Update: ‘Audi Q4 e-tron to be sold without a heat pump’ sub-section of ‘Specifications’ updated.
The Audi Q4 e-tron marks the entry point to Audi’s global EV range. The Q4 e-tron is a smaller and more affordable package than the e-tron SUV, sans any compromises on performance and technology. Audi aims to democratize luxury EVs with affordable offerings like the Q4 e-tron.
The Q4 e-tron promises a great blend of luxury, practicality, and of course, sustainable mobility. For perspective, the Audi Q4 e-tron is similar in dimensions to the Q5, measuring 180.7 in. in length (Q5 – 184.3 in.), and Audi says that even the cabin space is comparable to the ICE model. The company has made some changes to the electric SUV for the 2023 model year to make it more appealing for customers.
Here’s everything we know about the 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron.
Exterior design & features
The 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron carries forward the previous model’s design since it’s pretty much brand new. At first glance, the pure-electric compact SUV appears athletic with its sharp creases and muscular shoulder lines. Upfront, it sports a sizeable single-frame grille, short overhangs, and a bumper that looks rather busy — it houses a lower air intake, parking sensors, a skid plate, and vertical black panels on the flanks that don’t seem to have any function.
The Matrix LED headlamps look futuristic and offer a choice of 4 running light signatures, which can be changed through the MMI touchscreen. The side profile is chiseled, and the wheels look prominent. S line exterior is standard on the top-end Q4 50 e-tron, but not the base Q4 40 e-tron. It includes sculpted front and rear styling, additional alu-optic detailing, and signature badging. Customers can choose from the following four alloy wheel options:
- 19″ 5-arm design wheels
- 19″ 5-W-spoke-aero design, graphite gray wheels
- 20″ 5-Y-spoke design, graphite gray wheels
- 20″ 5-Y-spoke design wheels, graphite gray
At the rear, the windshield is sharply raked while a full-width LED light strip unites the tail lamps. The Q4 e-tron also presents customers with ‘coming-home’ and ‘leaving-home’ light animations. It can be had in the following colors:
- Pebble Gray
- Glacier White metallic
- Mythos Black metallic
- Navarra Blue metallic.
Interior & features
The 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron carries on with the previous model’s interior, which is like a science class, but with one significant upgrade. Instead of the 10.1-inch MMI touchscreen, a larger 11.6-inch MMI touchscreen is standard in the new model. While the old screen had a resolution of 1,540 x 720 pixels, the new screen has a resolution of 1,764 x 824 pixels. While the aspect ratio is the same, the larger size should make the information presented on the new screen, especially text, easier to read.
Behind the steering is a 10.25-inch digital instrument console or the optional virtual cockpit. The cockpit also houses a surround-view monitor to facilitate driving in tight spaces. In terms of cargo, the Audi Q4 e-tron offers up to 24.8 cu ft of space with the rear seats up and 53.1 cu ft of luggage space with the rear bench folded flat.
Augmented reality head-up display
The Audi Q4 e-tron can be specced with a head-up display that supports augmented reality. It displays crucial navigation and driving-related information, such as road and traffic information, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise assist guidance. Audi says augmented reality creates a virtual, floating image at a perceived 33-feet distance from the driver for an ‘eyes-forward’ experience with a clarity of 60 fps. The Q4 e-tron also offers Sonos premium audio system with 10 speakers and 580 W output.
Specifications
The 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron is available in Q4 40 e-tron and Q4 50-e-tron variants. The former is a new rear-wheel drive variant, while the latter is an all-wheel drive variant carried over from the previous model.
The 40 e-tron is a single-motor variant which makes 201 hp and 229 lb-ft., and drives the rear wheels. Acceleration and top-speed figures are respectable as well. The sprint to 60 mph comes in 7.9 seconds, and the top speed is limited to 99 mph.
The 50 e-tron quattro is the variant to choose for enthusiasts. It comes with quattro AWD, thanks to a dual-motor setup. The powertrain produces 295 hp and 339 lb-ft, enough to accelerate the SUV to 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds. It goes on to achieve a top speed of 112 mph.
An 82 kWh floor-mounted battery pack is standard, and it can be charged from 0 to 100% SoC at a maximum 9.6 kW on alternating current in 9 hours. The maximum DC fast-charging power is 150 kW, which is a significant upgrade from the previous model’s 125 kW. However, the 5-80% DC fast-charging time takes about 36 minutes, which marks just a two-minute improvement.
The 2023 Q4 40 e-tron delivers an EPA-est. range of 265 miles, while the 2023 Q4 50 e-tron delivers an EPA-est. range of 236 miles, down from the 2022 Q4 50 e-tron’s EPA estimate of 241 miles.
There’s a three-stage brake regeneration, and adjustable recuperation allows for customizable driving experience. The settings are controlled via the steering wheel or selector. The front axle only engages when the system detects low traction. It runs like a rear-wheel-drive SUV when the grip and surfaces are good. Additionally, the Audi Drive Select system allows customers to choose between multiple drive modes, namely Efficiency, Comfort, Dynamic and Individual.
Audi Q4 e-tron to be sold without a heat pump
Citing semiconductor shortages, Audi has decided to stop equipping the Q4 e-tron with heat pumps, starting February 2023. The company informed Canadian customers of this update via e-mail, DriveTesla reported on January 11, 2023. A credit of CAD 1,000 (appx. USD 745) will be provided as compensation to all affected customers, the Canadian publication said.
