Audi Q4 News

Why EVs are a smarter option than they get credit for

Electric car sales are still growing, but as the ‘early adopter’ phase comes to an end, the rate of uptake has slowed the past few months.Some brands have bet heavily on electric vehicles early in their explosive sales climb, this latest slow-down in pace might have actually handed Audi an advantage as its Q4 and Q6 e-tron SUVs finally arrive in Australia.Audi bet less heavily on EVs than its most direct rivals, BMW and Mercedes in the past few years. Rather than try to replace some of its most hallowed nameplates with electric versions, Audi instead added low-volume electric flagship offerings to its range in the form of the e-tron GT and now the Q8 e-tron.In Australia, the delayed launch of the Q4 e-tron has coincided with the arrival of the government’s new vehicle efficiency standards (NVES), giving it the leverage it needs with its international head office to expand its range of hybrid offerings to live alongside its new electrics.Speaking to CarsGuide at the launch of the Q6 e-tron, Audi Australia’s managing director Jeff Mannering explained how the game has changed in Audi’s favour.“It’s an overall strategy we’ve got now” he said of the brand’s new MHEV+ hybrid tech arriving at the same time as the Q6, “because what we have to think about is whether it’s just going to be battery electrics going forward.”“The market has switched around a little bit, I think the spike in battery electric sales where everyone was saying it was going to be fifty per cent of the market that’s simply not the case anymore.”“Q4 and Q6 are important because it adds volume to our battery electrics - we need that, and we need plug-in hybrids as well because the C02 targets are now there.”“You’re not so reliant on a BEV if you have a PHEV. It’s our clear direction to have something for every customer in every segment.”Not every brand has managed to navigate the tightrope of emerging technologies quite the same way. BMW has led the way with its competitively priced and well-received electric cars, although its plug-in hybrids have struggled. BMW leads the German three, amassing a whopping 25,341 units last year, nearly 30 per cent of which were electric. Over at Mercedes, plug-in hybrids were pulled from its range altogether after years of slow sales in Australia (although they will return), while its electric offerings have been shunned. It was down a notable 17.8 per cent last year, with its car division falling to 19,989 units.Audi remained in third position, moving 15,333 units. It was down a sizeable 19.5 per cent compared to 2023, which the brand is hoping its nearly entirely refreshed range will reverse in 2025.Not only has the Q4 and Q6 arrived, but they will be joined in the third quarter by the Q5 and A5, debuting the entirely new PPC combustion platform and MHEV+ technology. Other less significantly upgraded nameplates include the A1, A3, Q2, Q7, and Q8, all due before year’s end.As Mannering said, replacements or updates to some of the brand’s longest running models will give it a shot at more impressive sales volumes in 2025.“If you look at the lifecycle of our cars, some are up to their eighth or ninth year now - We’ll have the newest line-up in the market this year and it’s been a long time since we’ve been able to say that.”Will this range let it beat out Mercedes or even challenge BMW in 2025? Check in later this year to find out.

How Audi is able to have its V8 cake and eat it, too.

By mid -2025, Audi's entire model range will look significantly different.

Audi has sliced the price of entry to the 2025 Q4 e-tron by $3400 ahead of its imminent launch. 

Audi’s commitment to a fully electric future by 2026 or 2027 remains in place, meaning that internal combustion engine (ICE) development has already stopped and the current fleet of ICE-powered vehicles has between seven and eight years to run.

Audi Australia hopes the wait won't be too long for one of the brand's most significant upcoming new models.

Why Audi says loyalty is particularly important in Australia, as it leaps back up the sales charts to challenge BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

At long last, Audi has revealed pricing and spec for its much anticipated Q4 e-tron SUV.The fully electric mid-sizer will arrive in a total of four versions in Australia, across two spec levels and two body styles.Importantly, the entry-grade Q4 45 e-tron in both SUV and coupe ‘Sportback’ body style will start from $88,300 before on-road costs, allowing it to slip just under the Luxury Car Tax threshold for zero emissions vehicles, which currently hovers at $89,332. Anything with a price above this attracts a 33 per cent LCT charge for every dollar over the threshold.As a result, the higher variant, the Q4 55 e-tron wears a price-tag of $108,500 for the SUV body, or $109,500 for the ‘Sportback’ coupe body-style.The 45 variants are rear-wheel drive, able to put out a max of 210kW/545Nm allowing a 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.7 seconds.Alternatively, the higher-grade 55 e-tron quattro adds a second motor on the front axle, for total combined outputs of 250kW/679Nm. This variant can sprint from 0-100km/h in a claimed 5.4 seconds.Both variants have a 82kWh battery (77kWh of which is usable) with range figures yet to be calculated for Australian-delivered cars. The 45 variant can charge at a maximum rate of 135kW on DC, while the top-spec 55 can charge at a rate of 175kW, both of which should allow competitive charging times. Overseas specifications have models with this battery also capable of charging at 11kW on AC.Confirmed standard equipment on the base car includes LED headlights, an electric tailgate, the brand’s signature ‘virtual cockpit’ digital instrument cluster, synthetic leather interior trim, heated front seats, and tri-zone climate control.The 55 meanwhile upgrades the standard gear to include matrix LED headlights with selectable pattern signatures, an S-Line exterior styling pack, a sportier ‘progressive’ steering tune, sport front seats with S branding, an upgraded version of Virtual Cockpit, and ambient LED interior lighting with multiple colour choices.The Q4 e-tron will be the debut product for the selectable LED pattern signatures, as well as an augmented reality head-up display in Audi’s range. Further detailed specifications will be revealed closer to the Q4 e-tron’s launch.As for cargo capacity, expect 520-litres of boot space in the SUV version and 535L in the Sportback, expanding to 1490L or 1460L with the second row folded for each variant respectively.The brand confirms the Q4 e-tron is set to be on-sale in Australia some time in the first half of 2024. At which time it will compete with the Mercedes-Benz EQB (from $87,734), BMW iX1 (from $78,900), and the Tesla Model Y (from $65,400).Stay tuned for the detailed specs and range figures closer to the Q4 e-tron’s 2024 arrival. 

Audi Australia has officially confirmed its next electric car in the form of the Q4 e-tron that was refreshed overnight in Europe.