2023 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron SUV

　　

2023 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron Review

byChristian WardlawCorrespondent

　　Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at zzdcar and was the first editor-in-chief of zzdcar.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.

　　Audi has expanded its electric vehicle lineup in recent years, and the latest addition to the automaker's EV family is the Q4 e-tron in both standard (reviewed separately) and Sportback body styles. Like other Audis with the Sportback designation, the 2023 Q4 Sportback e-tron has a more rakish roofline for an SUV coupe appearance. It went on sale briefly as a 2022 model and returns for 2023 with several changes.

　　

Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron EV Insights

Trim:Q4 Sportback e-tron Premium

　　Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/50 (electric DD) - $58,200 MSRPPremium Plus 4dr SUV AWD w/50 (electric DD) (Most Popular) - $64,400 MSRPPrestige 4dr SUV AWD w/50 (electric DD) - $65,900 MSRP

　　

Range

 zzdcar TESTED

　　270 miles

　　zzdcar Tested Rangezzdcar begins with a full battery charge and drives the vehicle on a mix of city and highway roads (approximately 60% city, 40% highway) until the battery is almost entirely empty. (We target 10 miles of remaining range for safety.) The miles traveled and the indicated remaining range are added together for the zzdcar Tested Range figure.

　　EV batteries lose 1-2% of range per year. Est. range for this car is 230 miles after 8 years.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

EV Battery Warranty

　　8 yrs or 100,000 milesThe federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.

　　

Charging at Home

　　9 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　SAE ComboStandard port for most electric models. Supports Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging.

　　Plug Type

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　Complimentary Charging Offer

　　Restrictions: This program is a charging agreement between Audi of America and Electrify America. Customers who purchase a new Audi Q4 e-tron or Q4 e-tron Sportback model will receive 250 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of complimentary charging on the Electrify America network. Complimentary charging expires 2 years from date of sale. Offer is non-transferable. See your participating dealer for details.

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$76/mo

　　Q4 Sportback e-tron

　　vs

　　$183/mo

　　SUV Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　

Am I Ready for an EV?

　　EV ownership works best if you can charge (240V) at home or at work This typically means a 240V home installation, but you could also have a similar setup at your office or other places your car is already parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice unless you've got a plug-in hybrid, in which case overnight charging at home is feasible.

　　If you can’t charge at home, charging at a charging station could take at least 10x longer than at a gas station With public charging infrastructure still in its infancy, the user experience can be maddeningly inconsistent. Tesla owners tend to rave about the reliability and speed of the company's proprietary Supercharger stations, but rival DC fast options have thus far been plagued by technical issues and overcrowding. It's an evolving landscape and our best advice is to do your research on the available options for the EV you want to buy.

　　Adding a 240V home charging system could cost up to $1,600 or more If your existing electrical service can handle the additional demands of EV charging, you may be able to add Level 2 charging at home for less than a grand, including installation. But your costs will multiply if you need to upgrade your electrical panel or add a dedicated circuit.

　　All Q4 Sportback e-trons now have sporty S line styling as standard equipment. A larger 11.6-inch touchscreen display is also standard, and the available head-up display offers an augmented reality upgrade. This feature projects navigation system directions onto the windshield in front of the driver, making them appear to float more than 30 feet in front of the SUV, showing which lane to use and where to turn. Matrix headlights are also available for 2023, offering customizable light signatures.

　　The Q4 Sportback e-tron is a compact electric luxury SUV, and within the Audi lineup, it overlaps with the Audi Q5 Sportback. The two SUVs are about the same size on the inside, but the Q4 is a little smaller on the outside. It's also more expensive than the Q5 Sportback, which is typical for EVs.

　　Dual-motor all-wheel drive is standard, and Audi says it takes 36 minutes to recharge the battery from 5% to 80% using a 150-kW DC fast-charging station. The maximum EPA-estimated driving range measures 242 miles, falling short of several competitors. The Q4 Sportback e-tron faces a growing list of rivals that includes the Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis GV60, Lexus RZ, Mercedes-Benz EQB and Tesla Model Y.

　　Appealing design is the Q4 Sportback e-tron's main strength, followed by approachable technology and practical utility. However, acceleration and driving range fall short of the best electric SUVs in the class.

　　

Which Q4 Sportback e-tron does zzdcar recommend?

Buying a luxury vehicle is, in part, about having nice things. If you agree, you'll want the Q4 Sportback e-tron in Premium Plus trim. It includes upgraded digital instrumentation, a navigation system, connected services, a premium sound system, and adaptive cruise control with lane centering assistance.

　　

Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron models

The 2023 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron comes in Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige trim levels. A dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric propulsion system is standard, with a permanently excited synchronous motor at the front axle and an asynchronous motor at the rear axle providing a combined maximum of 295 horsepower.

　　The 82-kWh lithium-ion battery pack supplies an EPA-estimated 242 miles of range. Audi says the battery recharges in nine hours using a 9.6-kW Level 2 home charging station. Plug in to a 150-kW Level 3 DC fast charger and the Q4 Sportback e-tron recharges from 5% to 80% capacity in 36 minutes, according to Audi.

　　Premium

　　Choose the Premium trim, and the Q4 Sportback e-tron has:

　　20-inch wheels S line exterior styling LED headlights with automatic high-beam assist LED taillights with dynamic turn signals Rain-sensing windshield wipers Heated exterior mirrors Power liftgate Panoramic sunroof 10.25-inch digital instrumentation panel Wood dashboard trim Three-zone automatic climate control Leather upholstery Eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat Heated front seats 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wireless connectivity for both) Connected services (Audi Connect Care) 14.5-foot 9.6-kW charging cableStandard safety features include:

　　Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios) Blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning (alerts you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while in reverse) Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane) Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)Premium Plus

　　Upgrade to this version of the SUV for these standard features:

　　Hands-free power liftgate Hands-free keyless entry Auto-dimming exterior and interior mirrors Sound-absorbing acoustic glass for the front windows Improved interior lighting Heated steering wheel Driver's seat memory settings Power-adjustable front passenger seat Upgraded digital instrumentation panel Additional connected services (Audi Connect Plus) SiriusXM 360L satellite radio Navigation system Sonos premium sound system Wireless charging pad Alarm system with motion sensingAdditional driver assistance features include:

　　Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Audi and the car in front) Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane) Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention)Prestige

　　The top-of-the-line Prestige adds extra technology in the form of:

　　Matrix LED headlights with animation and washers Taillight animation Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line on the windshield) Augmented reality for navigationWith the Premium trim, Audi offers an optional Convenience package containing:

　　Hands-free power liftgate Hands-free keyless entry Auto-dimming exterior and interior mirrors Sound-absorbing acoustic glass for the front windows Driver's seat memory settings Power-adjustable front passenger seat SiriusXM 360L satellite radio Wireless charging pad Alarm system with motion sensingIn addition, a Black Optic package adds:

　　Blacked-out exterior trim Dark brushed aluminum interior trim Sport steering wheel Front sport seats

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