by Anthony Fongaro - Photos via Audi - 12/15/2022
What should an EV look like? Should it look like a futuristic pod or be some blob-like shape? Some people, they want their EVs to look like a conventional car. That’s exactly what Audi did when it first displayed the e-Tron. It’s an electric vehicle that looks like a regular crossover. Although there are some differences, if you didn’t know it’s electric, you may think it has a conventional gasoline engine. This 2022 e-Tron is the last vehicle called e-Tron since from 2023 it will be called the Q8 e-Tron. Does the current e-Tron cut the mustard in terms of being a luxurious Audi and a good EV?
As I said, the e-Tron looks like a regular crossover. This means it has a “grille”, a familiar-looking silhouette, and a rear end. The vehicle I tested was the Chronos Edition, which is the top-of-the-line trim level. You’ll see a lot of black design elements including the exterior mirror housing, roof rails, and grille. Navarra Blue metallic paint contrasts well with the 21-inch black 5-design-V spoke wheels. Orange brake calipers and e-Tron badging by the charge parts are a welcome edition. My test car had an exciting “e-Tron fully electric” sticker on the rear quarter panels. I found it to be pretentious, but I guess some need to know this is electric. The rear end has a full-length light bar with a black Audi logo, e-Tron badge, and Quattro badge.
Audi makes some great interiors, and the e-Tron feels high quality. There are plenty of quality materials and the Okapi Brown interior looks excellent. This being the Chronos Edition, it comes with massaging seats which feel like an actual massage chair. I say that because sometimes, vehicles that have massage seats need to work better. All seats are heated and ventilated and there was a heated steering wheel. So in front of the driver, you have the traditional Audi steering wheel with buttons for the infotainment system along with Audi Virtual Cockpit. You'll also get a little stalk for the adaptive cruise control That Virtual Cockpot displays a lot of information including a full-screen map. If you want to, you can customize it so that the speed is in the middle and you'll always see how much charge you have.
The infotainment system is a little interesting. Although it is a touchscreen, it uses haptic feedback so you actually have to press on the little widgets it displays. The good thing about that is that it works with gloves; something that I liked. Under the infotainment system is another screen which is for climate control. Now it is kind of easy to use but it just seems very unnecessary. I'm glad that they didn't put it in the infotainment system itself but driving along you do have to look at where you're pressing the various buttons. To help the driver use this screen, there is a padded area to rest your hand. Connected to this is the gear selector. At first, I thought it was an odd design but it works well.
With the Chronos Edition, you get a head-up display with your usual speed and adaptive cruise control displays. Really, the only thing I thought was weird was the volume wheel was under the climate control screen. Something I found nice was a design feature in front of the passenger which has an e-Tron logo and some vertical lines. There's also ambient lighting with about six or seven different colors. If you’re wondering, yes, the e-Tron has a front trunk, or “frunk”. It’s large enough to keep you charging cables. When you walk to the car and when you park, the lights do a little dance and display both the Audi logo and the e-Tron logo. Very cool!
What powers the e-Tron are two electric motors that have a combined output of 402 horsepower/300 kW and 490 lb-ft/664 NM. All e-Trons have a 95.3-kWh battery. Combined with a 2 single-speed direct drive, the e-Tron gets from 0-60 MPH in 5.3 seconds. The Audi e-Tron is enjoyable because it’s smooth and quiet. This is not a sporty crossover electric vehicle, but it has plenty of power. There is an upgraded e-Tron S with around 500 horsepower but frankly, it isn’t necessary. Drive Select modes to include off-road, all-road, comfort, efficiency, auto, dynamic, and individual. That is a lot of drive modes! On the go, I would usually drive in Comfort or efficiency mode.
One thing that may make consumers nervous is efficiency. While I was driving, I would get around 1.8 to 2 miles per kilowatt-hour. That means that with the heating and air conditioning off, the range was about 200 miles. Since I was driving in 30-degree weather with the heat on, the range went down to 160 miles. That’s lower than the smaller Volvo C40 which I tested earlier this year. One thing to note about the Audi e-Tron is that it does not have one-pedal driving. You can adjust the regenerative braking with the paddle shifters, but you do have to use the break. Although this doesn't really hinder it in terms of driving Dynamics, it once again cuts into that efficiency issue. Acceleration was always strong and there was plenty of sound insulation.
Is this a good Audi? I’d say so. It’s plenty comfortable, has some great technology, and rides well. The seats are very comfortable and there’s ample room. How about as an EV? It’s very inefficient and has a limited range. Only having around 160 miles of range on a full charge with the heat on is low. Next year, the Q8 e-Tron should have better efficiency and range. While I would wait for that e-Tron, I would recommend this Chronos edition. It’s a great EV that looks quite conventional.
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