The Audi e-tron has finally made its way here after a seriously long delay. The e-tron is Audi’s first electric offering for India, and it will become a sub-brand to spawn more electric products from Audi in the near future. The Audi e-tron undercuts its rivals in terms of pricing, with a starting price of Rs 99.9 lakh for the e-tron 50 (ex-showroom), which is Rs 6 lakh more affordable than the Jaguar I-Pace, and Rs 4 lakh less than the Mercedes-Benz EQC. Meanwhile the higher variants of the e-tron, the e-tron 55 is priced at Rs 1.16 crore (ex-showroom), and the e-tron Sportback being the most expensive variant at Rs 1.17 crore (ex-showroom).
The Audi e-tron takes a rather conservative approach when it comes to the exteriors, as the conventional SUV variant resembles the larger Q7, and the Sportback variant follows in that vein, except from the rear due to its coupe-like roofline. The standard e-tron can be had in the 50 and 55 variants, while the Sportback gets just the sole 55 variant. The e-tron SUV gets eight colours on offer, while the e-tron Sportback gets nine colour options.
In our review, we mentioned the Audi e-tron takes its luxury very seriously. The interiors receive a combination of leather and leatherette upholstery, a leather-wrapped double spoke multi-function steering wheel, and decorative inserts in matte brushed aluminium.
Speaking of equipment, all three variants of the Audi e-tron come with adaptive air suspension, quattro all-wheel drive, progressive steering, power-adjustable heated ORVMs with memory function, matrix LED headlamps with washers, parking aid plus, and Audi Drive Select.
On the inside, you get electronically-adjustable front seats with driver memory function and four-way lumbar support, Audi Virtual Cockpit, paddle shifters, MMI Navigation Plus with MMI Touch Response, a four-zone climate control system, cruise control, panoramic sunroof, a wireless charging pad for your mobile, smartphone interface, single-colour ambient lighting, auto-dimming IRVMs, and a lot more. The rear passengers get access to the Audi music interface, enabling them to change songs and control the volume without having to rely on the front passenger or driver.
The Audi e-tron also takes safety very seriously, offering eight airbags in the cabin, along with ISOFIX child seat mounts, a tyre-pressure monitoring system, and an acoustic sound generator with external speakers to make pedestrians aware of your e-tron.
However, the e-tron 50 misses out on features such as digital matrix LED headlights with animation projections, 30-colour contour ambient lighting, Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus, air quality package, 22kW onboard charger, the fancy 16-speaker 3D surround sound Bang & Olufsen music system, a 360-degree camera, and soft door closing, features which are available as optional equipment on the Audi e-tron 55 and the Audi e-tron Sportback.
The Audi e-tron is powered by two electric motors, one on each axle, but the differentiating factor among the e-tron variants is their battery and performance specs. Let’s start with the e-tron 50. Backed by a 71.2kWh battery, the Audi e-tron 50 produces 308bhp and 540Nm of torque, while doing a0-100kmph run in a claimed 6.8 seconds and reaching a top speed of 190kmph. The Audi e-tron 50 gets a range of 264-379 kilometres on the WLTP cycle.
On the other hand, the e-tron 55 is backed up by a 95kWh battery and produces 355bhp and 561Nm of torque, completing a 0-100kmph run in a claimed 5.7 seconds and reaching a top speed of 200kmph. The e-tron 55 has a range of 359-484 kilometres on the WLTP cycle.
The Audi e-tron gets charging sockets on both sides, and comes with a complimentary wall-box AC charger in addition to the standard 11kW portable charger which takes 8.5 hours for a full charge. The e-tron 50 supports DC charging upto 120 kW, while the e-tron 55 and Sportback will be compatible with the 150kW DC charger which will take just 30 minutes to provide a full charge. Customers can also search for nearby charging stations with the help of the myAudi Connect app. In the spirit of promoting electric mobility, Audi will allow access to all electric vehicle users to use the charging stations provided by its dealers at a cost. Audi is currently in the process of setting up a pan-India charging network and aims to install over 100 chargers in 75 key cities. Some Audi dealerships will also be equipped with a 50kW charger.
Audi India will provide the e-tron with a choice of service plans that range from 2 years to 5 years. In addition, the Audi e-tron gets a standard warranty of 2 years, while the battery is also covered under warranty for 8 years or 1,60,000 kilometres, whichever comes first, along with complimentary 5-year roadside assistance, adn extended warranty plans across a 2+2 year or 2+3 year period.
Despite offering a more luxurious experience, the Audi e-tron manages to undercut the Jaguar I-Pace and the Mercedes-Benz EQC with a starting price of Rs 99.9 lakh. The e-tron offers you prime luxury, while making sure you are keeping the planet clean and green. Plus, you also get to save huge bucks on running costs. The battle of the luxury electric segment may have just gotten more interesting.