Audi Q4 e-tron Review

The Audi Q4 e-tron sits in one of the most hotly contested parts of the EV market. Buyers want the raised driving position and family-friendly usability of an SUV, but with the quality and desirability that justify the extra spending over a mainstream electric alternative.

Luckily for Audi, the Q4 e-tron got the fundamentals right when it first arrived in 2021, and competes with a considerable number of premium mid-size electric SUVs.

Take a seat in the Q4 e-tron's cabin, and it's easy to see why Audi reckons it has the measure of the competition with the Q4 e-tron. You won't find a gimmicky oversized infotainment screen or a button-free dashboard, but you will find a totally modern and upmarket interior that justifies the premium price tag.

It's a spacious interior, too. There's loads of room in the front, while those in the rear won't feel like second-class citizens. The boot's a healthy size and usefully square in shape, although the cheaper Skoda Enyaq has the edge in overall capacity.

When it comes to trim, Sport is the well-equipped entry-level model, S line adds a sharper look, and Black Edition gives the car the most assertive look, while Vorsprung is the top-of-the-range model with just about every available feature thrown in. This review focuses on the Q4 e-tron SUV, which offers the clearest blend of premium-SUV style and everyday practicality. The sleeker coupe-styled version, but you'll want to take a look at our Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron review to find out more.

Of course, the sensible money will continue to go on the equivalent Skoda Enyaq, or the similar Volkswagen ID.4. But if you want a premium electric SUV, the Audi Q4 e-tron is an utterly convincing choice. Its interior is superb, there's loads of space, and it's impressively comfortable.

For most buyers, the best all-round choice is an Audi Q4 e-tron performance Sport. That version gives you the larger 82kWh battery, the longest range in the current SUV line-up, and Sport trim comes with enough standard kit that it doesn't feel like an entry-level trim.

The regular e-tron motor set-up still makes sense if you want to keep the price lower, but the e-tron performance is the version that really suits the Q4 e-tron’s premium electric-SUV brief. It gives you the sort of range and charging headroom that make the car feel properly complete.

The current Audi Q4 e-tron range starts at £46,260 in Sport trim, rises to £49,300 in S line, £52,210 for the Black Edition and tops out at £58,960 for the Vorsprung. That’s with the standard e-tron specification – more powerful versions with the larger batteries cost more.

That means the Q4 e-tron sits firmly in premium electric-SUV territory rather than trying to be a bargain. The appeal is not value in the strictest sense, but the car’s quality, image and everyday polish still make it well worth considering.

The closest rivals are the BMW iX1, the Volvo EX40, the Skoda Enyaq and the Volkswagen ID.4. The BMW is the more driver-focused premium alternative, while the Volvo leans harder into upright design and a safety-led feel. Both the Skoda Enyaq and VW ID.4 share much of the same DNA as the Q4 e-tron underneath - the Enyaq is the more pragmatic and better-value family SUV if you want maximum space for the money, while the ID.4 is the more understated sister car if you like the same broad EV package without paying for the Audi badge.

The Audi Q4 e-tron’s 520-litre boot is partly why it's such a convincing family EV. It's usefully large for the class, the opening is wide, and the SUV body gives it a practical edge over sleeker alternatives.

That places the Q4 e-tron strongly against its key rivals. The BMW iX1 offers 490 litres, the Volvo EX40 has 410 litres, and the Skoda Enyaq gives you 585 litres. Against that, the Audi’s 520 litres stands up very well and helps make it one of the more practical premium EVs in this part of the market. The back seats split 60:40 in most models, but if you go for a top-spec Vorsprung, they split 40:20:40 for extra versatility.

Passenger space is also strong enough for this class. Up front, the Q4 e-tron feels generous and properly premium, with excellent seat adjustment, and a raised driving position that gives you a clear view out.

Rear space is good rather than class-leading, but it's perfectly usable for everyday family life. Two adults can sit in the back in reasonable comfort, and there's enough legroom for normal journeys without the car feeling tight. Headroom is also good in this more practical SUV version of the Q4, which helps it feel more accommodating than the Sportback or some lower-roofed alternatives.

The Audi Q4 e-tron is 4588mm long, 2108mm wide & 1632mm high, which makes it compact enough for driving around town and parking, but large enough inside to feel like a genuine family SUV.

The Audi Q4 e-tron’s infotainment is one of the areas where it feels convincingly premium. Even Sport trim gets Audi’s core digital setup with the customisable smart display and a central touchscreen infotainment system, while navigation, smartphone integration and connected services are all part of the package. That gives the cabin a much richer and more modern feel than plenty of mainstream rivals.

It also means the Audi Q4 e-tron doesn’t force you into higher trims just to get the most-wanted tech. That said, there are useful optional packs that are worth understanding. A Technology Pack adds an upgraded Sonos sound system, wireless charging, matrix LED headlights and extra rear USB charging sockets. The Technology Pack Pro builds on that with upgraded navigation capabilities, an augmented-reality head-up display, a panoramic glass sunroof, surround-view cameras and the Park Assist Plus parking system. Comfort Pack adds electrically adjustable front seats, memory for the driver’s seat and mirrors, a heated steering wheel and the sport steering wheel with paddles.

