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It has been two years since the first fully electric Audi e-tron debuted as an SUV. He has since been joined by a Sportback variant and, later this spring, by a pair of all-wheel-drive Grand Touring models – the RS e-tron GT and the e-tron GT quattro. Designed to function equally well on daily journeys as well as weekend road trips, Audi positions the RS GT and GT quattro at the front and center of its fleet’s electrification efforts, which target 30% of its portfolio models to run on electricity by 2025.
The first thing you will notice about the new models is that they really aren’t SUVs with their big wheels, wide stance, flat silhouette, and long wheelbase. Not to mention That beefy podracer-esque growl.
“One of our main design goals was that we wanted the sound to depend a lot on the current driving situation – we want it to suit the driver’s needs when the car is going at slow speeds with low torques. Stephan Herwig with Audi’s marketing department told reporters at a virtual press conference. “The sound should be quieter, but of course we meet all legal requirements. But when the driver decides to press the accelerator pedal, not only will the vehicle be more dynamic, but the sound should also be.
While they can apparently accommodate a pair of adults in the backseat without too much knee scrunch, they’re good sports cars – not just sporty people like their predecessors – and their performance stats reflect that.
The quattro offers a total power of 320 kW (that’s 175 kW for the front engines, 320 kW for the single rear and 350 kW under boost), a zero to 62 of 4.1 seconds and a torque of 465 lb-ft. The most capable RSs beef up with 440 kW (175 kW at the front and 335 kW at the rear with an improved total of 475 kW with launch control), a zero to 62 in just 3.1 seconds and a speed peak of 155 mph (regulated).
Both variants are built on the same compact 93.4 kWh battery system, which should be enough to give the quattro and RS a range of around 298 miles. That’s a bit further than Tesla’s current record of 265 miles with a battery of the same size, but still short enough to potentially slow down your grand lap progress. However, as it is built on the new 800 volt architecture that we are starting to see in the market – as in clear-headed and the Hummer EV – Drivers in a hurry will be able to drain themselves of a range of around 62 miles during a five-minute “fill-up” at rates up to 270 kW using a DC fast charger. And if you’re a master of regenerative braking, the GT’s system can recover up to 265 kW.
The battery itself consists of 396 pocket cells divided into 33 modules (with 12 cells each). On a standard 11kW AC line, drivers will be able to fully charge the GT’s cells overnight, although the company is already working on a 22kW adapter that will go to market soon after these models launch. With access to a DC fast charging station, drivers will be able to recharge their energy reserves from 5% to 80% in approximately 23 minutes. Some 200,000 of these chargers can be found across Europe as part of the E-tron charging service program.
The GT’s impressive range comes in part from the vehicle’s impressive 0.24 drag coefficient, matching that of the Polestar 2. The GT is able to minimize its drag both thanks to this flat silhouette, an adjustable electronic spoiler and air intakes located in the lower part at the front. These vertical inlets push air from the nose of the vehicle into the wheel arches, cooling the brakes during high-impact driving, although they typically remain closed as much as possible to improve airflow efficiency when driving. ‘it goes under the vehicle. Aerodynamics are further improved with the GT’s active rear spoiler. It is electrically controlled and can deploy to two different stages to help cancel lift caused by air flowing under the smooth underbody of the rear of the car. But despite the vehicle’s aggressive stance, they can each accommodate up to 14.3 cubic feet of luggage in the trunk.
Audi AG
“When you do the weight vs. aerodynamics analysis for battery electric vehicles, you see that the aerodynamics is actually quite dominant,” Dr Moni Islam, Aerodynamics / Aeroacoustics Development Department, told reporters. from Audi AG. “So what we try to do when we design the vehicle as a whole is to incorporate as much aerodynamics and drag reduction as possible without compromising the range and the spoiler is a really good one. example.
The new variants will be available with both Audi pre sense front and Audi pre sense basic security systems as standard. They will be joined by a trio of optional “Tour”, “City” and “Park” packages that offer additional perks like Adaptive Cruise Assistance – it determines how to keep the car moving with traffic while using the least amount of energy. possible energy resources – and remote parking, a function controlled by smartphone that you can use from the sidewalk. If you opt for the “Assist” pack, you will get all three.
Audi also offers a selection of headlight options to potential buyers. The quattro will come with standard LED headlights, although it can be upgraded to Matrix LEDs, which are standard on the RS. Both can be upgraded to Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser lighting, which activates when the vehicle accelerates above 43 mph to effectively double the visible range of the high beam headlights. GTs will come with 20-inch 5-spoke rims as standard, although the RS can be upgraded to 21 if the buyer wishes. The RS also has a five-layer carbon-fiber reinforced plastic roof, “a first for an Audi vehicle and a segment-exclusive feature,” according to the company.
Optional on the quattro and standard on the RS, both models offer all-wheel steering. This means that the rear wheels can turn up to 2.8 degrees, which reduces the vehicle’s turning radius. They will turn in the opposite direction of the fronts up to about 30 mph to increase vehicle agility and cornering, but will turn in the same direction as the fronts at speeds above 30 mph to improve handling. stability.
Inside, the GTs will both offer the 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit which replaces the conventional instrument cluster as well as a central 10.1-inch MMI touchscreen. You will need to pay extra for the pop-up HUD. The rest of the cabin is focused on the driver as well, with the entire dashboard tilted slightly to the left, giving the driver an unobstructed view of every screen and control. Audi’s Phone Box wireless charging system and a Bang & Olufsen sound system are also additional options. Their power plants are not the only green features of GTs. The entire interior is leather-free with the seat padding made from recycled materials – Dinamica and Alcantara come standard, though Nappa leather is available. The carpet and floor mats are made from Econyl, a 100% recycled nylon, in both models.
While your eyes will likely be on the road ahead, the GT will listen to the electronic world around it through a series of eleven concealed antennas offering audio, LTE, Bluetooth and GPS connectivity. Many vehicle functions can also be controlled via the MyAudi smartphone app.
The e-tron GT will arrive in the US this summer in three trims: the e-tron GT quattro Premium Plus for $ 99,900, the e-tron GT quattro Prestige for $ 107,000 and the RS e-tron GT for 139,900 $.
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