Audi E-Tron Gt vs Holden Calais

What's the difference?

While it may be a very different beast to the R8 supercar, it’s hard to argue that the e-tron GT offers performance that isn’t equal to anything Audi has previously produced. The immense acceleration and power, coupled with the brilliant and clever handling make this updated range, especially the RS pair, feel like something special.The fact that it will save you visiting a petrol bowser and might help cut harmful emissions is just a bonus.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

A best-of-both-worlds option that should have us questioning our SUV obsession, the Calais Tourer delivers plenty of practicality perks and a higher ride height in a dynamic and car-like package. The equipment levels are spot on, including the comprehensive safety package, and it you act smartly, you'll get a hugely long warranty to boot.  

It sure is thirsty, though, and we can't help but think plenty of owners would be happier with a smaller, more-efficient engine. 

While there are some big changes underneath, on the surface the design tweaks are quite subtle. 

There are some tweaks to the front grille, headlights, lower bumper and air intakes, but overall the look isn’t dramatically different. The more noticeable styling change is between the S and RS models, with the latter looking more sporty and dynamic thanks to a unique lower bumper design and the larger alloy wheels, which have a sportier look.

The biggest design changes are arguably the introduction of the switchable transparency roof on the RS and the option to use matt carbon camouflage.

The former is another shared element between the RS e-tron GT and Taycan, and it uses a special glass that can switch between being clear or opaque depending on whether you put a current through it. Cleverly, Audi is offering the option to have individual sections alternate between the two states, so you can customise it to your preference.

As for the grandly named matte carbon camouflage, it wasn’t highlighted in Audi’s presentation, but it’s the same material the Lamborghini developed over a decade ago and calls ‘forged carbon’ instead.

Unlike traditional carbon-fibre, which is made from injecting resin into sheets of fabric-like carbon fibre weave, forged composite uses a malleable paste of carbon sheets and resin. This technique is quicker to make and easier to shape into complex pieces, but lacks the visual impact of conventional carbon-fibre.

The biggest design change internally is the new steering wheel, which is a not-quote-squared-off rim that feels nice in your hand without being too thick. The RS models feature two new large red buttons - ‘RS’ and ‘Boost’ - which allow you to select the drive modes and activate the short boost function, respectively.

Less an SUV (happily), and more a high-riding wagon, the Calais Tourer borrows a little from the Subaru XV in its exterior design, sporting the same plastic cladding over each wheel arch. Clearly there is a whole heap of shared DNA between the Sportwagon and Tourer, and so it offers similar perks; like its SUV-shaming boot space. 

Elsewhere, the Tourer shares the same soft and rounded edges as the rest of the Commodore range, and while it is genuinely quite handsome from most angles, it is at its best viewed front on, where a simple front-end is bookmarked at each corner by a narrow headlight on top, and an encased fog light below. It’s all a touch understated, sure, but it looks sharp in the metal.

Inside, it’s a clean and functional cabin design, with most of the touchscreen functions controlled by a simple row of four horizontal buttons, and with a gloss-black surround encasing the centre console. The thin leather wheel feels lovely under the touch, and the contrasting door trims and soft-touch materials find their way into the backseat, too. 

Practicality is an important consolidation for the e-tron GT, it may have replaced the two-seater R8 as Audi’s definitive performance hero, but it’s a four-door sedan so it needs to be more family friendly. It’s especially relevant for Audi, as the brand has a history of brilliantly combining family needs with fast cars, namely its iconic wagons, the RS4 and RS6 Avants.

Audi also has a strong reputation for some of the best interior design in the industry, and the e-tron GT is arguably amongst its best work (at least in this reviewer’s opinion). It looks modern and stylish without leaning too far towards being different simply because it’s an electric car.

The new steering wheel fits the new design well, framing the digital driver’s display nicely. The display itself has a new RS-specific display for the higher-end models.

There’s a central infotainment touchscreen, but underneath this particular Audi skips the climate control touchscreen in favour of a digital readout and physical switchgear; a welcome relief for some, no doubt.

As for the seats, all three trim levels get the same style of sports seat trimmed in Nappa leather with a honeycomb stitch pattern. There are different finishes, both black and red leather, and some with contrasting stitching available through the optional design package. The RS performance package gets a unique ‘serpentine green’ stitching to stand out.

Small item storage in the front is adequate but not generous, which does make the e-tron GT feel more like a sports car at least, even if it doesn’t help practicality.

