Electric cars, you can love them or loathe them, but you can’t ignore them and that’s because manufacturers from across the world are jumping abroad this lucrative segment that is heralded as the future of the automotive industry. After much contemplation audi has made the lead and introduced its first all-electric vehicle, the e tron sportback . Launched in Abu Dhabi, a city that is home to Masdar: one of the world’s most sustainable urban communities and a low carbon development, the audi e tron sportback challenges the electric car space dominated by the likes of the Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace. Built for sport, family and leisure, the etron slots between the q5 and q7 dimensionally but offers the spacious and comfort of one of the brand’s full size models.
Standing at 4,901mm long, 1935mm wide and 1,616mm tall, there isn’t much to differentiate the e-tron from its petrol-powered siblings, apart from the fact that it’s missing tailpipes, a fuel tank cap, and traditional side mirrors. Revolutionary without being ostentatious, the e-tron sportback rocks the brand’s new grille with five distinct slats that aid battery cooling, subtle horizontal bars in its headlight and digital side mirrors that are nothing short of revolutionary.
Elegant, efficient, expressive: the exterior design
The Audi e-tron Sportback combines the power of a spacious SUV with the elegance of a four-door coupé and the progressive character of an electric car. Its roof extends flat over the muscular body, dropping down steeply to the rear in typical coupé style. With its powerful contours above the wheels and the sculptural rear end, the Audi e-tron Sportback is perfectly aligned with the brand’s design idiom. The largely enclosed Single frame with its vertical struts is presented in a light platinum gray – a specific identifying feature of the e-tron models – signals to the outside world that the SUV coupé is fully electric.
The S line model places particular emphasis on the sporting DNA of the Audi e-tron Sportback. It is equipped as standard with 20-inch wheels and sport air suspension. The more distinctively contoured bumper is flanked by more expressive air curtains, which improve the airflow. An S line emblem adorns the radiator grille, while the illuminated aluminum door sill trims feature an #S logo. At the rear end, the spoiler fitted as standard as well as a striking diffuser that extends across the entire vehicle width contribute to the outstanding vehicle aerodynamics.
Sportily DNA – electric motors, electric all-wheel drive, and the suspension:
The Audi e-tron Sportback 55 quattro allows the driver to savor the interaction of efficiency, performance, and supreme calm. Each axle is fitted with an asynchronous electric motor that is fed with three-phase current by the power electronics. With an output of 265 kW and 561 Nm (413.8 lb -ft) of torque. The two standard electric motors pack a powerful punch in launching the SUV coupé from a standstill – locally emissions-free and in virtual silence. It takes just 6.6 seconds to attain 100 km/h, and its top speed is electronically confined to 200 km/h.
Electric all-wheel drive ensures outstanding traction and dynamism on any terrain. With it, Audi is writing a new chapter in the history of quattro drive. It continuously regulates the ideal drive torque distribution between both axles—within fractions of a second. In most driving situations, the Audi e-tron Sportback relies exclusively on its rear electric motor—for exceptional efficiency. If the driver requests more output than it can provide, the front unit is instantly activated. This also happens predictively before slip occurs in icy conditions or when cornering fast, or if the car understeers or oversteers.
High-voltage battery system and recuperation:
The battery system of the Audi e-tron Sportback 55 quattro stores 95 kWh of gross energy and operates at a rated voltage of 396 volts. It is fitted as a wide flat block beneath the passenger cell, to which it is bolted at 35 points. The battery system is exceptionally rigid and crash-proof, thanks to a solid protective frame and an aluminum laminate that holds the 36 cell modules.
The high-voltage battery is charged by the electric motors, primarily by the rear electric motor, which acts as generators in these situations. The recuperation system provides for variable regulation of energy recuperation between both electric modules, both in coasting mode when the driver releases the right-hand pedal as well as during braking.
Continue driving in just 30 minutes: the charging line-up
On long-distance routes, the Audi e-tron Sportback 55 quattro can charge with direct current (DC) at up to 150 kW at fast-charging stations. In just under half an hour, the battery reaches 80 percent of its capacity—sufficient for the next leg of its long-distance trip. The e-tron Sportback 50 quattro can charge at up to 120 kW and achieves an identical charge status at the same time.
Form and function perfected – The interior:
The interior of the Audi e-tron Sportback is an elegant lounge featuring a seamless blend of design and technology and has plentiful space for five people. A generous arc that spans the instrument panel, extending from door to door, harmoniously integrates the cover for the Audi 12.3-inch virtual cockpit. Its sleek display stands visually free in space. The wrap-around in the door trims also integrates the screens for the optional virtual exterior mirrors.
The Audi e-tron Sportback is now available to test drive and for purchase in the Middle East.
