Audi Q4 e-tron review - Practicality & boot space

​One of the main advantages of the Volkswagen Group's MEB electric car platform is the efficient use of space. With the battery and electric motors positioned within the car's floor, designers can push the wheels out to the corners and create a more spacious interior. It's a big difference when compared with an electric car like the Volvo EX40, which is based on a combustion-engined car.

Audi Q4 e-tron SUV interior space & storage

The dashboard doesn't project too far into the car, helping with the spacious feel, and there's a 'floating' panel for the gear toggle that hides an extra storage space. The doors have also been carefully designed to provide handy spaces for drinks and items like your wallet and sunglasses.

A flat floor for rear passengers makes it easier to spread out without having to straddle a transmission tunnel, and the rear doors open nice and wide. Even the Q4 e-tron Sportback has reasonable rear headroom, with less intrusion than found in the back of the BMW iX2.

22

Boot space

The Q4 e-tron boasts a very respectable 520 litres of boot space, which also includes under-floor storage for the charging cables. This is a neat solution, as it keeps them from sliding around or getting tangled up with your shopping. Fold down the 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats and there's 1,490 litres of space, which is on the same level as the Audi Q5.

The Q4 is more practical than the BMW iX3 or Volvo EX40, but the Volkswagen ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq offer even more space. There's also no front ‘frunk’ storage compartment under the bonnet, which is a handy feature of the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E, allowing shopping or the charging cable to be stowed in the front of the car.

Surprisingly, the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron has an even bigger 535-litre boot, which does seem counterintuitive. This is bigger than the BMW iX2’s boot, and it features a low loading lip for easy loading, back seats that fold flat and a powered tailgate. The only negative is an underfloor storage space that’s on the small side, so even fitting in a charging cable is a struggle.​