Road test: Audi’s e-tron S Sportback Deceives to Flatter
Audi’s e-tron S Sportback has more than enough going for it to make it easy for an EV fan to overlook its lack of range and extra cost.
Audi is certainly doing its fair share in filling the gaps in the rapidly growing executive electric car market. More than just another missile in its arsenal, this e-tron S Sportback quattro makes for a compelling option. Even if it must deceive a little in order to flatter.
The first S-badged electric Audi, e-tron S still has a platform originally designed for a gas engine, rather than its own, dedicated EV architecture. Newer Audi EVs like the Q4 e-tron, e-tron GT, and upcoming A6 and Q6 e-trons, have since been designed from the ground up as battery electric cars. Still, this Sportback S is unique in the e-tron range.
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E-tron S Shifts Electric Power Around
The beefy 208 HP 261 lb.-ft motor normally fitted in the back of the e-tron 55 shifts to this car’s front axle. It makes place for a pair of smaller 177 HP 227 lb.-ft electric motors at the rear. They are mounted with the transmission in a transaxle. Which means it has power vectoring rather than a differential. To allow the rear torque to dance between the wheels. ‘In the interests of agile cornering’, they say.
All that makes for 40-60 front-rear split electric all-wheel-drive in normal conditions. Combined overall output is 429 HP and 595 lb.-ft. Nudge the gear knob down to S and it will give you 496 HP and 717 lb.-ft for eight seconds. That’s double the time it needs to blast to 60 mph. And just enough time to reach an eighth of a mile at 88 mph
Clamp braking, for whatever reason, feels a tad contrived. Regenerative braking is via an auto recuperation mode. Use the crisp left paddle shifter to manually step it up in three levels. Unlike the 55 however, where the car retains your selected regen level until you alter it or park it, S defaults back to auto regen after every throttle application.
Will e-tron S Travel 215 miles on a Charge?
Audi claims that the e-tron S will travel as far as 215 miles on a full charge, according to the WLTP test. However, we never saw more than 182 miles on the clock on a full charge. We did manage to improve on that quite handsomely with some frugal pedal work on the road to deliver closer to 195 miles on a charge. But there’s far more to it than just that.
Those three electric motors are powered by the e-tron 55’s 95 kWh lithium-ion battery. It is charged via two handy ports, one on each side of the car. Your 11-kW home charger should do the trick overnight. Audi has recently deployed 150 kW DC fast chargers along our local national routes. They deliver 80% charge in 30 minutes. Or a full charge in three-quarters of an hour. The trick there is to make the distance between those stations…
Now, we have charged several cars extensively using their home trickle chargers like this one’s 11 kW device. While it takes time, we found the raw domestic electricity cost to be around a third, or less of the amount needed to pay for the gas to travel that distance in a like sized combustion car. The e-tron 55 cost about $5.60 to charge up per 100 miles driven.
Electric Charging Shocked
We had the chance to charge this e-tron S on the new Audi Network. A local haunt has a bottom-end 22-kW dual AC charging station. It delivers 65 miles of range in about an hour. The car was fully charged up in the two hours we were there. The e-tron S consumed 44.04 kWh to add 60 miles to its range. At a local energy cost of $12.10.
Which means that when charged at Audi’s local public points, e-tron S will cost $20.90 per 100 miles to run. Audi claims 17 mpg, or 5 gallons per 100 miles for the SQ8 and 2.9 gallons per 100 miles for the Q8 45 TDI. So, at today’s around $4.40 per gallon gas price, to drive 100 miles will cost you $22 in the gas SQ8. And you’ll spend about $12.76 to travel 100 miles in the diesel. Not quite what we expected.
Getting down to brass tacks, or should we rather call them copper motor windings, this e-tron S will return about 170 miles on a charge. Want the heater or aircon on? Yep, that’s 160 miles. Half of that loss just because it’s cold outside. And driven how you’d probably want to drive your S-badged Audi, you’d be lucky to get 135 miles out of a full charge.
Nothing Out of the Ordinary to Look At
Taken at face value, this Audi e-tron S Sportback electric SUV quite ordinary to look at. It shies away from wearing that dunce hat electric cars have become so famous for. Being an S-car, the grilles look hungrier, while broader arches barely accommodate optional 22-inch cartoon wheels. It certainly looks the part.
