Should you buy one?

The third electric vehicle from Audi lacks the hype of the first or the style of the second, but the Q4 Sportback E-Tron is already proving to be more popular than the E-Tron GT and the original E-Tron. It’s an appealing premium SUV that looks good and has a high-tech and luxuriously-appointed interior. It also looks appreciably more appealing than the standard Audi Q4 E-Tron it’s based on.

Sitting on the thoroughly thought out platform shared with a number of other Volkswagen Group products, it’s an incredible example of refinement – and the sort of EV we’ve been expecting Ingolstadt to make for a while now. However, we’re not sure it’s worth the premium over the excellent Skoda Enyaq Coupe, and would probably plump for its Czech-built cousin instead.

Even in its more stylish Sportback guise, the Q4 E-Tron probably isn’t the EV you’ll want, but it could well be the one you end up putting on your drive.  

What we like

The premium interior and excellent infotainment system lift this above its rivals and are a big positive. The long range and easy-to-live-with nature are also very big pluses.

What we don’t like

The Q4 E-Tron is appreciably more expensive than the Skoda Enyaq iV and hardly seems worth the premium to us – it might have a more upscale interior than its Czech cousin, but it’s less inviting.

Further reading

• The Parkers guide to electric cars
  
• We rate the best electric SUVs for 2021

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