The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Family-sized, spacious interior
- Quiet, luxurious cabin
- Styling and proportions
- Straightforward, quick charging
Dislikes
- Range not on par with Tesla
- Convoluted touchscreen layout
- Climate controls make you look low
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2022 E-Tron SUV and Sportback skip the weirdness and deliver all the luxury and performance of Audi’s other high-end models—just fully electric.
What kind of car is the 2022 Audi E-Tron? What does it compare to?
The 2022 Audi E-Tron electric crossover SUV seats five. Offered in SUV or Sportback body styles, it’s a rival for the Tesla Model X.
Is the 2022 Audi E-Tron a good car?
Yes, just make sure you’re good with its range limitations. The E-Tron achieves the highest possible ratings for both safety and fuel economy, for an overall TCC Rating of 8.7 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What’s new for the 2022 Audi E-Tron?
Changes for the 2022 model year are limited to a new Chronos Edition that replaces the Prestige as the top trim level. The E-Tron was Audi’s first fully electric vehicle, and although it’s now joined by the E-Tron GT and soon, the Q4 E-Tron, it’s the model that started this growing family of EVs.
The E-Tron SUV is sized closely with the BMW X5 (and iX), the Mercedes-Benz GLE, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, but it’s lower-riding than those models, further exaggerated for the racier Sportback version.
The E-Tron SUV and Sportback follow a familiar size and shape, and fit right in between the brand’s Q5 and Q7 SUVs, albeit with a somewhat lower stance that brings to mind Audi’s Allroad wagons.
The E-Tron has motors at the front and rear wheels, providing a combined 402 hp and capable of accelerating to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds. It’s good for a range of 222 miles for the Sportback and 218 miles for the SUV.
Performance-oriented E-Tron S three-motor models join the lineup this year and make 496 hp and 718 lb-ft, cutting the 0-60 mph acceleration to 4.3 seconds. They have two rear motors that operate independently of each other for more precise and powerful torque vectoring—with big handling dividends and perhaps some traction benefit. The additional components drop range to 208 miles for the S SUV and 212 miles for the S Sportback.
The standard versions of the SUV and Sportback feel very quick, thanks to their strong, instantaneous torque delivery, and the E-Tron drives like a lighter and lower vehicle. It’s also extraordinarily quiet, with excellent ride comfort, supportive front seats, and a back seat good for three across town or two all day. Just keep in mind that the Sportback sacrifices a little head room and some cargo space.
The E-Tron was the first fully electric IIHS Top Safety Pick+. It carried over that distinction through 2021, and we expect the same for 2022. Considering its feature set and occupant-safety protection, there are few vehicles that come close in safety, electric or not.
How much does the 2022 Audi E-Tron cost?
The E-Tron SUV starts at $67,590, and ranges up to $80,090 for the top Prestige model—with Sportbacks starting at $70,790 and $83,990, respectively. Premium Plus versions have Bang & Olufsen sound, cooled front seats, and active lane control. At the top of the lineup, Chronos Edition and Prestige models get massaging front seats, upgraded full leather upholstery, and showy 21-inch wheels.
Where is the 2022 Audi E-Tron made?
The E-Tron SUV and Sportback models are made in Brussels, Belgium.
2022 Audi E-Tron Styling
The E-Tron SUV and Sportback look like part of the Audi lineup, not necessarily like EVs.
Is the 2022 Audi E-Tron a good-looking car?
Absolutely, yes.
The E-Tron is offered in two body styles, but they share much ahead of the middle, and neither one has any awkward angles. The SUV fits right in somewhere between Audi’s Allroad wagon and the big Q7 SUV. Its proportions are balanced, the look is clean and cohesive, and the color and trim choices are coordinated to fit right in with other Audis. Those beside you at the light might not even know it’s an EV.
Then there’s the E-Tron Sportback, which has a racier roofline and sides that taper inward a bit more, plunging smoothly into the rear hatch; overall the differences are subtle, but they make the vehicle look decidedly sportier.
Inside, the E-Tron has what feels a lot like the counterpoint to the stark, austere Tesla cabins. The Audi models’ interiors are warm and welcoming, thankfully without too much brightwork but a soft ambience throughout, in both soft-touch surfaces and warm and dark-toned hues. Two screens at the center are a hub for the interface, but the look and feel is sensible throughout—all except for the overstyled shifter, perhaps.
2022 Audi E-Tron Performance
The 2022 Audi E-Tron has tenacious traction, and it’s quick, quiet, and confidence-inspiring, if not nimble.
How fast is the 2022 Audi E-Tron?
With the introduction of Audi E-Tron S models for 2022, the E-Tron is even quicker this year. These versions add a three-motor system—two independent motors in back and one in front—and make up to 496 hp and 718 lb-ft of torque, allowing the E-Tron S to get to 60 mph in about 4.3 seconds. In other models, the E-Tron’s front and rear motors make 402 hp and 490 lb-ft altogether, and the peak power is only delivered 8 seconds at a time—good for an official 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds.
The E-Tron SUV and Sportback driving experience is quiet, responsive, and capable of accelerating just as quickly as—or better than—most luxury vehicles. The whole system behaves differently, keeping the front motor off until it’s needed, resulting in a different dynamic experience than the rest of the lineup. It includes a Dynamic mode, allowing the S to perform controlled drifts.
