• Three power outputs available
• Choice of rear- or four-wheel drive
• Power outputs from 170hp to 340hp

What power options are there?

The Q4 E-Tron comes with a choice of three electric motor layouts. The most basic version, in the 35 model, comes with the smallest 52kWh battery, and the least powerful electric motor driving the rear wheels, at 170hp. Although relatively short-ranged, it’s the most affordable Q4, and not a bad choice for those who spend most of their driving life in town. It has a top speed of 99mph, and accelerates from 0-62mph in a reasonable, although hardly quick, 9.0 seconds.

The 45 is the version to go for, we’d say. It’s still rear-wheel drive, but you get a much more powerful electric motor with 286hp. Performance figures include a much more potent 6.7sec 0-62mph time and a top speed of 112mph. To be honest, while it’s no ball of fire, its performance feels pretty well in tune with the general feeling of the Q4, and it’s the model with the longest possible range, so for most buyers it makes the most sense. All-wheel drive is available for the 45, but we wouldn’t bother.

The flagship 55 model is all-wheel drive only, and offers pretty punch performance; power is rated to 340hp and the 0-62mph drops to 5.4 seconds. Here, choosing the high-power flagship doesn’t mean a massive sacrifice in range either.

What’s it like to drive?

• Sharper to drive than related cars
• Exceptionally quiet on the road
• Top speed sacrificed for efficiency

The Q4 E-Tron’s more aggressive styling is backed up by a tighter driving experience it offers over a Volkswagen ID.4 or Skoda Enyaq. The steering is accurate and neat, and there’s good body control and a more neutral cornering balance and while it’s firm, it also deals with potholes well, which is quite a positive. It’s also fantastically quiet inside, even by electric car standards.

The driving experience is also let down a little by the ride comfort on higher-end specifications. Large wheels make the car feel unsettled at slow speeds, jiggling and jolting and sending vibrations through the steering wheel.

What frustrated us most, though, was the brake pedal; the Q4 relies heavily on adaprive regenerative braking to perform a lot of its slowing down which makes the pedal extremely inconsistent when pressed. That sensation doesn’t fill you with confidence when slowing down from high speeds. The quattro versions don’t offer that much extra, besides additional grip in bad weather situations here.