On the road, e-tron S does not feel hugely different to, say an SQ8. The slightly stronger but 800 kg heavier EV has a major instantaneous torque advantage. It delivers a smooth, linear thrust to make overtaking a synch, speed easy. Boost mode deals with almost anything at the boulevard traffic lights. Our test found it two tenths quicker than Audi says to 60 mph.
You can’t get around that 6,250 lbs. feeling of bulk. Yet steering is satisfying, with a welcome heft to it. Albeit that it may be a tad too heavy for certain tastes. It can be reluctant to change direction, but the e-tron S really works as a grand tourer. Clever and pliant, its air suspension all but eliminates body roll. It literally flattens undulating surfaces.
Drives Best in Drive Mode
Efficiency, Comfort, Auto and Dynamic settings are backed by an Individual drive mode. That allows you to tailor the drive system, suspension and steering to your own wants. To be honest, there isn’t a huge difference between modes. Regular Auto relaxes the powertrain to deliver the drive you want from this car. A knob selector would be welcome though.
This e-tron certainly delivers familiar Audi comfort. Ride is plush considering the girth of those great big rims and just the slither of rubber around them. There’s an occasional distant wheel wobble and a modicum of tyre roar on some surfaces.
The hushed cabin is well insulated. It’s so quiet that you tend to her hear sounds that a combustion engine would normally drown out. That shouldn’t matter, considering e-tron S’ excellent 705W 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. It keeps you entertained in a plush multi-colour ambient lit cabin.
Cool Infotainment Lacks Knobs
Dripping in gloss black and bonus Nappa leather, there’s even a bit hard plastic in there. Comfy diamond driver-memory power stitched Valcona hide front seats lack ventilation or massaging. The power-adjusted S steering wheel is however heated. Legroom is ample on the firm rear bench. Headroom isn’t bad either. And The 21.7 cu-ft boot grows to 58.7 cu.ft.
Audi’s fine digital dials are easy to set. One tab has a neat, if puzzling Google Maps view. The haptic touch Infotainment and climate screen are intuitive, neat and logical. Navi prompts local parking and charging info and the pinch to zoom doesn’t drop a pin every time. There’s an easy re-centre button if you do. But you do miss real knobs and buttons in there.
Brilliant LED automatic Digital Matrix projector headlights bring comic level animation. Other e-tron S trinkets include a phone charger, tyre pressure monitoring and an auto-dimming interior mirror. Add keyless go, LED taillights and puddle lamps, rain-sensing wipers and a power tailgate. This one had real old school power folding wing mirrors. Rather than the video gizmos you can specify if you think you’re Vader’s niece.
Audi e-tron S is Competitive in Most Areas
So, the $92,400 496 HP 717 lb.-ft e-tron S EV rushed to 60 mph in 4.21 seconds in out tests. It may eke 190 miles out of a full battery charge and is slightly less powerful, but more efficient than its $70,800 e-tron 55 counterpart. BMW’s $82,600 iX xDrive50 has 526 HP and 564 lb.-ft. We tested it to 60 mph in 4.29 seconds. BMW claims a 393-mile WLTP range.
Audi’s comparable $94,695 495 HP 567 lb.-ft gas SQ8 meanwhile sprints to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. It should manage 375 miles on its 20-gallon tank.
In conclusion, for the money, the Audi e-tron S Sportback quattro suffers from a woeful range. That tied in to a still limited and surprisingly expensive local charging infrastructure, fails to deliver true usability. Which is not what we are being led to expect from electric cars.
Refreshingly Competent & Consistent
We however found this Audi reassuringly familiar, powerful and comfortable. It’s refreshingly competent, consistent and as quick as any other Audi with an S on it. It handles well enough and rides comfortably too. All of which should make it easy for an EV fan to overlook its lack of range and extra cost.
ROAD TESTED: Audi e-tron Sportback S quattro Motors: 3x asynchronous electric Output: 496 HP 717 lb.-ft combined (Boost Mode) Drive: Direct AWD Battery: 95 kWh lithium-ion TESTED: 0-40 mph: 2.04 sec 0-60 mph: 4.21 sec 0-100 mph: 10.48 sec ¼-mile: 12.6 sec @ 108 mph 50-75 mph: 2.87 sec 75-100 mph: 4.58 sec CLAIMED: VMax: 130 mph Energy Consumption: 21.7 kWh/100 km WLTP LIST PRICE: $92,400 MSRP RATED: 8
Photography: Michele Lupini
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