Audi e-tron GT 2026 review: Australian first drive

Price and features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

7 / 10

The 2025 range begins at $209,900 for the S e-tron GT, steps up to $264,900 for the RS e-tron GT and hits $309,900 for the new RS e-tron GT Performance (all prices exclude on-road costs).

While there is more power and equipment, that’s still a significant leap in price, with the previous e-tron GT starting at $181,784 ($28,116 cheaper) and the RS e-tron GT priced from $250,484 ($14,416 cheaper).

This pushes the Audi close to its most direct rival, the Porsche Taycan. Despite what the brands try to say publicly, the reality is these two are very closely related mechanically. Porsche now has two models cheaper than the S e-tron GT (the $174,500 Taycan RWD and $184,500 Taycan 4), while the Taycan 4S is priced just above it at $215,700.

Porsche’s rival to the RS e-tron GT is the $260,300 Taycan GTS, while it has the $306,900 Taycan Turbo to challenge the new RS e-tron GT Performance - plus the Turbo S and Turbo GT above it for those craving more power.

While the Audi isn’t bad value, it isn’t surprising that people in the market for an electric performance car from Germany are leaning towards the Taycan instead of the e-tron GT given the pricing structure.

In terms of specification difference between the three variants, the S e-tron gets 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive air suspension, all-wheel steering, HD Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser lights, and a panoramic fixed glass roof.

Moving up to the RS e-tron GT adds unique 21-inch wheel design, a panoramic glass sunroof with a new switchable transparency, performance brakes with a carbide coating, and an RS-specific instrument cluster design.

The RS e-tron GT Performance crowns the range with its own 21-inch alloy wheels, active suspension and a specific RS Performance exterior electric sound system as standard. 

There are a range of option packages too for all three models, which bundle extras together. The Sensory package ($6000) and Design package ($3800) are available for the S, the RS can be had with the Gloss carbon exterior styling package ($6000) and RS design package ($4500), and the new RS Performance has the matte carbon camouflage exterior styling package ($10,000) and a unique version of the RS performance design package ($4500).

Design – Is there anything interesting about its design?

9 / 10

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.

Practicality – How practical is its space and tech inside?

8 / 10

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.

Under the bonnet – What are the key stats for its engine and transmission?

8 / 10

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.

Efficiency – What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range?

7 / 10

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.

Driving – What's it like to drive?

9 / 10

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.

Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What is its safety rating?

8 / 10

Audi has equipped the e-tron GT trio with a respectable level of safety features, including adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, park assist plus, front and rear autonomous emergency braking, active lane assist, side assist with exit warning, collision avoidance assist and a 360-degree camera system for parking assistance.

Given its low sales volume, ANCAP has not crash tested the e-tron GT (or the structurally similar Taycan), so there is no score. But overall its level of equipment and Audi’s reputation and experience means we have no safety concerns over this particular model.

Ownership – What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs?

9 / 10

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.

Verdict