The sleek new Audi E-Tron Sportback is now on sale in the UK, with the first deliveries taking place in September 2020 for customers who ordered early. Prices for the E-Tron Sportback range from £79,900 to £95,100 with the model range comprising of S Line, Launch Edition and Vorsprung.
If you’re not sure what the new model is, think of the E-Tron Sportback being to the E-Tron what the Q3 Sportback or Q8 are to the Q3 and Q7. For all intents and purposes this is simply a chopped-roof, sleeker and more sporting version of the electric SUV.
The E-Tron Sportback goes up against electric SUV rivals like the Jaguar I-Pace, Mercedes-Benz EQC and Tesla Model X. In short, it’s a rapidly expanding part of the electric car market, but one that Audi is doing well in, as the regular E-Tron is the best-selling luxury electric SUV in Europe.
What’s it like inside and out?
Reflecting the sportier offering the E-Tron Sportback will be launched in S line trim, complete with 21-inch alloy wheels and body-colour wheel arches and sills. There’s an eye-catching S line body kit and illuminated aluminium door sills, plus standard sport adaptive air suspension with controlled dampers. Virtual exterior mirrors are also available as an option.
Inside the car is the same as the SUV although with 20mm less headroom in the rear. It’s still pretty comfy back there even for a taller passenger, however. Bootspace measures 60 litres in the front and 615 litres in the rear.
Debut of Audi’s Digital Matrix Lights
Also new on the Sportback is the latest version of Ingolstadt’s adaptive headlights – these offer a more precise beam pattern to the existing Matrix LED system, with a few additional eye-catching features.
The system uses banks of diodes while each DML headlight features a reflective chip about the size of a fingernail containing 1.3 million microscopic mirrors. This can tilt up to 5000 times a second, in a similar way to how a cinema projector works.
This means the light is aimed exactly where it’s needed, and is much more accurate than the previous system. Plus, as a party trick, it can illuminate a carpet of light onto the motorway lane in front of you, with two lines of chevrons to show the exact width of the car including door mirrors. Then when you reach the end of your journey one of five animations can be beamed onto your driveway or garage door for additional attention seeking flair.
Similar powertrain and interior options to SUV
The E-Tron Sportback is available in the UK with the 55 Quattro powertrain from the SUV only, offering a maximum output of 408hp, 664Nm of torque. But it will be joined by a lower-powered 50 Sportback model later in 2020, which should bring down that eye-watering £79,900 entry price.
Thanks to the more streamlined shape however the Sportback has a mildly enhanced range of 240 miles and can accelerate from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds. The 95kWh battery can be charged to 80% in as little as 30 minutes at a 150kW DC fast charger, and has an optional 22kW three-phase AC charger too.
Early passenger ride
We’ve already had an early turn in the passenger seat of the E-Tron Sportback and like the other coupefied SUV in the Audi stable (the Q3 Sportback) it features a firmer suspension set up. It’s not uncomfortable but certainly felt stiffer riding over tarmac defects, with less of the SUV’s ability to smooth out rough roads.
On the flip side it also felt composed and level when cornering, hinting at a more performance-focused character. Stay tuned for UK driving impressions – we have those coming on 9 September 2020.
What this means for you
The latest addition to the Audi SUV family adds some much-needed style and sleekness to the range. But it’s worth noting that if you’re looking for the maximum practicality from your electric SUV, it’s hard not to make a case for the original E-Tron – but if you’re after a better-looking package with slightly tighter handling, then the E-Tron Sportback should be your first port of call.
Further reading:
>> Read our Audi E-Tron review
>> Ford Mustang Mach-E: All-electric muscle car revealed
>> The Parkers guide to electric cars
