It's about time Audi entered the arena of all-electric sedans. This is an area that has been seemingly dominated by Tesla over the past few years but, this may be about to change with the new Audi e-tron GT.
It's a direct rival of both the Tesla Model S and the Porsche Taycan, but does it have what it takes to knock both of these off their mantle and become the new best choice for a modern all-electric sports sedan? Below are some of the more interesting features of the new Audi e-tron GT.
10 Audi's First Electric Sedan
With the number of electric cars that seem to be flooding the market in recent years, it may be surprising to some to hear that this is actually Audi's first all-electric sedan. Audi may have produced electric vehicles in the past, but none quite like this.
The Audi e-tron GT Concept prototype was revealed for the first time in November 2018 in Los Angeles. The e-tron GT is Audi's third attempt at an all-electric vehicle, with the first two being the regular e-tron and e-tron SUV. Despite having similar names, these cars are all quite different from each other and the e-tron GT is the only sedan of the three.
9 High Tech Features
All-electric cars were once seen as cars of the future but are now seen fairly regularly. The futuristic tech that often goes hand in hand with these electric vehicles is also very much on display with the Audi e-tron GT. Audi has a stellar repudiation when it comes to high-tech features and interior design and the e-tron GT is given fair treatment in this area.
Some of the onboard tech that comes with the e-tron GT includes Audi's Pre-sense technology, which detects collision hazards and comes as standard. Some other features like adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera, and a remote parking pilot are available as optional extras.
8 Very Spacious
GT cars need to be as practical and luxurious as they are great to drive, and the Audi certainly ticks this box too. In true Audi fashion, everything was considered and the e-tron GT certainly has enough space for luggage and other goods for when on long drives as per this car's intended use.
The Audi is large, it's extremely long and wide and this allows for plenty of legroom for people in the back and plenty of storage space both upfront and in the rear. There are roughly 405 liters of space in the back with a further 81 in the front.
7 Four-Wheel Steering & Air Suspension
Some of the best features on the Audi for handling and driving comfort are the additions of all-electric four-wheel steering and the optional upgrade of adaptive air suspension. The e-tron GT also has a weight distribution very close to 50:50 further helping its handling.
The air suspension is adjustable and can set the body to different heights. It lowers the body by a max of 0.4 inches at a speed of 55.9 MPH, and by another 0.5 inches at 111.8 MPH. When driving at a speed below 18.6 MPH, the driver can select a lift mode that raises the body by 0.8 inches, for example when accessing underground parking garages. Its four-wheel steering system also helps by creating a level of stability that can't be achieved by cars without this feature.
6 Vegan Interior
A very interesting move from Audi was to make the interior of the new e-tron GT from completely vegan materials. Given we now live in a world where we all have to play our part in prolonging the sustainability of materials and resources, it was very forward-thinking of Audi to introduce this to the e-tron GT.
All leather was completely scrapped as a part of Audi's goal to go carbon neutral. However, Nappa leather is still optional. Dinamica microfiber and Alcantara trim come as standard. The remainder of the interior is made from recycled materials such as used plastic bottles and textiles.
5 Pricing
Pricing for the e-tron GT varies depending on the optional extras of the car in question. Its price however isn't too dissimilar to that of the Tesla Model S. Perhaps unsurprising, given that these are the direct competitors.
Pricing for the 2022 Audi e-tron GT Premium Plus begins at around $99,900, while the Prestige trim costs just over $107,000. For comparison, The 2020 Tesla Model S Long Range Plus starts at $79,990, and the Model S Performance starts at $99,990. These prices are certainly more comparative on the higher-spec models it seems.
4 Available RS Version
As with a lot of Audis, there is usually some sort of race or sports version, and in this case, it's the Audi RS e-tron GT. This model is a much higher-performance version of the standard e-tron GT and features a number of upgrades over the base model.
Aside from the added RS badges on the exterior, the RS model also has an increase in power. The e-tron RS is powered by two motors, there’s a 238 HP unit on the front axle driven by a single gear transmission, and a 456 HP motor on the rear axle that’s connected to a two-speed gearbox for improved acceleration times, with an electronic limited-slip diff also coming as standard. The RS version also has the optional adaptive air suspension as standard.
3 Completely Battery Powered
The Audi e-tron GT is completely electric, this means the only thing powering the vehicle are the two electric motors on both axles and nothing else assists the car unlike in some hybrids which use a combination of traditional gas-powered engine and electrical motor.
The Audi has a range of around 300 miles on a single charge and the driveline of the e-tron GT is powered by a battery with 84 kWh of net capacity and 93.4 kWh of gross capacity, these also provide the all-wheel-drive function. The e-tron GT has a maximum sustained power output of 469 HP, which can be temporarily boosted to 523 HP.
2 Genuine Grand Tourer
Grand Tourers need to tick numerous boxes to be a genuine contender in this category, these include comfort for long drives, practicality, storage space for luggage, speed, and good range. The e-tron passes these tests fairly easily.
The air suspension does a great job of controlling the heavy body’s vertical movements and means the ride is smooth and provides exceptional comfort on those long-distance drives. It's perhaps not as fast and responsive as some other sports sedans, but this isn't exactly the mission statement of this vehicle.
1 Great Performance
Given the e-tron GT's specs, it should be fairly obvious that the Audi provides great performance in a number of scenarios, all from everyday driving to on-track sessions and long journeys. The RS model will excel particularly on the track.
This new model is agile despite it being such a heavy car. This is helped massively by the adaptive air suspension and the all-wheel steering. Audi has even claimed that the center of gravity is lower than on the R8. This makes the e-tron GT a jack of all trades as it performs as well in normal driving as it does on a track. The top speed of the e-tron is around 152 MPH with a 0-60 second time of around 4.4 seconds. These are great stats for a car of this size and weight.