Audi’s new fully electric vehicle, the E-tron Sportback, is on show at the Shanghai Motor Show. This follows the debut of the German manufacturer’s E-tron Quattro recently.
Audi will launch an electric SUV with a driving range of 500km next year. “Following close on its heels, in 2019,” says Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler, “comes the production version of the Audi E-Tron Sportback – an emotional coupé version that is thrillingly identifiable as an electric car at the very first glance.”
Fitted with 23-inch wheels the Sportback has an imposing presence and if you do want to get the wheels off the tar an into a situation where a little more ground clearance is necessary, at the push of a button the E-tron Sportback can raise its suspension by an extra 63mm.
The E-tron Sportback has a drivetrain with an electric motor for the front axle, and two for the rear. Together they deliver a total of 320kW of power in regular driving, with 370kW and 800Nm available in boost mode.
With a driving range of over 500km, Audi claims that the E-tron Sportback can sprint form 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 210km/h.
Audi describes the four-seat SUV as “a new class of car” with features such as wireless charging which the brand claims is only 10% slower than charging through a cable. When using a cable to charge, the e-tron Sportback’s battery can be topped up to 80 per cent within 30 minutes.
The lights stand out as being different with digitally controlled Matrix LED units at the front and rear which include illuminated Audi logo rings.
On the inside the E-tron features two touchscreen OLED panels in the centre of the dashboard and touch sensitive screens on the door trims too. The car also has 4G LTE internet connectivity.