Audi Q4 e-tron review: An affordable family-friendly SUV

The Audi Q4 e-tron sits in a congested sector of the EV market, making it a rival for a surprisingly large number of cars. While the Audi badge may be enough of a draw for some, the Q4 has a lot more to it than that – in fact it’s one of the best all-rounders we can think of.

It certainly has the quality and feelgood factor to live up to its image, with a beautifully built interior and smooth, satisfying drive. It’s competitive for range and charging speeds, with top-spec models capable of almost 350 miles from a fully charged battery. It’s also very practical and has lots of appealing tech features either as standard, or available as an option. Some of the tech in the Q4 is available in cheaper VW Group cars such as the Volkswagen ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq, but the Audi really does feel like it’s worth paying that bit more for.

I drove the Q4 e-tron on a mix of A roads, motorway and hilly Dorset lanes. A combination of family trips and solo DIY duties proved to be a good test of its all-round abilities.

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Independent rating: 8/10

Every Q4 (let’s drop the e-tron bit for brevity) has the same 82 kWh battery, but you can choose between a single-motor, front-wheel-drive version called 45 or a more powerful, four-wheel-drive (Audi calls it quattro) twin-motor version called 55.

Battery range is very good, if not stellar, ranging from 309 miles for the higher-powered models to 342 miles for the most-efficient 45 models (according to official figures). That’s better than any BMW iX1 and comparable with the Tesla Model Y and Volvo EX40. A maximum charging rate of 175 kW is, similarly, above average, although that applies only to quattro models. Rear-wheel drive versions have a maximum charging speed of 135kW that’s still very competitive.

The Q4 feels like a class act, and that extends to the way it drives: it’s smooth, quiet and feels solid and reassuring on the road.

A big part of the Q4’s appeal is its high-quality interior – in a key differentiator between it and the equivalent Volkswagen ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq that it shares many parts with. And the Audi really does feel quite special – the thunk of the doors, sleek design, impressive tech (more on that below) and sumptuous materials all adding up to a very classy ambience.

While it’s a fraction shorter than an Audi Q5 on the outside, the Q4 feels at least as roomy on the inside. It’s definitely spacious enough to qualify as a ‘proper’ family car, with loads of legroom front and back and a flat floor that gives a central back-seat passenger somewhere to put their feet.

The boot has a 520-litre capacity (to the load cover) that’s par for the course for a mid-size SUV. It’s a lot more than you get in most mid-size hatchbacks and is more than a match for the luggage for a family trip. Loading stuff in and out is easy, with no drop from the opening to the floor.  If you need more space you can simply flip the rear seat backs forward for a long, flat load space, without having to fiddle about folding the seat base first. It’s all very practical and user-friendly.

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We’d argue that Audi has got the balance between tech and usability about right in the Q4 e-tron. There are certainly a lot of features to get your head around, but the way you interact with it all is generally intuitive. A large(ish) touchscreen takes centre stage, but there are manual controls for the air-con and the touchscreen itself is clear and responsive. If you’re not familiar with Audi’s ‘Virtual Cockpit’ it’ll be a pleasant surprise – instead of conventional dials behind the steering wheel you get a sleek, high-definition digital display that you can configure in various ways. A it gimmicky, maybe, but it looks great and is easy to use. The touch-sensitive steering wheel controls are less endearing, but not as central to the user experience.

Even the least expensive model has a huge number of tech features as standard, including sat-nav, support for Apple Carplay and Android Auto and a wi-fi hotspot. You also get an eight-speaker, 180-watt sound system; an optional Technology Pack includes a 580-watt, ten-speaker Sonos sound system.

There’s no escaping it: the Q4 is a touch pricey. You’d expect that of an Audi perhaps, but the fact that starting prices for the BMW iX1, Tesla Model Y and Volvo EX40 are thousands, rather than hundreds, of pounds lower might come as a surprise. You do though, as mentioned, get a lot of standard features for your money.

The cost to charge it will vary depending on where, when and how you do it but what you won’t have is the access to the entire Supercharger network that you get with a Tesla Model Y. In terms of energy efficiency, the Q4 fares no better than average, with an official miles per kWh figure ranging from 3.5-3.8 depending on model.

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Audi quotes a minimum charge time of 28 minutes for a 10-80 per cent charge for all Q4 e-tron models

Prices start at more than £50,000, which looks steep (especially when compared with an equivalent Tesla) but the Q4 does feel like it’s worth a premium.

As with every other Audi electric car, the Q4’s battery is covered by an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty (whichever comes first). As long as you’ve maintained the car according to Audi’s guidelines it will repair or replace the battery for free if it’s faulty, or it drops below 70 per cent capacity.

I think the Q4 e-tron is one of Audi’s best models – it’s supremely easy to live with and it looks and feels a cut above most rival cars. A premium price, for sure, but it feels like a premium product.