2021 Audi e-tron electric

Carrying over with quite a few changes for the 2021 model year, prices for the Audi e-Tron SUV start at $65,990. It is also available in a Sportback body style which is reviewed separately. It represents the best of technology from the German brand and competes against the Jaguar I-Pace, Tesla Model X, and Mercedes-Benz EQC.

Starting for the 2021 model year, there is a new base trim level offered with an Audi e-tron. This is known as the Premium trim and is priced about $9000 lesser than the Premium Plus trim. One should also note that this now introduces the SUV at a much more affordable price range and helps it undercut the price of its competitors. Even with the base trim, the car is very well equipped and comes with the following features.

Which trim should you buy?

 When deciding which trim to buy, it is very hard to look past the new base trim level, Premium. This is because, at just $65,990, this is an extremely value for money option and makes for a great entry point for aspiring buyers of crossover electric SUVs. This truck is very well loaded and comes with features like adaptive air suspension, 20-inch wheels, lady headlights, leather upholstery, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, four-zone automatic climate control, and so on. 

When it comes to the performance of the Audi Tron, there is a lot to say. There are two electric motors that powered the SUV and are located on either axle. This means that the car is all-wheel-drive and this makes for an excellent performing vehicle right from the get-go. Its motors make a combined output of 355 hp and 414 pound-feet of torque. Even though these numbers don’t exactly have some class-leading, they make the car perform very well.

One also gets the power of 402 hp and 490 pound-feet of torque for a very brief moment when putting the transmission in Sport mode. Its acceleration is extremely quick because of the electric motors being very quick to deploy the power. This results in a 0 to 60 mph time of just 5.5 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 13.8 seconds. The car is good for a top speed of 124 mph.

One can see that among the competitors, the Tesla Model X is priced significantly higher but manages to bring that kind of value in terms of the kit it offers as well. It is a significantly better-performing car in every single aspect. The Audi is not anything close to the fastest on paper or in real life while the Jaguar and the Mercedes-Benz offered relatedly good performance for the price.

How well does the 2021 Audi e-tron electric SUV handle?

 When it comes to handling, the Audi e-tron does not promise a lot. And it delivers nothing exciting as well. It is calm and composed in corners and steers accurately but fails to deliver anything close to exciting handling. The steering also feels very disconnected and this lets the car down a bit. However, we are used to electric SUVs behaving this way, and hence it is not such a bad point either.

However, it has exceptionally good ride quality due to the air suspension setup that Audi provides as standard in all variants of the car. The silence inside the cabin also adds to this and the NVH levels are filtered out to such an extent that one does not feel any bit of the road inside the car. Overall, it is not much of a handler but is very comfortable to be in. 

2021 Audi e-tron electric SUV Braking Performance

There is one big advantage that electric vehicles have over combustion engines in terms of braking and that is the case of integrating the regenerative braking setup. The Audi has very confident brakes and makes the car come to a halt from 60 mph in just 117 feet which is excellent. It also has 15.7-inch rotors up front and 13.8-inch rotors in the rear which manage the weight of this 5000 pound SUV very easily.

As we have observed in terms of performance, the Tesla manages to come out on top again. It has a very impressive braking performance, coming to a stop from 60 mph in just 109 feet which puts it in the league of several supercars. It is also fascinating that it does not have the large rotors that the Audi has. The Mercedes has slightly worse braking performance than the Audi. 

Another big advantage of electric cars nowadays is that they offer excellent fuel efficiency as well as performance. With combustion-engined cars, this had always been a trade-off but we can note that the Audi has an EPA estimated fuel efficiency rating of 78 MPGe in the city, 77 on the highway, and 78 combined. These are excellent figures and are good enough for a range of 222 miles.

Although the Audi has very decent fuel efficiency and is at times better than the Mercedes and the Jaguar, it fails to deliver the same kind of range as these competitors. Add Tesla into the equation and it is a game-changer with 101 MPGe estimated in the city and a range of 360 miles. Although we can excuse the Audi for not being quite as good, one has to observe that the competitors from other legacy brands perform better than this car as well. 

