2022 Audi E-Tron GT Vorsprung quattro

As we edge closer to the 2030 ban on pure combustion engine cars, car makers will be filling out their ranges with pure electric vehicles to fit every niche. Audi already has a formidable range of plug-in hybrid and pure electric cars to choose from, including the large e-tron SUV and Sportback, the compact Q4 e-tron SUV and Sportback, as well as this e-tron GT, which does what it says on the tin, and is a pure electric Grand Tourer.

FIRST UK TEST AUDI E-TRON GT

Think of it as a guilt-free alternative to the A7 Sportback, that shares its chassis with another sensational pure electric group car, the Porsche Taycan. Yes, platform sharing is alive and well at the Volkswagen Group, with both this e-tron GT and the Taycan sharing the J1 premium electric architecture.

With twin electric motors that make up the standard four-wheel-drive system, and combined generating a whopping 530bhp and 472lb ft of torque, there’s an enormous amount of thrust if you get busy with the right hand pedal. Sneeze, and you’re in danger of entering a different time zone, with acceleration to 62mph reached in just 4.1 seconds. The steering is responsive and agile, and it feels good to drive fast through a set of entertaining switchbacks. Body control is exceptionally taut and well controlled and there’s lots of grip thanks to the quattro four-wheel-drive system.

While there’s very little to be heard from the electric drivetrain, aside from some whooshing of the air and a feint sound from the electric motors, there’s too much road noise from the tyres on some surfaces at motorway speeds. Pleasingly, wind flutter is nonexistent, though.

The suspension is set up to deliver a firm ambience, but still relatively absorbent, with only the deepest of potholes and ruts likely to trouble the occupants.

Charging your e-tron GT using a standard home charger rated at 7kW will take around 14 hours, while a 22kW charger brings that down to 9 hours. Charge up en route to 80% and it’ll take 1 hour 10 minutes using a 50kW rapid charger and just 30 minutes if you can find one rated at 150kW. Connect your e-tron GT using a domestic three-pin plug and it’ll take 41 hours to fully recharge – perfect if you only work every other day. Top the power right up and you’ll have up to 299 miles range to play with, which should be enough for most people to live with on a day-to-day basis.

The cabin is low slung and snug, with door openings that appear to be more compact than other similarly sized vehicles, so make sure that you’ve got the necessary spring in your step before committing to buy. The seats are firm, but supportive, and keep you held in place if you get too energetic on the back roads. The dashboard is very driver-centric, with all of the controls angled towards the driver to make them easy to reach. We love the carbon fibre style material used on the dashboard to decorate it, but not quite so sure about the polished piano black that extends along the centre console and along from the infotainment touchscreen – there’s a lot of surface for dust and dirty fingermarks to linger. All of the buttons are neatly arranged in rows and we like the compact gear selector. Less impressive was the recurring drive fault that necessitated restarting the car when it was left hanging lifelessly, though this is the subject of a recall action, so Audi is actively working to resolve the issue.

When we say snug, we should qualify it by saying that there’s more than enough headroom front and rear, even with the panoramic roof, while in the back, leg and knee space is decent, unless you’ve got a long-legged driver up front. Rearward vision is a bit of a problem, thanks to an exceptionally shallow rear window, but thankfully reversing cameras are provided as an alternative. Boot space is quite limited, even though the 405 litres of capacity sounds like quite a lot. The opening is small, and you’ll need to play a game of Tetris to get all of the items you need to carry to fit in. Storing items in the cabin is a challenge, too, as the glovebox is more like a shelf, the space underneath the armrest is limited, and the door pockets are quite shallow. You will more than likely resort to using the cup holders for storage, and the area to the left of the gear selector.

“Sneeze, and you’re in danger of entering a different time zone…”

FACT & FIGURES

• On sale Now
• In showrooms Now
• Prices £81,915 to £135,355
• Bodystyles 4-door saloon
• Engines Electric automatic (523bhp), Electric automatic (637bhp)
• Trim levels quattro, Vorsprung quattro, RS, RS
• Carbon Black, RS Carbon Vorsprung
• Also consider Porsche Taycan, Tesla Model S
• Model tested 2022 Audi E-Tron GT Vorsprung quattro
• Price £108,015
• Built in Neckarsulm, Germany
• Codename tba
• Platform J1
• Bodystyle 4-door Coupé, 4-seats
• Layout Four-wheel-drive
• Powerplant Electric motor and 93.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack
• Transmission 2-speed automatic
• Max power 530bhp
• Max torque 472lb ft
• Top speed 152mph
• 0-62mph 4.1secs
• CO2 emissions (WLTP) 0g/km (Euro-6d RDE2)
• Range 296 to 299 miles
• Recharge time (Domestic socket/7kW fast charger/22kW fast charger/50kW rapid charger/150kW ultra rapid charger) 41/14/9/1 hour 10 minutes/30 minutes
• Insurance group 50
• BIK rate (2021/2022 tax year) 1%
• Size (length/width with mirrors) 4,989/2,158mm
• Boot space 405 litres
• Kerb/max towing weight 2,351/0kg
• Euro NCAP crash rating Not yet tested
• Warranty – car 3 years/60,000 miles
• Warranty – battery 8 years/100,000 miles
• Wheels (Full-size/spacesaver/run-flats/selfsealing/ repair kit) No/no/no/no/yes
• Verdict Audi seeks to enter every niche possible with its new range of e-tron models. It’s a grand tourer in every sense of the word.
• DrivesToday rating 8/10