2021 Audi E-Tron

Previously, the Audi E-Tron was offered only in an SUV body style that brought balanced proportions, a cohesive look, and a clean, detailed interior that coordinated well with the exterior and with what’s been offered in other Audis. 

For 2020, Audi added an E-Tron Sportback body style that has a racier roofline and sides that taper inward a bit, to make this vehicle look quite different—and, to some, significantly sportier. 

Cover up the charging door and some special badging, and someone unfamiliar with electric vehicles would be hard pressed from the outside to tell you whether or not there’s an engine on board. It’s simply a classy, good-looking luxury vehicle without any awkward angles.

We can apply the same flattery to the Sportback version, which works some magic with proportions behind the E-Tron’s midpoint, where the roofline follows a very different curvature, plunging smoothly into the rear hatch as if fitted with a French curve. 

The same governing philosophy applies Inside, where the E-Tron is at once warm and understated but also technologically advanced. Surfaces are soft-touch, with warm color tones, and the soft ambience of the cabin contrasts nicely with the dark shiny stretches that apply to displays and interfaces. that contrasts well with the dark-toned trim pieces that frame functional hubs, like the two screens at the center. 

There are few exceptions to how simultaneously sensible and welcoming the E-Tron feels inside. The only one worth mentioning is the overstyled shifter—with a stationary piece on tip that you navigate around with your fingers to move the actual shift lever just below—and it feels as gimmicky as it looks. 

The E-Tron’s front and rear motors make 402 hp and 490 lb-ft altogether. These motors make strong torque off the line and can rev high, so there’s a single gear, good for a top speed of 124 mph.

To tap into peak power, the E-Tron requires that you shift over to Sport mode and then push the accelerator past a detent. That brings you Boost Mode good for 8 seconds at a time.

Generally speaking, the E-Tron is configured to drive in its default modes in a way that largely mimics gasoline vehicles, with forward movement when you lift off the brake pedal and a propensity to coast when you suddenly lift off the brake pedal. 

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.

The E-Tron has plenty of settings for special uses, all available through its Drive Select modes—Auto, Comfort, Efficiency, Individual, Offroad, and Allroad—and the option tweak ride-and-handling options individually or to raise the air suspension by 3.0 inches for moderate off-roading or deep snow. 

When equipped with a towing package, the E-Tron can tow up to 4,000 pounds. Just expect range to drop dramatically if you do so.

Is the 2021 Audi E-Tron 4WD?

The E-Tron models have dual electric motors—one in front, powering the front wheels exclusively, and the other in back and powering the rear wheels. Sophisticated power electronics manage and coordinate their delivery in a more precise way than any mechanical linkage could

From the driver’s seat, the E-Tron models land in a halfway point between Audi’s cars and SUVs. In wonderfully supportive seats—good for full-day road trips—you sit a little closer to the dash versus in a car, yet with good sightlines that are more typical of an SUV. 

The E-Tron SUV has excellent back-seat space, and there are no signals (like restricted foot space) hinting that the big 95-kwh battery pack is installed under the floor. In the SUV two adults have plenty of space, and there’s enough width for three if you’re just headed out to dinner.

We haven’t yet had any time riding in—and using—the Sportback version; but after spending some time sitting in it, we’re surprised how little back-seat riders sacrifice. The cabin feels somewhat narrower—as it is in back—and owners won’t have nearly as much cargo flexibility. But they will have a more fashionable-looking roofline.

The cargo space available in the E-Tron is pretty much exactly what you might expect in a gasoline SUV: 28.5 cubic feet rear seatback up, or 57 cubic feet with it folded. The one exception to the status quo in the packaging is the “frunk” (front trunk) that gives you enough space for the mobile charging connector, or a couple of daypacks.

Moving quickly in the E-Tron is a surreal experience for those who aren’t accustomed to EVs. You hear the faint whine of the motors only when you’re accelerating rapidly, and don’t fixate on what you can often hear a lot more of in EVs without the engine—like wind and road noise. Audi’s above-and-beyond approaches to sound insulation in the E-Tron have clearly paid off.

The 2021 Audi E-Tron SUV and Sportback have received a five-star overall rating from the federal government, with four stars for frontal impact but top ratings otherwise. They do even better from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which has given the E-Tron family top “Good” and “Superior” ratings in every single category of testing. It was the first fully electric vehicle to be named an IIHS Top Safety Pick+.

How much is a fully loaded 2021 Audi E-Tron?

The E-Tron spans up to about $87,000 fully loaded, for the top Prestige model, from its base price of $80,195 (all including the $1,095 destination charge). 

The new E-Tron Sportback body style starts about $1,400 more than the SUV. 

Key features added in the mid-range Premium plus include front ventilated seats, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, matrix LED headlamps, and Bang & Olufsen premium audio. 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. 

Our time with this system has been limited and we’re still not convinced that purging most physical controls (and putting the climate controls so far down from the line of sight) is a good solution.

Options we would suggest going for include the head-up display, the towing package, and the Cold Weather package, with its adaptive wipers, heated washer jets, heated outboard rear seats, and higher-output heater with enhanced cabin and battery pre-conditioning. 

The E-Tron does extraordinarily well in real-world reproducibility of its range ratings, though. Based on our drives of early models, you’ll easily get 200 miles or more at fast-moving Interstate speeds—even when temps turn chilly.

Charging the E-Tron is straightforward. On a 150-kw CCS (Combo) DC fast charger, like what you’ll find all over the country on the Electrify America network, the E-Tron will charge to 80% in just 30 minutes. On a Level 2 AC charger, like what you might find at a shopping center or in your own garage, the E-Tron will charge to full in about 9 hours. With a mobile cord that comes with the E-Tron, you can plug into 240V power on the go and charge nearly as quickly.