Used 2022 Audi Q4 e-tron

The 2022 Audi Q4 e-tron is an all-new, all-electric premium compact crossover. And the 2022 Q4 e-tron Sportback is its sloping-roofed stablemate.

Electric vehicles (EV) are proliferating and the new Q4 e-tron is another step in Audi’s push for 30% of its fleet to have some electrification, either as a full EV or a plug-in hybrid, by 2025. Which isn’t that far off.

A worthy goal, but there has to be something interesting to drive as well. Fortunately, the 2022 Q4 e-tron has a lot of Audi style inside and out, along with plenty of technology.

When federal tax credits and various state incentives are taken into account, a new Q4 e-tron will work out to be less expensive than an equivalent Q5, Audi’s best-selling luxury compact crossover that most people should be familiar with by now.

Many buyers out there are thinking that their next vehicle purchase might well be an EV. It could be their first, or perhaps they’d like to move up from something like a BMW i3. Either way, a 2022 Q4 e-tron is a good place to start looking.

With electric vehicles, charging times are one thing, acceleration times are another. Electric motors are celebrated for providing lots of thrust from standstill. Almost like an on/off switch — who’d have thought?

The 40 drivetrain in the 2022 Q4 e-tron is capable of running from zero to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds. With all-wheel drive and two electric motors, the 50 drivetrain enables the same dash in 5.8 seconds.

Brake energy recuperation is controlled with paddles on the steering column.

When we get behind the wheel of a new Q4 e-tron, we’ll update this review with some driving impressions.

The dashboard has evolved. Audi has taken it to the next level. Sure, there are certain ideas that have come from other makers.

BMW, for instance, usually angles the infotainment screen toward the driver. And Volvo has used a “floating” center console with stowage space behind it.

But the way Audi puts it all together is typical of the company, yet innovative at the same time. Sustainable materials are used where possible.

The metaphorical icing on this visual cake is the steering wheel added by the S-line package in the top two trims. Not only does it have a flat bottom (that’s so 2021) it also has a flat top.

Any steering wheel in a new Q4 e-tron model has touchpads as one way to control the digital driver information display. The infotainment system also responds to voice commands given in natural speech.

Here’s a weird thing. The Sportback version has more cargo space than the regular Q4 e-tron — the opposite of what one might anticipate, given the former’s sloping roof.

With the rear seats in place, there’s a luggage area of 26.1 cubic feet in the Sportback, as opposed to 24.8 in the standard Q4. Folding those seats down creates 54.4 cubic feet, or 53.1 in the regular model.

The difference is where the rear seats are located. Audi rightly assumes that not many tall people will sit in the rear quarters of the Sportback, so it has provided 37.2 inches of legroom. That’s still not bad, but the regular Q4 has 38.3 inches.

Either way, because this is an electric vehicle, there’s no transmission tunnel going down the center of the cabin, just a flat floor. So it feels nice and roomy in both rows, and both body styles have seating for five.

Although the new Audi Q4 e-tron does not have a combustion engine and therefore doesn’t need a radiator to keep it cool, there’s still a grille. Quite a substantial one.

Just when other companies are emulating Audi by eliminating creases and character lines (Mercedes-Benz, for example), Audi has given the Q4 e-tron plenty of creases and character lines. What goes around comes around, even in vehicle design.

The top trim has matrix-design LED headlights, meaning 25 small LEDs in each unit providing maximum illumination for the driver without dazzling other road users. At the back, the LED taillights are connected by a light strip going across the liftgate.

To get an idea of scale, the Q4 e-tron is just 3.6 inches shorter than a Q5. There’s also the regular model and the Sportback, whose rear spoiler is situated low enough to create a two-piece rear window. Every potential buyer will have their own needs and wants that will determine which model they choose.

They will also have the option of an S-line package adding black-finished 20-inch alloy wheels and various other exterior details in the same color. Paint finishes are white, black, blue, or gray.

SONOS AUDIO
Sonos is a new name in automotive audio systems, but the well-respected company also makes things like sound bars for TV/home theater setups as well as portable Bluetooth speakers. This upgrade becomes available at the Premium Plus level.

AUGMENTED REALITY HEAD-UP DISPLAY
Like a typical head-up display, this feature projects information onto the windshield within the driver’s line of vision. Augmented reality means it also includes images that make navigation directions easier to follow. The system can even make reasonable predictions regarding what a vehicle in front might do.

In Premium trim and with the 40 drivetrain, the 2022 Q4 e-tron’s inventory of standard equipment includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED exterior and interior lighting, panoramic sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, heated side mirrors, 10.25-inch digital driver information display, heated front seats, 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, leather seating surfaces, 3-zone automatic climate control, and a 14.5-foot charging cable.

The infotainment system is based around a 10.1-inch touchscreen and includes wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, plus Bluetooth and two USB-C ports.

Driver assistance features include forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, front/rear parking sensors, and lane-departure warning.

The Sportback’s Premium trim includes the 50 drivetrain with all-wheel drive, as well as 20-inch alloy wheels.

A Convenience package for the Premium model adds self-dimming mirrors, keyless entry/start, dual-pane acoustic glass for the front side windows, power-adjustable front passenger seat, driver’s-seat memory settings, hands-free liftgate operation, satellite radio, and wireless phone charging.

Premium Plus has those extras as standard, while adding a heated steering wheel, active lane-keeping assistance, and adaptive cruise control.

The options bundle for Premium Plus is a Technology package bringing Wi-Fi, the Virtual Cockpit Plus (an upgraded driver information display), navigation, road sign recognition, and a Sonos audio system.

These are standard in the Prestige trim. There isn’t a Prestige version that includes the 40 drivetrain, just the 50. This top model also has “animation” for the headlights and taillights, a head-up display with augmented reality, and matrix-design LED headlights with washers.

Both Premium Plus and Prestige trims are eligible for an S-line package adding black exterior elements, front sport seats, and the flat-top/flat-bottom steering wheel. All versions can be ordered with 20-inch alloy wheels. A trailer hitch is also offered across the board.

The humblest drivetrain in the 2022 Q4 e-tron is the 40. It consists of a single electric motor powering the rear wheels (RWD) through a single-speed transmission, to the tune of 201 horsepower and 229 lb-ft of torque.

The 50 drivetrain employs two electric motors, one for each axle, creating all-wheel drive (AWD). Combined output is 295 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque.

Both drivetrains are energized by an 82-kWh lithium-ion battery. Using a 240-volt outlet, it can take up to nine hours for a full recharge. Connected to a DC fast-charger, going from 5% to 80% only requires 38 minutes.

Sportback models only have the 50 drivetrain.

Maximum towing capacity for the 40 is 2,200 pounds. The 50 can pull up to 2,600 pounds.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the 2022 Audi Q4 e-tron quattro with the 50 drivetrain has a range of 241 miles. The EPA rates this electric Audi at 100 MPGe city/89 MPGe highway/95 MPGe combined. The Sportback version of the Q4 gets the same EPA ratings.

Synchronous electric motor/82-kWh lithium-ion battery (40)
201 horsepower
229 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: N/A
Range: TBA

One asynchronous electric motor/one synchronous motor/82-kWh lithium-ion battery (50)
295 horsepower
339 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 100/89 MPGe
Range: 241 miles