Although the E-Tron isn’t nimble, it’s very maneuverable and easy to place on narrow streets and in parking lots, and its low center of mass makes it feel stable and confident.
When equipped with a towing package, the E-Tron can tow up to 4,000 lb. Don’t expect to go very far on a charge when towing, though.
Is the 2022 Audi E-Tron 4WD?
The E-Tron models have dual electric motors—one in front, one in back, each respectively powering the front and rear wheels. They’re managed more precisely than a mechanical system could. E-Tron S models substitute in a dual-motor layout for the rear wheels, with each motor operating independently.
Modest off-roading is possible with the E-Tron, with some modes allowing the body height to be raised up to 3.0 inches.
2022 Audi E-Tron Comfort & Quality
Top-notch cabin comfort and craftsmanship take top billing in the 2022 E-Tron lineup.
For four or even five, the E-Tron has all the space, comfort and quiet for a comfortable journey.
Audi’s E-Tron SUV and Sportback feel like they strike a perfect midpoint between Audi’s cars and its SUVs. Wonderfully supportive seats in front—good for full-day road trips—perch you a little closer to the dash than you might in a car, albeit with no lack of space, and offer the good sightlines of an SUV.
In back, the E-Tron SUV offers loads of space good for fitting 6-footers behind 6-footers. There aren’t any signals that the battery pack is under the floor, and there’s enough width for three across if you’re headed across town. The Sportback versions don’t sacrifice much; there’s an inch or two less of usable head room due to the slope of the roofline, and when you tend to notice more than anything is the narrower feel due to the tapering of the pillars and glass.
The E-Tron offers 28.5 cubic feet with the rear seatback up, or 57 cubic feet with it folded. With the Sportback those figures are modestly smaller, at 27.2 and 54.5 cubic feet. And yes, there is a front trunk—”frunk,” for the EV-savvy. This one offers a small space that’s only enough for the mobile charging cord or a small backpack or two.
2022 Audi E-Tron Safety
Looking among all SUVs, the E-Tron is one of the best-rated for safety.
How safe is the Audi E-Tron?
It’s a perfect 10, thanks to complete safety features and superb crash test scores.
The whole E-Tron family includes active lane control and automatic emergency braking. An available Driver Assistance Plus package, included in the Prestige and Premium models, adds adaptive cruise control and traffic-sign recognition.
The federal government gives the 2022 E-Tron lineup a five-star overall rating, with only a four-star rating in frontal impact as a blemish. The E-Tron was the first EV to earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick+ designation, and the IIHS gives the 2022 E-Tron family top “Good” and “Superior” ratings in every single category of testing.
2022 Audi E-Tron Features
The E-Tron lineup is luxurious throughout, and equipped with all the features you’d expect to see in a gasoline model with its price tag.
Which Audi E-Tron should I buy?
We continue to think that Audi’s entry Premium trim makes the most sense, provided you’re not planning to go for maximum performance and the E-Tron S. The $67,590 Premium versions are very well-equipped, with the potential to add much of the upper versions’ tech in a $3,500 Convenience Plus package.
How much is a fully loaded Audi E-Tron?
The E-Tron spans up to about $83,400 for the fully loaded Chronos Edition of the E-Tron SUV or $83,990 for the nearly equivalent Prestige version of the E-Tron Sportback (all including the $1,095 destination charge). Each of these models includes full leather upholstery, a head-up display, and heating, cooling, and massage for those in front. Or, if it’s peak performance you’re after, the E-Tron S ranges up to $91,440 in Prestige form as the E-Tron S SUV form.
Over the base Premium, front cooled seats, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, matrix LED headlamps, and Bang & Olufsen premium audio are among the upgrades to Premium Plus. Moving up to the Prestige gets you individual-contour front seats with massage, ambient lighting, full Valcona leather upholstery, an air ionizer, and an Intersection assist feature.
Included in all E-Trons is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The top of the system’s two haptic-feedback touchscreens in the middle of the dash is 10.1 inches and is where you go for audio, navigation, information services, and charging, while the lower screen is 8.6 inches and is the home of climate control and other vehicle functions. The lower screen also recognizes handwriting, and there are expanded voice commands. Overall, we like how this setup simply gives you a lot of interface options.
2022 Audi E-Tron Fuel Economy
The 2022 Audi E-Tron lineup provides luxurious, tailpipe-free motoring for the family, even if it doesn’t measure up to the range of a Tesla.
How efficient is the Audi E-Tron?
It’s a 10 here, thanks to 222 EPA-rated miles for the SUV. The racier-looking E-Tron Sportback earns a range rating of 218 miles, according to Audi.
Audi claims results of 208 miles for the S and 212 miles for the Sportback S.
None come close to the Tesla Model X and its ratings of well over 300 miles—with a revamped version on the way—or the expected range of about 300 miles for the BMW iX. The E-Tron does well in reproducing its 200+ mile range in real-world driving, even when the temperatures turn chilly.
On a Level 2 AC charger, such as what you might install at home, the E-Tron will charge to full in about 9 hours. On road trips, locate a 150-kw CCS-format DC fast-charger and the E-Tron will get to 80% in just 30 minutes.
