Audi has released the second model in its innovative e-tron product line, the Audi e-tron Sportback.
While we all fantasize about a sporty little two-seater from time to time, the wind rippling through our hair, the sun on our face, perhaps some suitable company in the passenger seat, but the reality is that car choices are often compromises with circumstances. Pocket rockets are fun but a little lacking in practicality, not to mention their disproportionate carbon footprint. Fortunately, the newest addition to Audi’s stable makes that compromise a little easier to bear.
Power With Purpose
The Audi e-tron Sportback is a dynamic SUV coupé offering up to 300 kW of power and a range of up to 446 kilometres from a single battery charge. The newest addition to Audi’s e-tron family, the Sportback combines the power of a spacious SUV with the elegance of a four-door coupé and the progressive character of an electric car. At 16.1 ft long and 6.3 ft wide, it’s well suited for Asia’s narrow roads and parking spaces.
With a roof that extends flat over its muscular body, dropping down steeply to the rear—in typical coupé style— and flowing into the steeply raked D-pillars ensures no one will accuse you od driving a people mover, while new digital matrix LED headlights, the light of which is broken down into tiny pixels for exceptional precision, guarantee a sophisticated look day or night.
For a little more power, the S line model places particular emphasis on the sporting DNA of the Audi e-tron Sportback. It is equipped as standard with 20-inch wheels and sport air suspension. The more distinctively contoured bumper is flanked by more expressive air curtains, which improve the airflow. They extend below the headlights, thereby creating a dynamic appearance even from a distance. At the rear end, the spoiler fitted as standard as well as a striking diffuser that extends across the entire vehicle width contribute to the outstanding vehicle aerodynamics.
Quattro Legacy for Today’s Driving
For off-road adventures as well as daily commutes, the Audi e-tron Sportback 55 Quattro model allows the driver to savour the interaction of efficiency, performance, and supreme calm. Each axle is fitted with an asynchronous electric motor that is fed with three-phase current by the power electronics. With an output of 265 kW and 561 Nm of torque, the two standard electric motors pack a powerful punch in launching the SUV coupé from a standstill – locally emissions-free and in virtual silence. The Audi e-tron Sportback 55 Quattro takes just 6.6 seconds to reach 100 km/h, and its top speed is electronically limited to 200 km/h.
But there’s more. By shifting from drive range D to S and fully depressing the accelerator pedal, the driver can activate boost mode. Here, the drive generates 300 kW of output and 664 Nm of torque for eight seconds. This enables the SUV coupé to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. Two-stage planetary gearboxes with one gear range transfer the torque from the electric motors to the axles. A switch, which the driver can operate with the thumb and forefinger, is used to select the gears. It is embedded in an elegant lever that is set low above the centre tunnel and serves as a hand rest.
It’s All About Control
No matter the model, electric all-wheel drive ensures outstanding traction and dynamism on any terrain. With it, Audi is writing a new chapter in the history of Quattro drive. It continuously regulates the ideal drive torque distribution between both axles—within fractions of a second. In most driving situations, the Audi e-tron Sportback relies exclusively on its rear electric motor—for exceptional efficiency. If the driver requests more output than it can provide, the front unit is instantly activated. This also happens predictively before slip occurs in icy conditions or when cornering fast, or if the car understeers or oversteers.
The dynamic handling system Audi drive select—fitted as standard in the Audi e-tron Sportback—allows the driver to switch the method of operation of multiple drive components between seven profiles. This creates a marked difference between smooth-rolling comfort and sporty, stable handling. The adaptive air suspension with controlled dampers provides a major contribution to this versatile character. At higher speeds, the body is lowered, noticeably improving airflow around it and extending the vehicle’s range. In total, the system is capable of varying the ride height by up to 76 millimetres.
A Bold New Look
The Audi e-tron Sportback has ample space for five occupants along with their bags. Rear headroom is just 20 mm less than in the Audi e-tron. Including the 60-litre stowage compartment underneath the hood, which houses the vehicle tool kit and charging cable, the car offers a total of 615 litres of luggage capacity. Folding down the rear seat backrests increases the luggage capacity to 1,655 litres.
The interior of the Audi e-tron Sportback is an elegant lounge featuring a seamless blend of design and technology. A generous arc that spans the instrument panel, extending from door to door, harmoniously integrates the cover for the Audi virtual cockpit. Its sleek display stands visually free in space. The instrument panel, with its two touch displays, is angled towards the driver and therefore particularly ergonomic. When deactivated, the upper of these blends almost invisibly into the large gloss-black surround.
When the Audi e-tron Sportback is driven in an urban setting, its interior remains almost completely silent—thanks to sophisticated soundproofing and aeroacoustic measures. This ensures that HiFi sound is even more enjoyable, especially with the optional Bang & Olufsen Premium 3D Sound System on board. It allows the music to be enjoyed precisely how it was recorded, without any artificial effects. Another attractive infotainment module is the Audi phone box, which sets benchmarks in terms of connection and sound quality as well as wireless charging.
A total of thirteen paint finishes are available for the all-electric drive SUV coupé, including the new colour plasma blue, metallic, which is exclusive to the e-tron Sportback.
For more Automotive inspiration click here.