybe it’s a generational thing, but I find real buttons quicker and safer to use on the fly than multi-function controls. is fab and includes clever augmented-reality turn arrows for sat-nav instructions.
Performance is well judged, even on the base model, which is capable of the 0-62mph sprint in 5.9 seconds – a time that would shame many a. It has that effortless shove that typifies EVs and it won’t give up the ghost at motorway speeds, either. Pop it in B mode for maximum regenerative braking and we averaged 3.0 miles per kilowatt hour versus the claimed 3.7; faster motorway runs pushed that down into the twos. There are charging flaps on both flanks . Why the fuel flaps are motorised is beyond me; is this how lazy we’ve become as a species?