When it comes to the interior, Audi has always been a brand that has given excellent fit and finish. Things are no different with the new e-tron and one can see that the interiors are very enticing. Ingress and egress are also very easy and the seats and door openings are designed very effectively. There is also abundant space inside the cabin. The driving position is also nice.

However, some controls are a bit hard to reach and bring down the total ergonomics of this cabin. Another disadvantage is that every single system of the car is reliant on touchscreen control systems and this introduces a whole new level of complexity inside the cabin. We assure people will get used to this soon but it may take some time adapting to. Cargo capacity is decent at 28.5 ft.³.

The cabin of all cars in this category are quite spacious but the Audi offers excellent room in every room. The Tesla is the only car that can seat seven people while the rest of the competitors seat only five. The Tesla also has much better cargo capacity than any car in this class while the Mercedes Benz EQC has very low cargo capacity. Some standard features include:

• Ventilated seat type - heated and cooled
• Height adjustable driver seat
• Leather steering wheel
• Electronic multi-trip meter
• Outside temperature display
• Dual-zone climate control
• Adaptive suspension
• Parking sensors

What’s there to keep you entertained?

 When it comes to infotainment options, that is plenty on offer.

The two infotainment screens - a 10.1-inch screen and an 8.8-inch screen. The driver information display is also digital. These systems are the most sophisticated of modern technology and everything from the suspension controls to the air conditioner and music is controlled by these systems. Some features of the infotainment system include: 

• 10.1 inch and 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment systems
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
• Amazon Alexa integration
• Navigation
• Rearview camera

The Audi e-tron is stunning without a doubt. Even though it borrows design cues from several Audi SUVs that are currently in the market, it still has the most futuristic design that we have seen on Audi’s it.

The absence of exterior rearview mirrors also adds an air of sophistication and is very effective in tying up the overall design language of the car. Even in a sea of very modern SUVs, it looks right at home.

The Audi is bigger than the Mercedes and the Jaguar and shows this superiority in terms of its cargo capacity as well as interior space. However, it is much smaller than the Tesla which is absolutely towering over the competition in terms of dimensions. In terms of weight, the Audi’s rather on the heavier side and weighs 5476 lbs. Some standout features include:

• 19-20 inch wheels
• Front splitter
• Front air dams
• External rearview cameras
• LED headlamps and tail lamps
• Rear diffuser

When it comes to safety, the new electric cars have been performing extremely well. The Audi e-tron SUV is rated with a five-star safety rating from NHTSA but has not been evaluated by the IIHS yet. It comes with most of the advanced safety features available in the market today as standard features. Some of the standout safety features include: 

• Forward collision warning
• Automated emergency braking
• Anti-Lock Braking system
• Blind spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Driver, Passenger and Side Airbags
• Lane departure warning
• Crash sensors
• Side impact beams

2021 Audi e-tron electric SUV Vs. 2021 Tesla Model X

As we have observed, the Tesla Model X is superior to the Audi in terms of nearly every single aspect that one can think of.

However, it is offered at a premium when you compare it to the Audi and especially to the base model that is introduced for this model year. For that price, we still feel that the Audi is a good pick.

2021 Audi e-tron electric SUV vs. 2021 Jaguar I-Pace 

The Jaguar I-Pace has excellent performance and good looks but fails to impress in certain areas.

It has also been a bit down on technology and sophistication when you compare it to the Audi. The interior space offered in the Audi is also much better than the Jaguar. For these reasons, and considering the pricing of both cars, the Audi is the better pick.

2021 Audi e-tron electric SUV Vs. 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQC

 The Mercedes-Benz EQC is an excellent SUV but suffers in terms of cargo space and interior space due to its smaller size. It is much lighter but at the cost of practicality.

The Mercedes seems more like an experimental vehicle than a full-fledged civilian product which Audi manages to establish itself as. The Mercedes offers a better range but not so much more that it justifies as a better pick. Hence, we would pick the Audi over the Mercedes.

The Audi e-tron is an excellent SUV that presents a lot of reasons for one to choose it over its competitors. But at the same time, its range is the lowest in this category, which is a worrying aspect for many people. On one hand, it offers a great value for money package at the base trim level, but many people would rather pick the Tesla even at its premium.