Audi e-tron electric car review

The best Audi e-tron lease deals of 2022 but is this electric car suitable for you?

Audi shot to popularity in the EV market around 2018 / 2019 with their first fully-electric proposition - the “e-tron”. This SUV followed Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid technology which the prestige German manufacturer had been utilising across many of their popular models, like the A3 Sportback.

But like any manufacturer new to electrification, there is always some trepidation from both the producer and consumer as to how good the EV will be - not just in terms of looks and price but in terms of the fundamental battery performance (range and charging). The move to 100% electric was borne out of necessity for Audi, as this marked the era of Tesla domination via their class-leading Model S and X for the luxury car customer coupled with the mass-market Model 3 saloon.

With pressure mounting on many European car makers, 2019 - 2020 became a watershed moment for the UK’s automotive industry, as our personal and business leasing customers finally had plentiful choice for their new EV.

But what car is the e-tron? Is it a 7-seater? How much will it cost me?

The e-tron is not a cheap car to lease and consequently will not appear on any budget company car or salary sacrifice schemes. Starting from £60,000, even a base model Technik is likely to be an option which will require a healthy monthly allowance.

But Audi are offering more choice than most other manufacturers - there are two battery sizes (a 50 and 55 Quattro), two model types - an Estate and Sportback plus an array of spec levels from Technik to S Line to Black Edition. All of the platforms will be considered to be a big electric SUV, being almost identical to a Q8 and just a little shorter than the Q7 (the combustion-based 7 seat option). But is the Q4 e-tron not the same?

This is an entirely different car which Audi launched in 2021. To be clear the Q4 is a smaller SUV which is in direct competition with the Mercedes EQA and the BMW iX3. In terms of size, think of the Q4 e-tron as more similar to the Q5 combustion model in the Audi product suite. And while the e-Tron is a spacious model to lease, the car is NOT a 7-seater option.

People-carrying solutions in the electric car world are somewhat limited, with the Mercedes EQB being one of the only current models which you, or the company, can procure other than the rugged commercial and van-based vehicles like the Vivaro-E Life, Citroen Space Tourer E-Electric and the Mercedes EQV. For a big family looking for their next BEV, product choice as at June 2022 is still somewhat limited.

Is the Audi e-tron a good electric car to lease?

The onset of zero-emission driving is bringing out more considerations and facts for UK drivers to consider. What constitutes “a good” car is now more diverse than the aesthetics, finish and technology (which the Audi SUV delivers in abundance).

Battery and vehicle performance are now being more closely reviewed and monitored by discerning customers, as EVs are anything other than equal. Our Electric Vehicle Comparison tool highlights just how seismic the discrepancies are between the manufacturers on key metrics like Range - Rapid Charge Capability - Acceleration - Energy Efficiency - Towing Capacity. For example, the e-Tron is one of the best electric vehicles for any customers looking to tow a caravan or trailer, with a braked capacity of 1800kg!

The Audi e-Tron is literally a top-rated EV for towing with only the BMW equivalent, the iX, beating them on this aspect. However, as you will see in our comparison tools, the Audi e-Tron does not appear in the top 10 of any of the other facets which our comparison tool sets out.

The most popular, and coincidentally the cheapest, e-tron solution to lease is the 50 Quattro Estate model. While this SUV is consistently one of the best lease deals we offer, the fact that this is zero-rated for road tax (VED) shouldn’t be your only consideration. What makes the perfect EV to lease? In truth, there are lots of important points to note, which is why our “Living with your …” and capabilities “At a glance …” are so important.

The e-car lease best-seller, the 230kW 50 Quattro 71kWh Black Edition Auto, is a great example to use. With a P11d of £70,330 and CO2 of 0g/km, this still only costs a company car driver just over £45 per month (based on a 40% tax payer in England). As part of the Whole of Life cost analysis, note the £18 cost to full-charge this SUV (based on a 28p/kWh tariff) and an effective cost per mile of just 10 pence! For a customer covering 8,000 miles per annum on a 3 year contract, the cost of fuel would be just £2400 on the maximum domestic tariff. An equivalent petrol or diesel Q7 would be somewhat higher than this.

But can the Audi e-tron deliver a good range?

Where the Audi does come under question is with the battery performance. As the e-car lease website only shows real-world range, you may notice the figures are a little lower than the WLTP figures that many manufacturer and finance company websites use. This is not because our vehicles offer you less value; indeed our website is actually providing you with an honest account of how the far the EV will travel on a full charge.

Within our tools, we even show the differing performances according to temperature and conditions. For example, the e-tron will cover 125 miles in colder climate on a motorway compared to 160 miles in warmer weather. In city and urban driving conditions, this will improve to 175 and 250 miles respectively. And range is not the only thing you, or the company car drivers, should be addressing. Charging capabilities and speed are also integral.

The e-tron is capable of 11kW AC charging for 7 hour 0 - 100% times (with a 22kW AC upgrade being available too). On rapid charging, this 4x4 offers 120kW DC for 25 minute 10 - 80% times. On rapid charging the e-tron does fall well short of the competition - Tesla Model Y Performance at 250kW DC, Genesis GV60 at 239kW DC, Kia EV6 at 233 kW DC and the BMW iX at 200kW DC.

In our opinion, charging speed is as, if not more, important than the range of your EV. But this will often depend on your driving behaviours and style coupled with the charge point infrastructure at your home, work and local surroundings. If you are a high-mileage driver looking for the best SUV to lease, we would probably suggest the bigger battery Audi SUV or another option.

Audi E-TRON ESTATE 230kW 50 Quattro 71kWh Black Ed 5dr Auto [Comfort and Sound]

In terms of the car shown Audi E-TRON ESTATE 230kW 50 Quattro 71kWh Black Ed 5dr Auto [Comfort and Sound] this is based on the following configuration.

Navarra Blue Metallic Paint
Valcona leather - Black with rock grey stitching + front sports seats S embossed logo
Dark matt brushed aluminium inlay
21" 10 spoke rotor gloss anthracite black diamond cut Audi sport alloy wheels
Tow bar
Household plug type G (GB)
Mode 3 AC charging cable 22 kW

Audi E-TRON ESTATE 230kW 50 Quattro 71kWh Black Ed 5dr Auto [Comfort and Sound] Electric Car Leasing Deals