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Audi’s newest EV packs augmented-reality tech and customizable lights

Ronan Glon
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Electrification is spreading across the Audi range at a shockingly quick pace. Shortly after unveiling the E-Tron GT fastback, the German firm launched a pair of battery-powered crossovers named Q4 E-Tron and Q4 Sportback E-Tron, respectively, that were developed to bring electric driving to one of the biggest segments of the market.

Previewed as a close-to-production concept in 2019, and again as a thinly camouflaged test mule in 2021, the Q4 E-Tron is positioned as the smallest and most affordable member of Audi’s EV range. It shares some styling cues with the bigger E-Tron, like sharp headlights and an octagonal grille, but it stands apart with unusual proportions characterized by a short front overhang and a long wheelbase that clears up a generous amount of space inside. If roominess isn’t your priority, the Sportback model trades practicality for a stylish, coupe-like roofline.

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2022 Audi Q4 Sportback E-Tron
2022 Audi Q4 Sportback E-Tron
2022 Audi Q4 Sportback E-Tron
2022 Audi Q4 Sportback E-Tron
2022 Audi Q4 Sportback E-Tron
2022 Audi Q4 Sportback E-Tron

At about 180 inches long, 73 inches wide, and 63 inches tall, the Q4 E-Tron is roughly as big as a Q3, the smallest soft-roader that Audi sells in America. And yet, the company told Digital Trends its interior space is closer to a Q7’s, the firm’s biggest SUV. It notably offers up to 52.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded flat, and a full cubic foot of storage space scattered across the cabin. Each door panel can store a bottle of water, for example.

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Audi also saved space for tech. The driver faces a configurable instrument cluster, a multifunction steering wheel with touch-sensitive buttons on the spokes, and a seriously cool augmented reality head-up display (HUD) that projects key information about the Q4 and its surroundings, like navigation directions, about 30 feet ahead of the driver. What’s even cooler is that drivers can customize the Q4’s LED daytime running lights via a menu in the infotainment system. Four different lighting signatures are available, depending on how you want to be seen.

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2022 audi q4 sportback e tron electric crossover unveiled
2022 audi q4 sportback e tron electric crossover unveiled
2022 audi q4 sportback e tron electric crossover unveiled
2022 audi q4 sportback e tron electric crossover unveiled

Buyers who want to put the Q4 E-Tron in their driveway will have two powertrains to choose from. Called Q4 40, the entry-level model is powered by a single electric motor mounted over the rear axle and tuned to zap the back wheels with 201 horsepower; that’s right, a rear-wheel-drive Audi. Quattro all-wheel-drive is available in the Q4 50, which gains a second electric motor located over the front axle and a 295-horsepower output. It’s a through-the-road system, meaning there is no mechanical connection (like a driveshaft) between the front and rear wheels. If it’s the swoopy Sportback you’re after, the choice is easy, because Audi will only make the two-motor drivetrain available.

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Driving range for the rear-wheel-drive Q4 should check in at around 250 miles thanks in part to an 82-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Official range figures from the EPA will be released closer to the model’s on-sale date. The sheet metal hides the modular MEB platform developed jointly by Audi and parent company Volkswagen. Created exclusively to underpin electric cars, it’s also found under the ID.4 and the ID.3, among other models.

Audi will build the Q4s in Zwickau, Germany. Sales will start in the coming months, and the first American deliveries are scheduled for late 2021. Pricing will start at under $45,000 before available local and federal incentives. In comparison, the full-size E-Tron SUV carries a base price of $65,900, while the E-Tron Sportback starts at $69,100.

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Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon
Contributor
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV preview: The EV lineup grows again
Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.

As Mercedes-Benz has steadily expanded its EQ range of electric cars, the lineup has become a bit like the late stages of a Tetris game. It’s mostly complete, but with a few gaps still left. And the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is the piece that perfectly fits one of them.
Mercedes recently launched two other electric SUVs at opposite ends of the price spectrum. The EQS SUV is positioned as the lineup’s flagship, while the EQB is the entry-level model. The EQE SUV slots between those two in size and, presumably, price. The latter hasn’t been confirmed yet, and likely won’t be until the EQE SUV’s planned March 2023 on-sale date.

Design
As the name says, the EQE SUV is a utility-vehicle version of the EQE sedan, which will likely beat it to showrooms by a few months. Mercedes did the same thing with the EQS, which is available in both SUV and sedan body styles.
With its tall, upright profile, the EQE SUV definitely looks like a proper SUV compared to the low-slung EQE sedan. Park it next to an EQS SUV, though, and you’ll have to get out a measuring tape to spot the differences.
The EQE SUV is 0.6 inch narrower and 1.2 inches lower than the EQS SUV, but the most significant difference is in length. The EQE SUV is 10.3 inches shorter than the EQS SUV, with a 2.1-inch shorter wheelbase. And while the EQS SUV has three-row seating, the EQE SUV has two rows. Based on our experience with the EQS SUV’s third row, that’s not a big loss.
The interior design theme carries over from other Mercedes EQ models, with an expansive sloping dashboard designed to accommodate many screens, and multicolor ambient lighting that should look pretty dramatic at night. However, leatherette upholstery is standard, rather than real leather, which Mercedes is now spinning as a vegan option.

