Audi adds third all-electric car to its line-up

Audi has added to its electric car product offensive by unveiling a low-slung version of its upcoming Q4 E-tron electric crossover.

Arriving in showrooms next year alongside the regular Q4 E-tron variant, it is part of the German premium market brand’s plan for 20 new electric offerings on sale within the next five years.

The new car is billed as an SUV coupé, a format that has had mixed success in European markets, but has proved to be a hit in Asia.

The dimensions of the two Q4 E-tron models are almost identical: with an exterior length of 4.60 metres and a height of 1.60 metres, the Sportback is one centimetre longer and flatter. The Q4 variants are identical in terms of their width of 1.90 metres and their wheelbase of 2.77 metres.

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Two electric motors put out 225 kW, that also features quattro all-wheel drive. Audi claims acceleration times from 0-100km/h of 6.3 seconds with top speed restricted to 180 km/h.

An 82 kWh battery pack claims a range of over 450 kms and the car is built on the same underpinnings – known in the VW Group as MEB platform – as the VW ID.3, Skoda Enyaq and Cupra el-Born. This battery pack can be charged up to a rate of 125kW, which means at fast charging stations it can take about 30 minutes to charge to 80 per cent capacity.

Inside the car, Audi continues to evolve its so-called virtual cockpit, with large-format heads-up display now offered with an augmented reality function which displays selected information, such as directional arrows for turning, directly on the course of the road. The central console dash is dominated by a 12.3-inch touchscreen.

Following on from the Q4 E-tron crossover in its dual guises, Audi is set to unveil a fully electric A5 Sportback-sized four-door coupé in the near future. This will be the first model to be built on the VW Group's new Premium Platform Electric Architecture (PPE), developed by Audi and Porsche engineers.

It will underpin future full-size luxury models - both saloons and SUVs – and can be fitted with different sizes of battery packs. For the Audi brand we can expect to see it in the future A6, A7 Sportback, A8, Q7 and Q8 models.