2024 Audi Q4 confirmed for Australia
The German luxury brand is bringing its most affordable electric vehicle to Australia next year where it will compete with the popular Tesla Model Y.
Luxury
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Audi’s most affordable EV has snuck in below the government’s fringe benefits tax exemption to provide the German car maker with some added electric firepower.
The Q4 e-tron mid-sized SUV will be available as an SUV or sleeker Sportback and with the choice of two- or all-wheel drive. It’s priced from $88,300 plus on-road costs, or about $97,000 drive-away.
Arriving in the middle of 2024, the crucial new five-seat SUV will compete with the likes of the BMW iX1, Volvo XC40 Pure Electric, Mercedes-Benz EQA and Lexus UX300e.
It will also provide another counterpunch to the Tesla Model Y that dominates electric SUV sales.
Audi Australia director Jeff Mannering nominates the top selling Tesla as “the goal” for stealing some sales.
“We’ve been waiting a while for it,” he says. “It’s important for us. It’s probably the major part of our volume strategy into EVs.”
Product planner Matthew Dale says the Q4 e-tron is the first model that can take advantage of EV incentives, something that makes it “extremely important” in taking advantage of healthy demand in the higher volume sub-$100K sector of the EV market.
Key to the Q4 e-tron sales pitch is a lengthy list of standard equipment that includes leather, heated front seats, three-zone ventilation, a powered tailgate and metallic paint.
That entry level Q4 45 model uses a single 245kW/545Nm electric motor to power the rear wheels. It’s powered by a battery with 77kWh of usable capacity and can be charged at up to 135kW using a DC fast charger.
The Q4 55 e-tron Quattro (from $108,500 plus on-road costs, or about $119,000 drive-away) adds a front motor that steps combined outputs up to 259kW and 679Nm. While it uses the same 77kWh battery it can be charged at up to 175kW on a DC charger.
The 55 e-tron also gets more equipment, including matrix LED headlights that can blank out other road users, an S Line exterior design package with larger wheels, sports seats and a more advanced variable ratio steering system.
The Q4 will also be available with a head-up display, although Audi isn’t saying whether it will be standard or cost extra.
Each model is available with a more traditional SUV body or a sleeker Sportback.
In the 45 variant the Sportback is the same price as the SUV versions, whereas in the 55 it adds $1000 to the price due to the addition of the S-Line pack.
The Q4 e-tron shares its platform with other Volkswagen Group vehicles, including the Cupra Born and upcoming Volkswagen ID. 4 and Skoda Enyaq.
That means it has a nearly flat floor that maximises occupant space. Despite its sleeker roof profile the Sportback gets a fraction more boot space: 535 litres versus 520 for the SUV.
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