2021 Audi e-tron 55 quattro India review, test drive

The enclosed hexagonal location up front mimics Audi’s traditional grille layout.

Audi has adopted a traditional styling approach (within and out) with the e-tron, so while it looks sharp, it does not scream ‘electric’ in its layout language. This has been deliberately completed to make customers truly feel at dwelling as they changeover from an internal combustion motor vehicle to an electric powered vehicle. Grabbing the limelight upfront is a significant, enclosed hexagonal location completed in grey that mimics a conventional Audi front grille. The trendy headlamps and 20-inch wheels add some oomph to its layout, and for India, we get a conventional exterior mirror set up, rather than the futuristic, albeit gimmicky twin external digicam set up, which we seasoned in its intercontinental iteration.

Lurking driving the alloys are significant eighteen-inch discs which deliver amazing stopping electric power. 

Uniquely, Audi has supplied a charging provision on either side of the motor vehicle, and what’s great is the way the flap slides down electrically at the press of a button. Supplying absent its all-electric powered identity are the green variety plates (mandated for EVs in India), and orange highlights on the e-tron badge and the brake calipers.

Uniquely, the e-tron receives a charging provision on equally sides, on the front fender. 

Audi e-tron 55 quattro: what is it like within?

Continuing the traditional styling philosophy from the exterior, stage into the e-tron’s cabin and you will straight away establish layout qualities and parts shared with other Audis, which is no lousy issue. The sheer quality and healthy-end on the within are top rated-notch, and there’s not a single low-rent location in this Audi’s cabin. The uncluttered, layered dashboard properly wraps itself all-around the cabin, flowing seamlessly into the door pads. The most putting depth is the twin display screen set up – one particular for the infotainment and the other for the weather handle, equally of which are angled in the direction of the driver. The screens have crystal clear displays, as effectively as an alternative for haptic opinions (mild vibration) when ‘pressed’. What lifts the futuristic truly feel of the e-tron’s interiors is the superb virtual cockpit (comprehensive-electronic instrument cluster), which is one particular of the most effective models all-around when it arrives to screen quality and relieve of use.

The layout and colours are very business enterprise-like. Excellent and healthy-end are top rated-notch.

The broad front seats have business cushioning and you do not sink into them. The dull grey seat color is very business enterprise-like, and brighter inserts or colored stitching would have livened up the interior. Storage and charging spots in the front are aplenty and there’s a intelligent recess location to wirelessly cost your smartphone when positioned perpendicularly.

Wide front seats really don’t truly feel very plush thanks to the business cushioning. 

The rear bench is properly shaped, and the backrest is established to a at ease angle. The good information is that, even however the battery pack has been accommodated beneath the flooring, the flooring is not too high-established, so neither are you seated in an uncomfortably knees-up place, nor has the headroom been compromised. The seat itself is broad more than enough to accommodate a few passengers abreast and the flooring is practically flat the protruding air-con console, however, hampers knee-area for the center occupant.

The rear seats are fairly at ease, as is the seating place.

At 660-litres, the e-tron’s boot is significant, and the space saver tyre is neatly tucked beneath the boot flooring, exactly where there’s also an additional space to shop the charging cables. What’s a lot more is that, in the absence of an motor less than the bonnet, the front has an additional trunk or ‘frunk’, exactly where a small comfortable bag or the charging cables can be stowed.

At 660-litres, the boot space on offer is amazing.

Audi e-tron 55 quattro: what capabilities do you get?

The e-tron’s conventional attribute listing contains 20-inch wheels, Matrix LED headlamps, a panoramic sunroof, Audi’s virtual cockpit (absolutely-electronic instrument cluster), twin screens – one particular for the infotainment and the other for the weather handle – equally featuring haptic opinions, a four-zone weather handle, adaptive air-suspension, wireless charging, wired Android Automobile and Apple CarPlay, and a reverse digicam. Provided as a component of its comprehensive possibilities listing are the its electronic Matrix LED headlamps which have a great trick up their sleeve – in addition to lighting up the road very effectively, these also accomplish a theatrical light-weight exhibit any time you lock or unlock the vehicle. The possibilities listing also capabilities an on-board air purifier, fragrance, ambient lighting with thirty color possibilities, a sixteen-speaker 705W Bang and Olufsen premium audio program, head-up screen, comfortable-closing doors and then some a lot more. Functions such as ventilated seats, wireless mobile phone connectivity and linked motor vehicle tech, to identify a handful of, are missing completely, the panoramic sunroof does not increase all the way driving, and consumers who request deeper and geeky EV-linked details on the screens will be remaining a bit quick-changed with the oversimplified displays on offer.

