10 things to know about Audi’s new all-electric, sporty e-tron GT

Published on 9 April, 2021

Overview

We first saw it as Tony Stark’s car in Marvel’s Avengers Endgame movie. Now Audi’s sleek, electric sports saloon, the e-tron GT, is finally being launched in Ireland. It starts at €103,000, with an RS version available for €140,000. Should Tesla’s Model S be worried? Is this a car of the future or just a high end, powerful Audi with an electric motor? Who is its buyer? How does the tech stack up?

Here are ten things I noticed when I drove this car.

1. It’s a car, not a computer

This is the first significant thing when sitting into this car. Audi has chosen not to put a giant touchscreen in it. Similarly, what you see is what you get — there will be no software updates that significantly enhance or change the vehicle’s operation or performance, the way Tesla does. So when you switch the car on, you’re greeted by a modestly-sized, 10-inch touchscreen in the centre with physical buttons all around it to control other things.

This is an interesting choice, given the irreversible software-based control now overtaking automotive engineering. But Audi has clearly decided that the cadre of well-off men between the age of 45 and 65 (overwhelmingly this car’s likely customer base) don’t yet dig the idea of driving an upgradeable computer. Tesla fans, by contrast, can see the cool side of it, despite being in a similar demographic segment.

2. It has exterior speakers to make synthetic vroom-vroom sounds

This tickled me. The e-tron has three interior and three exterior speakers. The latter bunch are designed not only to meet safety requirements for warning others that the car is in motion (as an electric car, it’s very, very quiet), but to create what Audi says is a more visceral sensory connection to the car’s movement. This literally means that when you accelerate, the speakers access an MP3 file of a growling engine. As the car moves, the sound file changes. It’s surprisingly authentic, if a little curious. You can turn this synthetic engine growl up or down according to your driving profile, but you can’t turn it completely off.

3. It has a battery range of 479km

While still being around half that of a petrol or diesel equivalent, this relatively decent range should ease anxiety over running out of power away from home or one of the (still scarce) public chargers. However, it’s still a good way short of Tesla’s Model S, which will be one of this car’s main competitors.

While its 800-volt battery has an impressively speedy power-charging time of 80pc in 23 minutes (using the maximum 270kw charging points that are only available in six locations around the country), Audi says this will cost you around €70, which is close to what filling it with diesel would cost. Obviously, it’s cheaper at home, but also a lot slower if using a conventional lead.

4. It accelerates from 0 to 100km in 4.1 seconds

And that’s the standard edition that I drove; the RS model (€37,000 extra) does the same thing is just over three seconds. I had a chance to test this on a primary road and… oh my gosh. It’s like a plane taking off. You can feel every bit of the quattro boost of 523bhp for those few seconds.

If you have a passenger, they may well feel queasy afterwards.

5. It much prefers iPhones to Androids

Curiously, Audi will allow full CarPlay control wirelessly from your iPhone. But not from a Samsung (or any Android phone). Instead, you have to wire it in (USB-C to USB-C, too, which caught me out). This again may be a nod to the kind of customer Audi calculates makes up its addressable market, here, as iPhones have a disproportionately high penetration in corporate bosses and enterprise executives.

6. There’s no potential autonomous mode

One aspiration that high-end electric cars often have is an ability for autonomous, or semi-autonomous driving either now or in the future. Not this one. Either Audi doesn’t believe this is imminent (even though it’s preparing for autonomous driving in other models) or it doesn’t think that its particular customer base (for which, see point 1) are especially interested in it as a feature; this is a car they hope people will want to drive themselves, not be driven around in by a computer.

7. It has a decent boot and ‘frunk’

No electric car has a ‘big’ boot, because of the battery that takes up a large chunk of the floor. But the rear boot here, at 405 litres, is enough to fit at least two large suitcases into. It also has a small front trunk, or ‘frunk’, which is where the charging cables are kept and which has enough space (81 litres) for an additional small to medium sized bag.

8. It has a see-through panoramic roof

I loved this. The e-tron GT can’t have a sunroof because it would potentially cause too much drag. Instead, you get a full-length panoramic roof that is tinted enough to prevent any annoying glare.

9. Other notable tech: a 360 camera

This is a really nice little optional addition which was on my test model. You get a comprehensive, 360-degree view around your car using its 360 camera setup. The wow factor here comes when you choose the 3D setup, which places your car in the middle of what looks like a camera view of your car from about 10 feet behind the vehicle. It’s a clever, innovative touch.

10. It’s better looking than a Tesla

Opinions will vary, of course. But if you’re looking for something to turn heads, this will do it. Driving this down an urban street was like wearing a tuxedo; quite a few people took a second look. Whereas Teslas are rounded and somewhat sleek, this has an unmistakable sports aesthetic without ever veering into wannabe racer territory. It’s classy and powerful and has significant kerbside appeal.