New units sold after this point are to be equipped with traditional resistive heaters. In its email to customers, Audi mentioned that the deletion of the heat pump on the Q4 e-tron is to last for an “indeterminate period,” DriveTesla’s report added. While the company hasn’t said it yet, there’s a high probability that it will conduct a similar exercise in other markets as well.
| Audi Q4 e-tron variant/aspect | Q4 40 e-tron | Q4 50 e-tron |
| Length (in.) | 180.7 | 180.7 |
| Width w/o mirrors (in.) | 73.4 | 73.4 |
| Height (in.) | 64.7 | 64.7 |
| Wheelbase (in.) | 108.7 | 108.7 |
| Motor(s) | One | Two |
| Drivetrain Layout | RWD | AWD |
| Horsepower (hp) | 201 | 295 |
| Torque (lb-ft) | 229 | 339 |
| 0-60 mph Acceleration Time | 7.9 seconds | 5.8 seconds |
| Top Track Speed | 99 mph | 112 mph |
| Battery (kWh) | 82 | 82 |
| EPA-est. Range (miles) | 265 | 241 |
| EPA-est. MPGe | 112/94/103 | 97/87/93 |
| Charging (AC/DC) | 9.6 kW / 150 kW | 9.6 kW / 150 kW |
| AC Charging Time (0-100% SoC) | 9 hours / 9.6 kW | 9 hours / 9.6 kW |
| DC Charging Time (5-80% SoC) | 36 minutes | 36 minutes |
Price & Release date
Manufactured at the Volkswagen Zwickau plant, the 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron is not eligible for federal tax credits under the Clean Vehicle Credit scheme. Prices start at USD 49,800, excluding a USD 1,195 destination charge, sales taxes, title, options, and dealer charges. 250 kWh free charging is included with Electrify America, so that new customers can try and experience DC fast-charging.
The 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron is already at U.S. dealers. Audi Hampton in Hampton, Virginia, DCH Millburn Audi in Maplewood, New Jersey, Audi Cary in Cary, North Carolina, Audi North Atlanta in Roswell, Georgia, and many others who have it in stock have listed the SUV online.
| Configuration | Audi Q4 e-tron Price |
| 40 e-tron Premium | USD 49,800 |
| 40 e-tron Premium Plus | USD 56,000 |
| 50 e-tron Premium quattro | USD 55,200 |
| 50 e-tron Premium Plus quattro | USD 61,400 |
| 50 e-tron Prestige quattro | USD 62,900 |
Sales
2021
Audi sold 33,184 cars in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2021, a 46.9% decline compared to 2020. However, annual sales figure for 2021 was 5% higher than that of 2020 – 196,038 units. EVs accounted for just 5.6% of Audi’s total 2021 sales.
Audi released the Q4 e-tron in the U.S. in the Q4 of 2021 and delivered 45 units of the Q4 e-tron and 19 units of the Q4 Sportback e-tron in 2021, which could have been for test drives and demos. The company’s overall EV sales were up by 53% compared to 2020.
2022
Audi of America sold a total of 2,929 units of the Q4 e-tron, and 576 units of the Q4 Sportback e-tron in 2022. Between the two models, the company registered a year-over-year change in sales volumes of 6409% and 2932%, respectively. For better clarity, Audi sold just 45 units of the former in 2021, with the Sportback version selling a mere 19 units, which were demo cars. As for their Q4 2022 performance, the Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron sold 1,872 units and 541 units, respectively. Audi’s EV line-up made up 16,177 of all units sold by the company in the U.S. last year.
Recycled glass could be used on the Audi Q4 e-tron
Audi points out about a dozen points on the current Q4 e-tron that are made with recycled materials. These include the headlight mount, wheel arch liner, loading floor, luggage compartment cover, rear wheel spoiler, and floor covering.
On April 25, 2022, Audi revealed that the brand is entering a joint pilot project with Reiling, Saint-Gobain Glass, and Saint-Gobain Sekurit to recycle damaged car glasses in Germany. The multi-stage process, if successful, will reduce energy and raw-material usage to produce glass for production vehicles. The method includes breaking down damaged glass into small pieces and removing impurities like glue—Reiling Glas Recycling will carry out this process.
Next, Saint-Gobain Glass will turn the processed material into plate glass at Herzogenrath, Germany. The recycled material will be mixed with sand, sodium carbonate, and chalk. The proportion of the recyclate is estimated to be 30% to 50%. Audi’s target for the pilot project is about 40 tons of recycled car glass. If the pilot project is successful as planned, the end product will be used on the Q4 e-tron series.
Moreover, Audi and its partners plan to put 30,000 tons of shards into recycling if the pilot project is successful.
TopElectricSUV says
The 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron brings minor updates but more importantly, it includes a range-focused and lower variant (40 e-tron) which many customers have been waiting for since the launch. With a nearly USD 50,000 base price, it’s quite expensive for what it offers, but it does present a more accessible entry into Audi’s EV line-up, which is the widest among all automakers in the U.S.
2023 Audi Q4 e-tron FAQs
What is the 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron release date?
The 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron is available at U.S. dealerships now.
What is the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron price?
USD 49,995 to USD 63,095 (excl. sales taxes, title, options & dealer charges) in the U.S.
Which electric SUVs are Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron rivals?
The Audi Q4 e-tron rivals the Mercedes EQB and Volvo XC40 Recharge.
Featured image source: Audi