As for the rear, space is surprisingly good given the external dimensions and the nature of it being a low-roof sedan (rather than an SUV) with batteries underneath the floor. That’s largely because Audi has split the battery pack to allow for extra room in the rear for passengers’ feet, combating a common problem with electric sedans.

Headroom is adequate, and will be tight for anyone much taller than 180cm, but it will do the job of transporting the family in relative comfort. It is, by no means, the most spacious or family friendly model in the Audi range, but it does play its role as both a performance car and roomy sedan.

The boot is measured at 405 litres in the S but shrinks to 350L in the RS models, but both have the same 77L space under the bonnet, so space is (again) reasonable without being generous.

The Tourer serves up identical storage space to its Sportwagon near-enough twin, with 793 litres of storage (to the roof line) with the rear seats in place, and 1665 litres with the rear seat folded down. That’s about 200 litres more than the regular Commodore hatchback.

Where the Tourer does differ from the Sportwagon is in its exterior dimensions, measuring 5004mm in length (versus 4986mm in the Sportwagon) and 1525mm in height (versus 1483mm). Width and wheelbase are identical, though (1871mm and 2829mm), and so the interior space dimensions - like headroom and legroom - are identical no matter which of the estate-style Commodores you opt for. 

The key dimension here, though, is ride height, with the Tourer offering 20mm more ground clearance (42mm greater height overall) than the Sportwagon. That, combined with the on-demand all-wheel-drive system, allows for some light off-roading - though you won’t be conquering Everest.

Up front, expect two cupholders hidden under a gloss-black cover, as well as power and USB connections located in a central cubby. The back seat is home to two extra cupholders hidden in a pulldown divider, and there is room in each of the doors for bottles. The back seat is also home to air vents (but no temperature controls) and two USB charge points located just below the vents.

The Calais has long formed the most luxurious rung of the Commodore ladder, and the wagon-ish Tourer is without doubt the most practical version. It will set you back $45,990 ($47,990 drive-away) in the guise we’ve tested here, and $53,990 In Calais V specification.

Not to be sneezed at, then. But it does arrive with plenty of stuff to help justify your investment.

Outside, you’ll find 18-inch alloys, a handsfree auto-opening boot, heated mirrors, keyless entry with push-button start, a remote start function, rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlights with LED DRLs. Inside, expect leather seats that are heated in the front, a leather-wrapped wheel, dual-zone climate control, standard satellite navigation and a wireless charging pad for compatible phones.

On the technology front, an 8.0-inch touchscreen pairs with an eight-speaker stereo, and it’s both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto equipped. There’s also a genuinely impressive standard safety package, too, but we’ll drill down on that under the Safety sub-heading.

The key number for the new model is 680kW - that’s what the new RS e-tron GT Performance produces from its dual electric motors. That makes it the most powerful production car Audi has ever offered, which is quite an achievement when you look back at some of the cars this brand has built over the years.

That power upgrade is an extra 205kW over the pre-facelifted RS e-tron GT, and comes with a whopping 1027Nm of torque.

The RS e-tron GT has been upgraded too, now making 630kW/865Nm, a 155kW improvement on the old model. Which is a good thing, because the new S e-tron GT has even more power than the original RS, underlining just how much Audi has focused on power for this mid-life enhancement. The new S packs a 500kW/717Nm punch, compared to the 475kW/830Nm the previous RS offered.

A really rather good 3.6-litre V6 engine Is parked under the bonnet, feeding 235kW at 6800rpm and 381Nm at 5200rpm to all four wheels as required, thanks to an on-demand all-wheel-drive system. The suspension is tuned specifically for its high-riding antics, too.

The grunt is fed through a nine-speed automatic, and while Holden doesn’t quote a specific zero-to-100km/h time, it’s no slouch from the lights. 

The 3.6-litre engine means a braked towing capacity of 2100kg, and an unbraked max of 750kg.

Another one of the significant unseen changes for this update is the battery. Audi has overall the battery for this latest e-tron GT, so it now has higher energy density (168.3Wh/kg), more size (105kWh v 97kWh), faster charging (10-80 per cent in 18 minutes) and reduced weight (down 9kg).

Despite all the extra power, driving ranges for the three models are still all beyond 500km. The S e-tron GT has a claimed range of 558km, the RS e-tron GT can manage up to 522km and RS e-tron GT Performance can run 528km on a single charge, according to Audi. 

