2019 Audi e-tron electric

A 95 kWh battery pack is there to back you up for up to 204 miles which are decent and have enough grunt coupled with the Quattro all-wheel-drive system to keep you running. The cabin insulation has been done great as the outside noise is hardly audible. The car offers good practicality and comfort for both everyday city or highway rides. The 2019 Audi e-Tron competes with the other market-leading EVs like the 2019 Tesla Model X and the 2019 Jaguar I-Pace.

A new 2019 e-Tron for sale is available at a base price of $77,745 and offers all the features that come standard and is very accessible in that matter. The standard features include dual AC electric motors, power seat adjustability, power tailgate, fully digital instrument cluster, four-zone climate control, etc. Being available in two trim options only, the Prestige trim is priced at $85,595 and gets all the standard features including the trim-specific specifications like cabin air filtration, heads-up display, massage functions for the front seats, etc. It is host to an upgraded suite of safety specifications which holds a lot of active safety features, and a few packages that unlock the heated steering wheel and rear seats for extended comfort.

Which trim should you buy?

For the majority of the crowd, the 2019 Audi E-Tron Premium Plus is a better value for the price it is asking. The list of features available as a base trim is impressive including many safety features and a few luxury bits. The Prestige trim is for the crowd who wants to experience premium features inside the cabin with the added luxury. However, with the availability of the Quattro drive system as standard and a number of optional packages to choose from, the base variant makes for a viable proposition. 

Powering the 2019 Audi e-Tron is a dual asynchronous electric motor coupled with a 95 kWh battery pack, producing 355 horsepower and 414 pound-feet of max torque through the Quattro all-wheel-drive system and direct drive transmission. The power can be boosted to a whopping 402 horsepower if you turn on sport mode on the e-Tron. The power delivery is smooth and does not feel intimidating and will invite a mature crowd towards it.

With all this power, the e-Tron does perform decently with a 0 to 60 mph coming up in just 5.5 seconds which is fast but not competition-leading. The car tops out at 124 miles per hour which is decent for the competition. Audi has included fast-charging technology with the e-Tron which is a 150-kW DC that is capable of charging the big 95 kWh battery up to 80% in just 30 minutes.

The 2019 Model X is just class-leading with 518 horsepower and the fastest 0-60 MPH acceleration of 3.4 seconds but has the highest price tag. The Jaguar I-Pace is not far behind with its most torquey motor at 512lb.-ft and dominates the quarter-mile run in the competition clocking 12.9 seconds. The e-Tron on the other hand is not slow but cannot stand the competition because of its smooth acceleration.

How well does the 2019 Audi e-Tron handle?

German automakers have always been known for their class-leading handling dynamics and the e-Tron is no less. The addition of adaptive air suspension with precision steering capabilities makes the car handle excellently, taking down corners easily, and also serves great high-speed stability. Although, the car might feel a bit lazy when it comes to high speed overtakes because of its higher curb weight making the car feel a bit underpowered in the competition. In addition to handling, the adaptive air suspension allows the 2019 Audi E-Tron to manage a supple ride quality even over rough terrains, making it dynamic and versatile in its performance.

Braking Performance

The braking performance has been decent with the e-Tron with 15.7 inches front and 13.8 inches rear brake rotors. Audi has excluded the regenerative braking, canceling the one-pedal drive system available on most of the competition. Nevertheless, the hefty curb weight is a big disadvantage and so is the feeling of hardness on the brakes, but big front brake rotors will make the e-Tron stop at a similar distance as the competition.

The Jaguar seems to offer the best-in-class braking performance and comes to a halt in 112ft. It has the lowest curb weight in the competition which contributes to the shortest braking distance. The Audi on the other hand does not have the 60-0 timings and is predicted to perform similarly to the Tesla which has a smaller front brake rotor measuring 14.0 inches and covers 133ft of ground before coming to a standstill.

For the low power generating electric motor and a big battery pack of the 2019 Audi e-Tron, we expected that the efficiency would a hit but instead, it takes a hit probably because of the hefty curb weight. This mid-size SUV delivers 74 MPGe in the city, 73 MPGe on the highways, and a combined MPGe of 73 for both the city and highway. The numbers are very decent but could have been better, especially when compared to the rivals. This contributes to the lower overall range which is just 204 miles per full charge. Thankfully, the charging is fast and it takes 30 minutes to top of the 95 kWh battery.

The Tesla Model X offers best-in-class mileage, that too while packing the smallest battery capacity of 75Kwh, in the competition. This proves Tesla’s efficiency over the other two cars in the segment. The 2019 Jaguar I-Pace and the 2019 Audi e-Tron deliver almost similar mileage but the prior option is a bit better in the overall efficiency and range. However, when Tesla’s combined efficiency of 90 MPG is equated with its battery capacity and short charging time, it manages the highest range of 305 miles. 

While the other aspects of the e-Tron scream “mediocre”, the interior of the 2019 Audi e-Tron is one of the best in the segment. The cabin is filled with luxury bits and does hold every piece of technology the competition offers and sometimes even better. The dashboard is made of high-quality materials including leather and holds two infotainment screens at the center and a fully digital “virtual cockpit” instrument cluster which has a beautiful interface and offers extensive customizations. The steering wheel has a sporty appeal and comes leather-wrapped. The door panels and the center armrest has stitched leather and soft-touch materials which take the opulence to another level.

The cabin has a seating capacity of up to 5 people. Both the rows come with leather-wrapped seats with the front getting heated and power-adjustable ones. Talking about the overall spaciousness, the cabin is very balanced in that matter. Both the front and rear rows offer enough room for the head, shoulder, and legs. The car also sports decent practicality by sporting 28 cubic feet of cargo capacity which is enough to pack a few duffels and trolleys or your everyday luggage with ease and is the highest in the segment. It also has a few spaces in the central armrest and glove box for additional storage.

