Audi Q4 e-tron review

Driving position

The Audi Q4 e-tron is a good size SUV, because it gives you the high-up seating position that's good for all-round visibility, but it’s actually one of the smallest electric SUVs you can get, so it’s really manoeuvrable.

There’s lots of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel, and relatively slim pillars aid visibility.

Compared with the VW ID.4 (with which the Q4 e-tron shares its mechanical foundations), the Audi feels sportier with a wraparound cockpit, whereas the ID.4 is more minimalist and airier.

Tech and features

Audi Q4 e-tron trims

– Sport

– S line

– Black Edition

– Edition 1

– Vorsprung

The premium badge is definitely worth its weight compared with the Audi's VW and Škoda cousins. The Q4 e-tron's interior feels like more of an occasion. High-def screens, quality materials and better tech are all here, and in good measure.

You get a digital cockpit as standard, plus a large central touchscreen, though a number of updates since its launch have incrementally upped the tech, so if you’re in the market for flashier screens, newer is almost always better.

One of the Q4 e-tron's standout features (though it’s an optional extra) is the head-up display, which uses augmented reality (AR) to project arrows onto the road ahead as part of the sat-nav.

Keyless entry, a powered boot lid, a reversing camera, parking sensors, heated front seats and adaptive cruise control are generally standard on most models, though some earlier base-spec cars might not have everything.

Trim levels focus more on the look – centre your search around the optional packs if you want top-notch gear.

SONOS speakers, matrix/adaptive LED headlights, a heated steering wheel, electric seat adjustment, a panoramic sunroof... those are the sorts of things that set this Audi apart from other electric family SUVs.

Electric motors and power

Audi Q4 e-tron performance stats

– Power: 170hp, 204hp, 286hp, 299hp or 340hp

– 0-62mph: 5.4 to 9.0 seconds

– Top speed: Up to 112mph

– Driven wheels: Rear- or four-wheel drive

Audi has sold the Q4 e-tron with a number of different motor configurations, including rear- and all-wheel drive.

Names are formatted as ‘Audi Q4 35 e-tron', with the number indicating how much power it has. Those numbers have included 35, 40, 45, 50 and 55.

The ‘55’ is a 340hp, AWD monster, so it’s the closest we get to an SQ4 e-tron. It’ll do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, which is the same as the 340hp VW ID.4 GTX.

The difference is that the VW gets the sporty ‘GTX’ suffix, and the Q4 e-tron goes far more under the radar.

For most buyers, the ‘40’ and ‘45’ variants will suffice, and the ‘50’ will feel quick. The ‘35’ is fine for town driving, but it does feel like the underpowered choice on motorway slip roads.

It still has 170hp, but compared with other EVs, it isn’t particularly urgent.

Performance is broadly in line with other small SUVs, like the BMW iX1, but the Audi trumps that car by offering far more choice.

Something like the Tesla Model Y, which is a little bit bigger but similarly priced, is much quicker, with 0-60mph times as low as 3.3 seconds.

Handling and ride comfort

The Audi Q4 e-tron is designed to be a smooth, quiet, easy electric car to drive, and for the most part it nails that brief.

Power delivery is smooth, and the ride does a good job of cushioning fairly poor surfaces. The extra sound deadening that you get from buying a premium car also lends itself well to motorway driving.

Around town, its light steering and decent turning circle are great for side streets and car parks.

However, you’ll notice its comfort-first handling if you try to push it on open country lanes.

Rear-biased power delivery feels like a good match for this car, so it’s much better to drive enthusiastically than a Kia EV6 or Hyundai IONIQ 5.

However, the iX1 and even facelifted Tesla Model Y ‘Juniper’ cars feel like you can throw them around a bit more.

Unless you fancy yourself as the next Lewis Hamilton, though, we reckon the Q4 e-tron will suit you just fine.

Boot space

Audi Q4 e-tron boot space:

– Boot space: 520 litres

– Incl. Rear seats folded: 1,490 litres

– Front boot (froot): N/A

This is probably an area that the Q4 e-tron exceeds your expectations, because the 520-litre boot is far closer to a larger SUV than it is a hatchback – which is what many drivers will be upgrading from.

It’s just short of the ID.4’s 543 litres and Škoda Enyaq's 585 litres, but actually, compare it to the likes of the Volvo EX40 (410 litres) and you realise just how much space you’ve got.

The Q6 e-tron's boot is only 526 litres, and that’s a much bigger and far more expensive family SUV.

Rear seats

Rear passengers are well-looked-after because the relatively long wheelbase and clever EV packaging means there's plenty of legroom.

Headroom is good but avoid the coupé-like Q4 Sportback e-tron (a relative of the ID.5 and Enyaq Coupé) if you need to carry taller adults in comfort.

Most models sold will be in desirable S line trim, which has nicely sculpted seats for extra support, but in reality, all versions are very comfortable.

Storage solutions

Audi claims there's 25 litres of storage around the cabin, including large door bins that can hold big bottles, a decent centre console and, of course, plenty of USB-C ports to keep your phone topped up.

The Q4 lacks any storage under the boot, whereas the Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 get this extra storage, which is useful for separating charging cables from the rest of your bags.

Audi Q4 e-tron dimensions

– Height: 1,632mm

– Width: 2,108mm (incl. Mirrors)

– Length: 4,588mm

– Kerb weight: Up to 2,160kg

Safety

These days, it seems like every car comes with adaptive cruise control, parking cameras, blind spot monitoring and other crash preventative systems, and that’s mostly down to mandatory requirements, but no one is complaining.

One of the underrated additions to this Audi is the central airbag, which protects occupants inside in the event of an impact.

It was tested in 2021, and again in 2025, and got the full five-star Euro NCAP rating both times. The scores climbed, which is doubly impressive because testing became even stricter in that time.

Audi Q4 e-tron: electric range, battery and charging

– Range: 208 to 338 miles

– Battery size: 55kwh to 82kWh

– Max charging speed: Up to 175kW

– Charge port location: Back right

– Charge time (AC): From 8 hours (55kWh) to 12 hours (82kWh) with a 7kW charger

– Charge time (DC): 10-80% in 24 to 28 minutes or 5-80% in 38 minutes, depending on model

– Efficiency: 3.5 to 3.7 mpkWh (claimed)

– Charging cost: From £3.85 (55kWh) to £5.74 (82kWh)

Range depends on battery size, but as a guide, you’ll get around 3-4mi/kWh, which is relatively average. The Tesla Model Y can be more efficient, but equally, there are plenty of SUVs that are less efficient.

The ‘40’ will do around 250 miles, and the ‘45’ will do over 300 miles regardless of whether you pick optional four-wheel drive.

Earlier ‘35’ models are closer to 200 miles, but for slower town and city driving, this is absolutely fine.

Different models have different charging speeds, but because of battery size variation, the reality is that a 10-80% charge will take 25-30 minutes regardless of configuration.

Compared with running a petrol-powered model – even the smaller, lighter Q3 – the Q4 e-tron will almost always come out on top. That’s because many homes can get access to cheap off-peak rates.

However, if you need to use public chargers (especially rapid chargers) then you’ll pay a lot more than you would at home.

Reliability

Though one of Audi’s earlier EVs, it’s far from a first-generation product (plenty of others came before it), which means it’s boiled down to a refined formula that works.

All the batteries, motors and running gear are primed for mass production, and few owners report any major issues. The broader VW Group backing also helps with dependability.

The three-year warranty is pretty average though, so you may choose a Hyundai (five), BYD (six) or Kia (seven) if you want better future protection.