Audi India has taken the wraps off the e-Tron, with a private preview of the electric car. The Audi e-Tron will be officially unveiled on 12 July and is expected to be launched in India in November. It is the first electric car from the Ingolstadt-headquartered German carmaker and will rival against the likes of Mercedes-Benz EQC and the Jaguar i-Pace. However, Audi will have the first movers’ advantage in the premium electric car segment in India. Here are the top six things to know about the Audi e-Tron.
1. Design
The Audi e-Tron has a typical crossover silhouette and will be positioned between the Audi Q5 and Q7. The design is contemporary, and not overly futuristic. The only giveaway of it being an electric car is the silver-finished octagonal front grille, the narrow faux wing mirrors with integrated cameras, and the aerodynamically-designed flattish alloy wheels. There’s a charging socket on the front left fender and the battery pack is integrated into the floorboard.
2. Powertrain
The electric powertrain delivers a combined output of 402bhp of power and 664Nm of peak torque with full boost. The e-Tron can sprint from 0-100kmph in 5.7 seconds flat. There are two motors – one each at the front and rear. The one at the front makes 181bhp and 309Nm, while the rear unit churns out 181bhp and 355Nm. Audi claims a range of 400km on a single charge under the WLTP real-world testing cycle. The Audi e-Tron has top-speed of 200kmph.
3. Battery Pack & Charging
Audi e-Tron features a 95kwh lithium-Ion battery pack. It includes 36 modules, which can be individually replaced and it weighs around 700kg. Audi will bundle an 11kw wall charger with the e-Tron, which takes 8.5 hours for the car to charge fully. The company will also offer a 22kw charger, at an extra cost, which will take 4.5 hours to charge the vehicle. What’s more? There’s also a 150kw fast charger that will be installed at public places, which will get the e-Tron to 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes.
4. Features
In terms of equipment, the Audi e-Tron will get LED matrix headlamps, OLED tail lamps, and adaptive air suspension among other things. The car seen in the images runs on 21-inch wheels, but the India-spec model will get 20-inch alloys. There’s also the Quattro all-wheel-drive system. But the e-Tron gets an electrical Quattro, which uses smart sensors to work both the motors to offer the best possible grip in various situations. The system also helps with torque vectoring and stabilising the vehicle.
5. Interior
Inside, the e-Tron might look like any other Audi. But look closer, and you will find there’s so much tech to play around with. There’s a large screen for the instrument cluster and twin displays – one for the infotainment system and the other for controlling the various functions of the car.
It gets ambient lighting, a four-zone climate control system, Audi’s virtual cockpit, surround-view camera, and a panoramic sunroof. The e-Tron features smart ORVMs that use cameras to project the outside visuals on screens inside the cabin. The displays offer city and highway driving modes with the latter offering a wider view of what’s behind. The space on offer is better than the Audi Q5, and it gets a large boot space of 660 litres with some storage space under the front bonnet as well.
6. Pricing
As mentioned earlier, Audi e-Tron will be launched in India this year - most likely by November. While Audi hasn’t revealed the price of the e-Tron, we expect it to be priced over Rs 1 crore (ex-showroom).
Photography - Kaustubh Gandhi
