Performance

By the standards of any conventional SUV, the e-tron is fast. The 0-60mph acceleration time test which is used as a benchmark is covered in 6.8 seconds for the standard and 4.5 seconds for the 'S'- about the same as a decent performance car and faster than most big 4x4s. From 0-30 it feels even faster, because of the way electric motors work, with more of an instant punch compared to a petrol or diesel car. The four-wheel-drive system means it will find grip easily too, but it trails behind every Tesla and the Jaguar i-Pace, mainly as a result of the e-tron’s hefty weight. 

The top speed of 118mph is largely irrelevant in this country, and even where it is legal (such as in Germany) the battery range is depleted so rapidly by high-speed silliness that you won’t want to do it for long. 

Unlike some other electric cars though, the e-tron pulls hard when you push the throttle pedal at British motorway speeds, meaning it is easy and effortless to join from a slip road or overtake a slow-moving truck on an A-road.

Drive

Driving the e-tron is easy, and almost identical to any other Audi SUV. It grips the road well, and, although it’s not a sports car, it feels less like a truck than some other 4x4s. The main differences to a conventional Audi are a selector which allows you to choose different driving modes and paddles to vary the amount of regenerative braking.

The modes available are Efficient, Dynamic, Normal and Off-road. As the name suggests, Efficient makes the best use of the battery power, but does dull the way the car performs and makes it feel quite slow. Normal is fine for everyday use and Dynamic makes the suspension firmer and sportier. The Off-Road mode raises the suspension to cope with rough roads and floods.

The paddles control the amount of ‘engine braking’ you get when you lift off the accelerator pedal. Like most electric cars, the e-tron turns the motors into generators when you want to slow down, so the energy isn’t wasted. The amount of this braking can be varied to give your preference between comfort and energy capture.