The whole setup feels clear and well integrated, which suits the Q4 e-tron’s mature character. However, some rivals now offer a more modern-looking interface, and Audi’s system is more polished than playful. Even so, it still feels more intuitive and more complete than many mainstream alternatives.

The Audi Q4 e-tron uses a mix of materials that gives the cabin a cleaner, more technical look than many mainstream EVs. Soft-touch finishes feature across the upper dashboard and main contact points, while lower sections use harder-wearing plastics that are better suited to everyday family use.

Seat materials vary by trim and specification, with cloth and microfibre-style upholstery on some versions, while higher-spec cars bring leather or leather-look trim, more contrast stitching and sportier seat designs. Decorative inlays also play a big part in the Q4 e-tron’s look, with metallic-effect, dark gloss and textured trim finishes used to give the dashboard and door panels a more distinctive feel.

The current Audi Q4 e-tron SUV range in the UK comes in three forms – the standard e-tron, e-tron performance with a larger battery and more power, and the e-tron quattro performance, which has power power still and adds all-wheel-drive.

The Q4 e-tron has 204PS driving the rear wheels, which is enough for a brisk-enough 8.1 seconds to 62mph. Its 63kWh battery will manage up to 269 miles on a full charge, according to official figures, which may well be plenty for those that don’t do a lot of long distances.

Those who want extra range should look towards the Q4 e-tron performance, which has a larger 82kWh battery with a range of up to 353 miles. It has more power too, dropping the 0-62mph time down to a zippy 6.6 seconds.

If you need all-wheel drive or want extra oomph, the 340PS e-tron quattro performance will give you that, with a 5.4-second sprint to 62mph. However, the range drops to 331 miles.

The Q4 e-tron is very easy to drive well, with steering that’s light and accurate enough to make town driving simple. The controls all feel well judged, and the whole car has the sort of calm, polished character that buyers in this class usually want.

Around town, the Q4 e-tron feels compact enough to place easily and refined enough that it never seems flustered by daily use. Visibility is good, the driving position is excellent, and the instant EV response makes it feel effortless in stop-start traffic.

On the motorway, the Q4 e-tron is at its best. It feels settled, stable and impressively quiet for a premium compact SUV, which is one of the reasons it still makes such a strong case as an everyday long-distance family EV.

A BMW iX1 feels keener if you actively enjoy driving. The Q4 e-tron’s appeal lies more in the way it blends refinement, comfort and control into something that feels consistently premium. That makes it particularly strong for buyers who want maturity first and excitement second.

The Audi Q4 e-tron received a maximum five-star rating from independent safety organisation Euro NCAP. In 2025, a reassessment praised strong protection in side impact testing, good whiplash protection, advanced eCall, a system to prevent secondary impacts after a collision and very strong child-occupant protection.

The current car also comes with a useful spread of safety and driver-assistance technology. Audi highlights enhanced driver assistance features such as adaptive cruise assist and cross traffic assist, while Euro NCAP also notes the broader active-safety systems buyers now expect in a premium EV.

The Q4 e-tron supports up to 160kW DC charging, and Audi says a 10% to 80% takes around 27 minutes. If you’re charging at home from a 7.4kW wallbox, Audi quotes roughly 9 hours 45 minutes for the smaller-battery car and around 13 hours for the larger-battery versions. A full home charge works out at about £16 for the smaller battery and roughly £20 for the larger one, which is reasonable considering how far you can go on a full charge with the Q4 e-tron, but you could potentially pay a fraction on a flexible electricity tariff if you coincide your charging sessions with cheaper off-peak periods. 

The Q4 e-tron performance will charge faster at up to 165kW, but the larger battery means the 10% to 80% charge will be marginally slower at 29 minutes. The top-spec Q4 e-tron quattro performance charges faster still, at up to 185kW, which means a 10% to 80% charge in around 27 minutes.

The Q4 e-tron comes with Audi’s standard three-year warranty in the UK, made up of two years of unlimited-mileage cover and a third year up to 60,000 miles. You can also pay extra to extend that to up to five years and 90,000 miles.

As an EV, it also benefits from separate battery cover of eight years or 100,000 miles, which adds some reassurance if you are planning to keep the car for the longer term. Servicing is due every two years or 18,600 miles, whichever comes first.

The Audi Q4 e-tron spans insurance groups 26 to 40 (of 50) across the current range. Sport sits at the lower end of the spread, while Vorsprung rises to the top. More powerful versions will cost more.

The Q4 e-tron can look manageable in entry form but get noticeably more expensive once you move into upper trims and optional packs.

The standard VED rate is £200 a year after the first year, but the expensive car supplement is the bit to watch. For electric cars, that now applies if the list price is over £50,000, adding £440 a year for five years from the second tax payment, so affected cars cost £640 a year in that period. In the current Q4 e-tron range, the Sport and S line sit below the threshold, but can be pushed over with optional extras. All other models are beyond the threshold regardless of what you do in the configurator.