2022 Audi Q4 e-tron Review

The 2022 and 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron is a tech-heavy electric crossover with the premium look and feel we've come to expect from the luxury automaker. As the name suggests, the Q4 e-tron sits squarely between the Q5 and Q3 SUVs in terms of length, but it provides passenger and cargo accommodations that rival the larger Q5 due to its space-saving EV foundation. As a result, the Q4 e-tron is easy to drive in the city and provides very practical levels of utility. Notably, it shares much of its powertrain components with the less expensive Volkswagen ID.4.

In terms of competition, the Q4 e-tron has its work cut out for it. Tesla's Model Y is already a well-established player in the space, and similarly priced rivals including the Genesis GV60, Mercedes-Benz EQB and Volvo XC40 Recharge are in the mix as well.

We drove the dual-motor version. While not blazing fast, acceleration is sprightly and more than what most people will need in a vehicle like this. As a complement to its power, Audi has endowed the Q4 with enjoyable handling. Our test car has the optional 20-inch all-season tires and they provided more than enough road grip to whip around a few corners, and the combination of a low center of gravity, due to those underfloor batteries, and taut suspension give it some surprising athleticism for an SUV.

The only thing that left us wanting while driving the Q4 e-tron is the amount of regenerative braking available. Regenerative braking allows the electric motors to recuperate some of the battery's spent energy as you come to a stop. You can dial this in on the fly using the Q4's steering wheel paddles, from zero regen (coasting) all the way to a max level of 3, or have it set to max regen at all times by selecting the B setting on the transmission control. Even in its max setting the Q4's regen feels a bit light and will not bring you to a complete stop like some other EVs will — a feature in EV circles that has come to be known as one-pedal driving. Audi says this is intentional to provide a smoother and more efficient driving experience, but we'd still like to have the option.

Any luxury EV worth its lithium should place a priority on comfort, and the Q4 delivers pretty well here despite being the brand's entry-level EV. The cabin is pretty quiet thanks in part to the optional dual-pane acoustic front windows that help cut down the wind buffeting noise around the mirrors. The Q4 hardly makes any noise other than a faint amount of electric motor whine, so on some road surfaces it's nearly completely silent.

Ride comfort over highways and fairly bumpy roads is also reasonably good. But we were a bit less impressed by the seats. The front seat cushions feel a bit flat and lack lateral support, and if you have longer legs, there is no extendable thigh cushion like you might expect on a German luxury SUV. Four-way adjustable lumbar support is standard for the driver's seat (optional for front passenger), as are heated front seats, but there's no seat ventilation or massage function offered.

On the upside, climbing in and out of the Q4 is a breeze thanks to generous door openings and easy step-in heights. There's also plenty of room in back for adults. Every version comes standard with tri-zone climate control, and we like the straightforward approach of controls that consist of a row of buttons and rocker switches. The system was put to the test as temperatures climbed into the upper 90s on our drive, and it never felt like doing a good job of maintaining the temperature edit setpoint. The air vents are simple to use too, though we noted the driver's side vents point directly at where your hands are on the wheel, so before air hits your face it needs to bypass your hands first.

If comfort comes first, then quality is a close second in all things luxury. Audi always does a nice job with interior design, which really helps to elevate the feel and modernize the appearance of the cabin. Design can only take you so far, though, and a few of the areas like the plastic center console and even the natural-wood dash inlay look a little more budget than bourgeois.

But for the most part it's a nice and attractive interior and delivers that tech-forward design philosophy that Audi has built its reputation on. A 10.25-inch digital instrument panel sits in front of the driver, while the newest version of Audi's MMI infotainment interface is housed in a centrally located 10.1-inch touchscreen. It's worth noting that model year 2023 Q4s all get a larger 11.6-inch central screen, the largest screen offered from Audi to date. The screen menus have an intuitive structure, which should make finding things relatively easy, but we were also able to use the voice control system for quick tasks, like shutting off pesky voice guidance commands from the nav.

The touchscreen in the Q4 doesn't provide haptic feedback as it does in some other Audi models, so some of that tactility is lost. We're also not quite sold on Audi's move to touch-sensitive steering wheel controls. They look pretty cool, but aren't as fumble-free as the buttons and thumb wheels that Audi has traditionally used in its vehicles.