Its panoramic sunroof is not fairly as large as some of its rivals.

Audi e-tron 55 quattro: what is it like to travel?

The e-tron 55 attracts electric power from a 95kWh battery pack, which supplies electricity to two motors, one particular on each individual axle. In its sportiest setting, the e-tron generates 408hp/664Nm, 184hp at the front axle and 224hp at the rear. But in other modes, the e-tron helps make 360hp/561Nm (170hp in the front and 190hp at the rear).

Right off the bat, you will be impressed by how gently the electric powered motors answer to the flex of your ideal foot, and you will even forgive Audi for not featuring a conventional creep function. Press down a bit a lot more and you will encounter what fast EV torque signifies. A mere flex of your ideal foot is more than enough to scoot earlier sluggish-moving site visitors with the kind of gusto you’d the very least expect from a 2.6 tonne SUV. Acceleration is powerful and linear, and the relieve with which the e-tron gathers speed quietly and seamlessly is practically a non-function. Apparently, the e-tron emits a whirring-like audio to inform pedestrians and other road consumers of its presence, when on the shift, as a result of external speakers.

Even with tipping the scales at 2.6 tonnes, it provides powerful functionality.

Switch from D to S and this Audi unleashes the additional 48hp/103Nm in overboost mode, less than difficult acceleration. When driven flat-out, it gallops from -100kph in a blisteringly quick five.58sec, and with your foot pinned to the flooring, it will max out at 207kph.

The e-tron has two configurations for electricity regeneration – guide and car. What’s amazing is how intuitive the car mode is when you elevate-off. Not only does the deceleration truly feel as normal as in an ICE vehicle, it cleverly allows the motor vehicle to coastline to maximise the distance protected, or it recuperates cost and decelerates, all centered on the driving design and style and battery condition. What’s a lot more is that, if you have to have to drop speed, you can tug at the remaining paddle, which will increase the intensity of regeneration and mimics motor braking in a way that slows the motor vehicle down.

You can manually convert regeneration off or established it to two preset stages. Apparently, most of the time, even when you do use the brake pedal, the wheel brakes are only named to duty all through speedy deceleration, higher than .3g power.

Air-spring at all four corners makes certain a at ease and effectively-cushioned trip. 

Riding on air springs at all four corners, the e-tron soaks up road shocks very competently, and even sharper edges aren’t fairly as jarring as you’d have imagined in a motor vehicle with quick sidewalls and sitting down on 20-inch wheels The travel modes change the ride’s softness, and in Convenience and Performance mode, it receives noticeably softer, resulting in some float at speeds. The ‘Auto’ mode, however, balances the suspension’s conduct particularly effectively, with controlled entire body actions and no undue pitching or bobbing.

As the e-tron’s 700kg battery pack is tucked beneath the cabin flooring, its bodyweight is concentrated lessen down, resulting in a low centre of gravity. That, in addition a well balanced 50:50 bodyweight distribution at each individual axle and Audi’s ‘quattro’ program, helps make this e-tron truly feel very nimble from driving the wheel, featuring enormous stages of grip. Its inert steering, however, normally takes absent from the ‘connected’ truly feel, but within urban confines, house owners will recognize its lightness, contributing to an easy-heading travel encounter.

The e-tron retains its have when it arrives to stress braking functionality. Geared up with eighteen-inch disc brakes (front and rear), the e-tron sheds speed from 80-0kph, in merely 24.09m, which is exceptional for this 2.6-tonne behemoth.

Audi e-tron 55 quattro: vary and charging

In our conventional assessments, the e-tron 55 realized 350km on a comprehensive cost in the city cycle, and 382km out on the highway. If you are operating actually low on cost, there is a ‘range mode’ alternative that switches the weather handle off, lowers electric power consumption, and restrictions the max speed to 90kph, which can deliver an additional forty-60km of driving vary.

We tested Audi’s 11kW AC wall box charger too, which replenished ninety percent of the e-tron’s battery (from ten-a hundred percent) in about eight hrs. In addition, we also plugged it into a 25kW Tata Electric power DC quickly charger, and in a mere fifteen minutes, it provided more than enough cost to add an additional 25-30km of vary, for Rs 106. Ordinary charging bills at dwelling are possible to be all-around Rs 750 for every cost (-a hundred percent), taking into account electricity value at Rs eight for every unit.

Audi e-tron 55 quattro: should you invest in one particular?