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We need more 7-passenger EVs, but the 2023 Mercedes EQS SUV has room to improve
Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.

Mercedes-Benz is continuing to expand its EV lineup, this time with a model aimed at (wealthy) families.
As the name states, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is an SUV derivative of the EQS sedan. With the EQS sedan positioned as the electric analog to the Mercedes S-Class, the EQS SUV is the electric version of the GLS-Class. And like that vehicle, the EQS SUV is available with up to seven seats across three rows.
That makes the EQS SUV an important vehicle not just for Mercedes, but for the cause of EV adoption in general. While the Tesla Model X and Rivian R1S also offer three rows for family-hauling duty, there’s a lot more room in the market for another entry. Given the popularity of equivalent gasoline luxury SUVs like the GLS, Land Rover Range Rover, and Cadillac Escalade, the EQS SUV arrives not a moment too soon.
The EQS SUV is scheduled to reach U.S. dealerships this fall in three guises. The base rear-wheel-drive EQS 450+ starts at $105,550 with destination, while the all-wheel drive EQS 450 4Matic and EQS 580 4Matic start at $108,550 and $127,100, respectively. Although it will be built in Alabama, the EQS SUV won’t qualify for the revised federal EV tax credit because it exceeds the $80,000 price cap for SUVs.

Design and interior
A defining feature of Mercedes’ EQ lineup is aerodynamic bodywork aimed at maximizing range. The typical SUV is not aerodynamically ideal, but Mercedes managed to achieve an impressively low drag coefficient for an SUV — at 0.26, it’s close to the Toyota Prius. But function clearly took precedence over form. Mercedes deserves credit for not going in the polarizing direction BMW did with its two-row iX SUV, but the EQS SUV looks like a melting scoop of ice cream.
More disappointing is the third row, which should be the EQS SUV’s defining feature, but seems more like a useless afterthought. Adults will find it difficult to insert themselves into the third-row seats, let alone tolerate riding in them. As in most three-row vehicles, the rear seats also pretty much eliminate cargo space. And if you want to fold them down to create more cargo room, you’ll have to do it manually as Mercedes didn’t include a power-folding system — a bit disappointing for a six-figure car. The EQS SUV also lacks a frunk; like the EQS sedan, the hood is sealed.
The EQS SUV looks like a melting scoop of ice cream.

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Lux and refreshingly livable, Mercedes’ EQE moves EVs mainstream
Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan.

Mercedes-Benz wants its EQ sub-brand to be an all-electric counterpart to its current lineup of gasoline luxury cars, and it’s working toward that goal by starting at opposite ends of the price spectrum and working toward the middle.
Where the EQS sedan and SUV are the flagships of the lineup, and the EQB serves as an entry-level offering, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan aims for the middle of the market. It’s pitched as an electric equivalent of the Mercedes E-Class, one of the automaker’s bread-and-butter models. And like the E-Class, the EQE will compete against sedans from Mercedes’ German rivals, such as the Audi e-tron GT, BMW i4, and Porsche Taycan. It will likely be cross-shopped against the Genesis Electrified G80, Lucid Air, and Tesla Model S as well.
The EQE sedan arrives at U.S. dealerships in late 2022 in four guises: base rear-wheel drive EQE 350+, all-wheel drive EQE 350 4Matic and EQE 500 4Matic, and an AMG EQE performance version. Mercedes hasn’t disclosed pricing for any of these models, but the EQE 350 4Matic we tested for this first drive will likely be a mid-tier trim level. Like its EQS sibling, the EQE will also get an SUV variant, which will launch sometime after the sedan version.

Design and interior
The EQE has the same lozenge-like shape as the EQS sedan, which is dictated by aerodynamics. The appeal of the design is up for debate, but the smooth shape reduces aerodynamic drag, which helps improve efficiency and range. Under the skin, the EQE is also based on the same EVA2 architecture as the EQS sedan.
But while the two EQ sedans look similar at first glance, the EQE is a bit smaller than its sibling. It’s 10.6 inches shorter than the EQS sedan, with a 3.5-inch shorter wheelbase. Rear-seat passengers might notice the difference, but like its gasoline E-Class counterpart, the EQE is aimed more at drivers than passengers. Its tidier proportions were also a bit more pleasing to our eyes, making the EQE look sleeker than its sibling.
The interior design is minimalist while still maintaining functionality.

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