As for the charging itself, Audi claims it now takes just 18 minutes to get from 10 to 80 per cent using an ultra-fast DC charger.

Not so good, I’m afraid. The offical number is on the high-side at 9.1 litres per 100 kilometres on the claimed/combined cycle (though that's less than the equivalent Subaru Outback), but we were averaging a smidge under 14.0L/100km after what was admittedly quite a lot of city driving. Still, that’s high.

Emissions are pegged at 212g/km or C02, and the Tourer’s 61-litre tank will accept cheaper 91RON fuel, or an E10 blend.

Befitting its role as Audi’s performance hero, the new range drives with a level of speed and precision you would expect from such a car.

Even the new S e-tron GT has a level of acceleration that not every sports car could keep up with (the official 0-100km/h claim is 3.4 seconds), which would be impressive on its own but is a standout when you consider this is a four-door sedan.

It also helps that the adaptive air suspension and all-wheel steering (which can help both low speed manoeuvring and high speed changes of direction) make for an incredibly responsive and agile handling vehicle.

And then you drive the RS e-tron GT Performance and the driving experience is a step up again with its 2.5s triple-digit sprint time. That’s largely because of the new active suspension system it uses, which features a hi-tech array of cameras, radars and sensors to ‘read’ the road ahead of it and adjust the ride accordingly.

The result is arguably one of the best riding, most comfortable electric performance cars on sale today. Typically the need to control so much weight, from the batteries, means the ride is often too firm. But with the active suspension, Audi has somehow managed to make the ride both compliant (on 21-inch wheels) but also very well controlled, which allows you to really drive with precision even at speed.

But it’s not just the suspension, as mentioned earlier, the RS models also get a new ‘Boost’ button on the steering wheel that offers an extra 70kW of power for 10 seconds. Along with the surge of extra performance there’s a large countdown timer on the digital dashboard when you press it to really give you a sense of urgency and speed.

Thankfully, with so much power the e-tron GT range has plenty of stopping power. The S comes equipped with steel brakes, which do a fine job. But for the faster RS models, you get a carbide coated rotor and you can option ceramic brakes for more resilient stopping power.

Really very good. That 3.6-litre engine (why they haven’t offered the Tourer with the smaller and smarter turbo engine is something of a mystery) might be a touch old-school and a touch thirsty, but it’s a rich and powerful thing, and it gives the Calais-stamped Tourer a perky personality that defies its dimensions.

The Calais Tourer was built in Germany, and fitted with an engine and transmission from the USA, before undergoing local tuning here in Australia (think bespoke steering and suspension tunes calibrated both at the company’s testing facility and after a 200,000km test on Aussie roads), and it’s the last of those Dr Frankenstein ingredients that have had the biggest impact here. 

The Tourer’s ride is fantastic, perfectly poised between firm composure and everyday comfort, and - like most good wagons - it will honestly leave you wondering why so many people are clamouring aboard the SUV train when you can all the space with better dynamics in a humble estate. 

The nine-speed ‘box is smooth and sharp in its operation, too. But the fuel use is a concern. Sure, we spent the bulk of our time in the city, where stop-start traffic naturally uses more fuel. But then, surely so would most owners? 

You’ve got to hand it to the Lion for the standard safety package here, which includes the Holden Eye camera system as standard, adding auto emergency braking (AEB), lane keep assist, lane departure warning and forward collision warning. You’ll also find semi-autonomous parking, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors.

The Calais Tourer adds blind-sport monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert to that pretty comprehensive package. All of which helps the Commodore range qualify for the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.

Finally, you can add six airbags and two ISOFIX attachment points to the mix.

Audi offers its standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for the three e-tron GT variants, but the battery gets a specific eight year/160,000km warranty. The five years of coverage is fairly standard for the luxury car segment, but short of the increasingly common seven-year warranties for mainstream brands.

As for the servicing, that’s included in the cost of the car, with Audi covering the first six years of maintenance for no additional charge. It helps that service intervals, without a complicated and oily engine, are stretched to two years or 30,000km.

Holden has recently relinquished the initial warranty offering, now including the Commodore in its seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty program, meaning it mixes with the very best in the aftercare business. For now, at least; normally, the Commodore carries the brand's standard three year/100,000km warranty. But be on the lookout for the return of this deal if you miss out this time.

Service intervals are pegged at 12 months or 12,000kms, and the Commodore falls under Holden’s extensive capped-price servicing program, and it will cost between $259 and $359 for each of the first seven annual services.