Audi’s most prominent debut at this year’s Geneva motor show is the new Q4 e-tron, set to launch late in 2020 as the firm’s fifth electric model.
The Q4 arrives about a year after the company’s first series production EV, the Audi E-tron SUV, and shares relative styling details and some of its mechanical make-up with its recently launched sibling. It’s the next step that will see 12 Audi electric cars on sale by 2025.
Described as being “in the upper third of the compact class” in terms of size and market positioning, the 4.59-metre long and 1.9-metre wide Q4 e-tron is slightly shorter and wider than today’s Audi Q5. It borrows exterior styling cues from the E-tron (and E-tron GT concept), including the single-frame grille and similar lighting profiles, but in a smaller and more athletic-looking package.
A special ‘Solar Sky’ paint scheme, debuting on this concept, has been developed specifically to reflect a shortwave fraction of sunlight to “significantly” reduce heat build-up on the body and in the cabin. This reduces the power needed to cool the cabin for its occupants and could subsequently improve range.
The interior is claimed to be more spacious than its dimensions suggest thanks to a substantial 2.77-metre wheelbase and the lack of any transmission tunnel. Despite the car’s official status as a concept, the interior, with its dual-screen layout and minimalist, touch-operated switchgear, looks like it could translate into production relatively easily.
The Q4 e-tron uses the VW Group’s bespoke all-electric MEB platform, rather than the adapted MQ platform of the larger E-tron. Not only is it a platform designed to underpin EVs from the off, it should reduce complexity and build cost of the model.
The concept showcases the next-generation design of Audi design much like the E-tron GT, which will be launch at similar time in 2021, according to design boss Marc Lichte. He said: “We still have the Quattro look but surfaces are softer with reduced sharp lines.
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Wider than a Q5
Yippee - even less space on our roads and car parks! Why does it need to be wider, seeing as there is no transmission tunnel to accommodate?
What??
Why is it that the whole design of a car changes when it is electric?? German cars do not suit electric power...
In my opinion it looks more plastic toy than anything else.
Audi have a game on hand to get it range of 280 miles!! Electric power is way too limited.
Has Audi drastically changed their designers??? How on earth do they expect to sell a car which looks more like a hoover than an actual car...
Also, with only just over 200hp i presume that this car was not built for speed.
On the other hand, if this car can carry almost 280 miles in electric and charge in 45 minutes it will be a competative electric car.
Looks Fine To Me
Did you not read the article it outputs up to 302 Bhp so will not be slow. Its looks are subjective but a hoover, really! Come on give them credit for making something a little different. We are entering the most profound change in the history of powered transport. Embrace it.
Nubian wrote:
ok fair enough it is quite fast.... but this does not change my views about this cars horrific design...