All three cars in the segment offer extensive cabin spaciousness with the Tesla Model X hitting the top with the front row dimensions. The e-Tron offers more balanced dimensions overall with a better rear row shoulder and legroom which lacks in the other two and with that comes a decent cargo capacity. The 2019 Jaguar I-Pace on the other hand offers a bit cramped rear row and the lowest cargo capacity in the segment at 25.3 cubic feet. A few of the interior standout features that the e-Tron packs inside its cabin are:

• Leather seats with heating and cooling system for the front
• Power-adjustable front seats with lumbar and memory functions
• LED ambient lighting
• Quad-zone automatic climate control
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel with multi-function buttons
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Wireless charging

What’s there to keep you entertained?

If you are a tech-savvy person then Audi has got you covered with its MMI infotainment system coupled with a 10.1-inch and an 8.6-inch touchscreen display. The bigger screen is the main infotainment screen which offers loads of customizations and has good viewing angles. The secondary screen is for adjusting the HVAC controls and truth to be told the touch sensitivity of the screen is not bad but is quite laggy and it’s better to adjust temperatures from the manual knobs. The system can be voice-operated and can detect handwritings through the secondary screen. The system comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for seamless phone connectivity, Bluetooth, navigation support, and other features which are just pointed below:

• 10.1-inch main and 8.6-inch secondary touchscreen displays
• MMI Navigation Plus
• 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium audio system
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
• HD radio
• USB connectivity and charging ports
• SiriusXM
• Heads-up display
• Audi driver’s cockpit

Sitting on Volkswagen’s MLB Evo platform, the 2019 Audi e-Tron looks similar to its Q series brothers with a few changes to make it look like an EV like the blocked front air intake vents since there is no gas engine and the rear has no exhaust cutout. The front sports sharp LED headlights and DRLs like the other Audi SUVs and also gets a sloping roofline like a coupe. The rear gets a set of LED taillights across the sides, a rear spoiler, and a chrome rear bumper. The driver side has the car’s charging port just above the wheel arch. A set of 20-inch alloy wheels with all-weather tires are equipped with the e-Tron as standard and gets optional 21-inch wheels throwing some extra cash.

2019 Audi E-Tron’s dimensions with its lowered width, slightly balanced length, and a good height with a long wheelbase make it one of the compact SUVs in the segment. The car has an impressive height and ground clearance of 65.5 and 8.2 inches, making it go mild off-road and makes a more practical option for all road conditions. The curb weight of the e-Tron is 5,754 pounds, making it the heaviest among the competition and results in a lot of disadvantages like the lack of the torquey feel and not so impressive braking performance. It sports a wheelbase of 115.3 inches which is the shortest in the segment, despite its rather long overall length of 193 inches. 

The Jaguar, among the competition, offers more compact dimensions and the lowest curb weight of 4,784 lbs with a class-leading ground clearance of 8.5 inches, making it ideal for any kind of ride and making it more traffic-friendly. While the 2019 Model X is the longest SUV on offer measuring 198.3 inches, Jaguar sports the longest wheelbase of 117.7 inches. The Audi follows up next with just a few similarities and massive curb weight, unlike the Tesla which is not a practical option for all kinds of roads and is best suited for the city and highways and packs a chunky exterior.

A few of the exterior features of the 2019 e-Tron are as follows:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Adaptive air suspensions
• Heated mirrors auto-folding function
• Power tailgate
• Rain-sensing automatic windshield wipers
• All LED headlights and taillights
• Keyless entry

Audi has been known to deliver an industry-leading safety quotient including loads of active and passive features and a tough chassis and overall build quality which further increases safety. The e-Tron gets all the goodies and even has been tested by the NHTSA where the car gets an overall 5-star rating and the IIHS has been very kind to this beast by rating it “Good” in almost every vital category and even gets “Superior” in the vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention system. That being said, the safety features offer an impressive but with the Prestige trim, the list even gets bigger.

A few of the important safety features of the e-Tron are:

• ABS with traction control
• Stability control
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Audi Pre Sense
• Forward collision warning
• Automatic emergency braking
• Pedestrian detection
• 360-degree camera view
• Lane departure warning
• Lane-keeping assist

2019 Audi e-Tron vs 2019 Tesla Model X

The 2019 Tesla Model X is straight-up impressive with its performance and long-standing efficiency than the Audi e-Tron but the build quality is questionable. This is where the latter shines with spot-on luxury and excellent build quality and is trusted more because of the brand value. In addition, Tesla bears a considerably higher sticker price making it a misfit for a large chunk of buyers in the segment. 

2019 Audi e-Tron vs 2019 Jaguar I-Pace

Both the 2019 Audi e-Tron and 2019 Jaguar I-Pace are similarly priced but there are a lot of differences between the two starting with the performance where the latter has an edge with better MPGe figures. But on the other hand, the e-Tron offers a more versatile and practical cabin experience with increased cargo capacity and a better infotainment experience where the Jaguar struggles. Amongst the two, buying decision of an individual will be rather subje

If you find yourself asking is the 2019 Audi E-Tron worth it? We might just have an answer for you.

Audi has been a very reliable carmaker with a massive fanbase. The e-Tron is new for 2019 and has a lot to improve on the overall efficiency and performance where it can barely keep up with the competition. But the excellent build quality on both the exterior and interior of the car with a lot of opulence and intuitive infotainment system makes a good package for the price. If the mileage figures do not bother you and perhaps you want a better cabin experience, then the 2019 Audi e-Tron would be the best electric SUV to buy.