Audi's navigation systems have always been among the best in the industry, and that remains true here. The optional Virtual Cockpit puts the map right in the instrument cluster right in front of you, while the new augmented reality head-up display (HUD) projects amazing turn-by-turn directions right on the windshield. The image is designed to appear 30 feet in front of the vehicle and helps to eliminate the guesswork of when to initiate a turn. We also like the integration of the adaptive cruise system function into the HUD, which highlights the lead vehicle when the system is active.

We're fans of how Audi's advanced driver aids are tuned and implemented. The lane keeping assistance is sensitive enough to know when you have a hand resting on the wheel and doesn't require that you tug on it every minute just to prove that you're still paying attention. And all the alerts from systems like blind-spot warning are obvious but subtle enough not to startle you into awareness.

The Q4 also debuts the industry's first sound system tuned by Sonos, a company known for wireless home speakers. In the Q4, the optional 10-speaker system is not wireless, but it did provide a decently rich audio experience with no bass distortion even when maxing out the levels.

Both wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration are standard and worked decently well during our test drive. There are a total of four USB-C ports, two per row, for keeping devices charged as well as an optional wireless charger.

Cargo space is usually another important factor for any SUV buyer, and there's a good amount of it in the Q4. By the numbers, the Q4 has 24.8 cubic feet, which is comparable to the Genesis GV60 and Volvo XC40 Recharge, but much less than Tesla Model Y. The load floor is configurable, and when it's in its highest position, the area looks a bit small. But in that position, it creates a flat load surface when the rear seats are folded forward, and you can still store things underneath the floor and out of view. Otherwise you can drop that floor down by a few inches to maximize the depth of that area.

Up front, the Q4 offers a decent amount of small-item storage. There is a pretty sizable rubberized spot for phones or other personal effects right underneath a cantilevered control panel. This is also where the USB ports are and where the wireless charger would be should you have one. We love how Audi integrated sizable bottle holders into the doors and found them both aesthetically cool but very functional.

And if you're someone that has young kids to cart around, there's a good amount of space for car seats in back, with LATCH anchor covers that cleverly slide up out of the way, rather than popping.

The 2022 Audi Q4 e-tron is a fully electric small luxury SUV with seating for five people. The Q4 e-tron is available in three trim levels: Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige. All have a 77-kWh battery pack and are available with rear-wheel drive (40 e-tron) or Quattro all-wheel drive (50 e-tron). On the rear-drive version, you get one electric motor and an output of 201 horsepower. With the Quattro AWD Q4 e-tron, power increases to 295 hp, with one motor running the front wheels and another running the rear.

Premium
Feature highlights include:

• 19-inch wheels
• DC fast-charging capability (up to 150 kW)
• Automatic LED headlights
• LED interior lighting
• Power-adjustable driver's seat
• Tri-zone automatic climate control with rear air vents
• Panoramic sunroof
• Power tailgate
• Leather upholstery
• Heated front seats
• Heated exterior mirrors
• 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster
• 10.1-inch touchscreen
• Voice controls
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration (wireless capability for both)
• Portable charging system (NEMA 14-50 plug, up to 9.6 kW)
• Audi connected services (limited subscription)

Standard driver safety aids for the base Q4 include:

• Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)
• Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
• Blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning (alerts you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while in reverse)
• Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)

Premium Plus
Adds more luxury features, including:

• Keyless entry
• Hands-free tailgate
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Auto-dimming, power-folding exterior mirrors
• Heated steering wheel
• Sound-reducing front windows
• Driver's seat memory function
• Power-adjustable front passenger seat
• Wireless phone charger
• Satellite radio (three-month trial subscription)

Driver safety aids included in Premium Plus trims and above:

• Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Volkswagen and the car in front and can also react to traffic signs and set speed)
• Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)

Prestige
Tops off the Q4 e-tron lineup with:

• Headlight and taillight animation
• Augmented reality head-up display
• Matrix LED headlights
• Headlight washer system
• 10-speaker premium Sonos sound system
• Onboard navigation
• Traffic sign recognition

An S line plus package is available for the Premium Plus and Prestige. It adds:

• 20-inch wheels
• Black exterior elements
• Black roof rails
• Front sport seats
• Flat-bottom steering wheel