2021 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron: prices, specs and release date

• Q4 is latest electric Audi
• 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds
• Prices start at £42,250

The Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron is now on sale with the cheapest models costing a little over £42,000. It’s intended as a more stylish version of the new Audi Q4 e-tron SUV and has been designed exclusively as an electric car. Available to order now, first deliveries are scheduled to take place in October.

The car is based on the VW Group’s MEB platform for electric cars, so shares its underpinnings with the Skoda Enyaq iV and Volkswagen ID.4. Manufacturers are rushing to get their electric SUVs on the market, so Q4 buyers may also consider the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volvo XC40 Recharge and the Tesla Model Y.

2021 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron prices and specifications

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Four trim levels are available, so UK buyers will need to choose between Sport, S line, an Edition 1 launch specification and the range-topping Vorsprung. Standard features include sat nav, LED lights, three-zone air conditioning with cabin pre-heating and sports seats. S line adds a slightly sportier look, bigger wheels and ambient lighting, and starts from £44,350.

Edition 1 gets upgraded Matrix LED headlights, a black styling pack and electric seats for £48,445. The Vorsprung model is the ultimate Q4, with big, 21-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, a premium sound system, an augmented reality head-up display and extra driver assistance systems. The latter is quite a bit more expensive than the other trims, starting at a whisker under £56,000, although most of its features can be added individually to the lower trims for additional cost.

These prices are for the ‘35’ powertrain; you’ll need to add around £4,000 for the mid-range ‘40’ versions. The most powerful ‘50’ models start at £52,870 and rise to £66,750.

Styling

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Like the Audi e-tron Sportback and Q3 Sportback, the Q4 Sportback is a coupe-styled model, whereas the Q4 SUV is more upright and traditional. Everything at the front of the Q4 and Q4 Sportback is the same, and both use sweeping LED headlights and a large grille that opens and closes automatically.

The Q4 Sportback gets a much sleeker rear end, with a steeply raked rear windscreen and a prominent spoiler sticking out from the base of the glass. As is becoming increasingly common, the Q4 pair get full-width light bars, complemented by a new diffuser with illuminated e-tron badging.

Interior

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You’ll get the same interior whether you buy the Q4 SUV or Sportback, and it features a bold steering wheel with touch-sensitive panels. These were reserved for concept cars only until the latest Volkswagen Golf was launched with nearly all physical buttons replaced by touchpads. Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster will be standard alongside a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, but it’s likely you’ll be able to upgrade both of these on the options list. A head-up display will put pertinent information in the driver’s line of sight, while a wireless smartphone charging plate will be included in the centre console.

Audi is pushing the use of sustainable materials in the Q4 models; the carpeting is said to be made from recycled materials, while painted finishes are used instead of chrome trim.

While the initial concept was a four-seater, the production model has five seats. With a long wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels) and no transmission tunnel, the Q4 Sportback promises to be very spacious inside, with lots of legroom in the front and rear. We’ll have to wait and see how the swoopy shape affects rear headroom in the Sportback compared to the regular Q4 but the boot is actually a little bigger with the seats up: 535 versus 520 litres. Either way, it’s not far off the 550 litres you get in the more expensive Audi Q5.

Performance, range and charging

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As mentioned above, the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron allows you to pick one of three electric powertrains. ‘35’ and ‘40’ versions feature an electric motor on the rear axle, while ‘50’ versions get an extra motor on the front axle to give quattro four-wheel drive.

The three versions produce 168bhp, 201bhp and 295bhp respectively, giving 0-62mph times of nine seconds, 8.5 seconds and 6.2 seconds. That means ‘50’ versions accelerate at a similar speed to the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Audi’s ‘35’ versions get a 52kWh battery, while more powerful ones come with a larger 77kWh battery. The ‘35’ models offer up to 208 miles between charges, increasing to 316 miles for the ‘40’ with its bigger battery. Because of its energy-sapping four-wheel drive (which only comes into play when it’s required), the ‘50’ can manage a slightly lower range figure - 295 miles.

Fast-charging at up to 125kW is confirmed, so topping the battery to 80% on a public charger will take around half an hour.

Read our guides to the best electric cars and best electric SUVs.