Tesla’s Model Y is eating up electric SUV sales around the world and Audi isn’t about to take the challenge lying down. It’s refreshed its Q4 e-tron, giving the electric SUV and its Sportback brother more power, faster charger times and additional equipment.
Thanks to a new permanently excited synchronous machine (PSM) motor on the rear axle of every car, the base, RWD Audi Q4 45 e-trons make 210 kW (282 hp / 286 PS) and accelerate to 62 mph (100 kmh) in 6.7 seconds, while the Quattro version chops a tenth from that time. Topping the range is the flagship Q4 55 e-tron Quattro. That generates 250 kW (335 hp / 340 PS) and can do the job in 5.4 seconds.
Those numbers show that AWD doesn’t dramatically improve the sprint times compared with a two-wheel drive variant packing the same power, but it should make a tangible difference in charge times. All Q4s get the same 77 kWh battery, but while RWD cars can still only charge at 135 kW, the AWD Quattro models can handle 175 kW, enabling them to refill their batteries from 10 to 80 percent in 28 minutes.
Related: Audi Details 2024 Lineup Changes for U.S., Most Models Get Additional Equipment
The slow-filling RWD 45 e-tron counters that with the best range. It can travel up to 349 miles (562 km) according to WLTP tests, whereas the most capable mile-eater in the previous lineup, the RWD 40 e-tron, could only manage 321 miles (517 km).
Shared by all Q4 e-trons is a new sound generator that pumps out a synthesized noise both inside and outside the car, though it can be deactivated if you really hate it. Other upgrades for 2024 include a 15 mm (0.6 inches) suspension drop and extra standard equipment, which includes heated front seats and an electric hatch on every model, Audi’s MMI Navigation, plus the option of assisted lane changes (operated by tapping the turn signal stalk).
None of those additions make the 2024 look any different to last year’s car, so you might want to consider the new Edition S line model. Available in Pebble Gray, Glacier White Metallic, or Mythos Black Metallic, the sportiest Q4 rolls on 21-inch wheels painted bronze to match the color of the four-ring badge on its rear pillar.
The current Q4 has proved popular, notching up a 51 per cent sales increase in the first six months of this year, and Audi’s improvements for 2024 are only likely to increase demand at the Zwickau, Germany, plant. If that happens, Audi will be ready for it, because its Brussels factory (currently building the Q8) will also be producing Q4s by the end of this year.
