The 2021 Audi e-tron is a good luxury electric SUV. The e-tron is comfortable and relaxing to drive day to day, thanks to its smooth-riding air suspension, spacious and quiet interior, and top-notch cabin materials. Read on the following 2021 Audi e-tron review to learn more about this car.
Contents
2021 Audi e-tron Review
1. Price
In the first part of the 2021 Audi e-tron review, we will refer to its price. The 2021 Audi e-tron SUV has a $65,900 starting price, which is a bit higher than average for the luxury hybrid and electric SUV segment. The starting price rises to $69,100 for the coupe-like e-tron Sportback.
2. Performance
The Audi e-tron’s powertrain consists of a 95-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors, one powering the front wheels and the other powering the rear wheels. This electric all-wheel-drive system is rated at 355 horsepower and 414 pound-feet of torque, but it can provide up to 402 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque in short bursts.
The Audi shuttles quickly and quietly around town, thanks to the smooth yet immediate torque from the electric motors, and it can zip from zero to 60 mph in a brisk 5.5 seconds. Passing power is abundant and readily available, even at high speeds.
The Audi e-tron SUV has an EPA-estimated driving range of 222 miles. This range dips to 218 miles for the e-tron Sportback variant.
Charging the e-tron using a 240-volt household-style power outlet or at a Level 2 public charging station can replenish the battery pack from zero to 100% in around nine hours. Level 3 charging stations, such as those offered by Volkswagen’s Electrify America initiative, can fast-charge the battery from zero to 80% capacity in 30 minutes.
The Audi e-tron has a maximum towing capacity of 4,000 pounds when properly equipped.
3. Interior
Imagine a Q7, then make the cabin design a notch more futuristic and knock back the practicality a degree. The boot has a very high load sill and the angled D-pillars cut into space.
There’s also a frunk. It’s shallow, but a good place for charging cables so they don’t clutter up the regular boot. Meanwhile, the middle seat occupant in the back (only a five-seater, remember) has little legroom. The floor might be flat, but the center console that runs between the front seats protrudes back far enough to clout unwary shins.
There are up to five screens upfront. Two in the center console and another for Audi’s peerless Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster are standard. The two on the doors on either side aren’t. These are the screens for the side view cameras. They’re not perfect – in fact, the diminutive Honda e does camera mirrors miles better.
The driving position is great, seat comfort superb, and quality irreproachable. It is an Audi, it’s what they do. You will be spending a lot of time interacting with screens. The menu system is logical, at no stage does the e-tron bombard you with electric graphs, charts, and data.
Every e-tron’s infotainment system runs through dual touchscreens, with a 10.1-inch display on top and an 8.8-inch unit below it. While the upper screen provides access to the standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto apps as well as the available Bang & Olufsen audio system, the bottom screen is mainly used for controlling the climate settings. Along with several power points, the system also features a subscription-based Wi-Fi hotspot; a wireless smartphone charger is optional.
4. Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The EPA estimates the 2021 e-tron will earn 78 MPGe combined. The Sportback model is rated slightly lower at 77 MPGe combined. We tested both body styles on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen. The regular e-tron returned 67 MPGe and the Sportback returned 75 MPGe. For comparison, the last I-Pace we evaluated achieved 64 MPGe in the same test.
5. Warranty and safety
Audi covers the e-tron with a four-year/50,000-mile limited warranty and an eight-year/100,000-mile battery warranty.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the Audi e-tron a 2021 Top Safety Pick+, the highest designation bestowed by the organization. Thee-tron received the highest rating of Good in all six crash safety tests. Depending on the trim, the e-tron’s headlights received either a Good rating or the second-highest rating of Acceptable for forwarding visibility.
The IIHS uses a different scale for grading collision avoidance features. The e-tron earned the highest rating of Superior for its standard front crash prevention systems.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2021 Audi e-tron an overall safety rating of five out of five stars, with five stars in the side crash and rollover tests and four stars in the frontal crash test.
