Quirky Auckland mall site kick-off to crucial car’s national release.

MORE than a year after introduction was originally planned, the Audi electric car holding best chance of volume sale has unveiled on local turf – as a mall exhibit in Auckland.

To signal it is now taking orders for the Q4 e-tron ahead of public availability in 2023, a medium-sized sports utility similar in size to the Q5 and of vital importance to the brand’s future, Audi NZ has put a pre-production right-hand-drive example on display at a pop-up store in Westfield Mall, Newmarket.

The venue in the shopping precinct is called The Store and is owned by the Giltrap Group, which holds VW brand distribution rights.

In addition to being Audi’s seventh electric vehicle the Q4 is also the first on the MEB platform, the structure upon which all key VW Group electric vehicles set for NZ introduction are based.

The promotion seems set to remain in the country’s biggest city, with no word of a national tour for the first e-tron designed, priced and provisioned for mass appeal.

In respect to the latter, Audi NZ says spec and spend for this market has yet to be determined, but will be released later this year.

The display is realisation of a promotion that first aired - then was frozen - more than two years ago, when an early 2022 release schedule seemed probable. That first campaign centred on a viral push. It abruptly curtailed when it became clear Germany couldn’t provision stock, the factory at that time explaining it was concentrating on home markets and countries that were even more proactive about electric vehicle take-up.

It was the same story also told at that time for the car’s close cousins, the Volkswagen ID line, Skoda Enyaq, next-generation Porsche Macan and the SEAT/Cupra Born. The VW cars have since arrived as grey imports.

With three powertrain options, offering up to 520km of range, and in sports utility wagon and more rakish, also five-door, Sportback body stylings, the Q4 has long been touted as being the model that would achieve as a best-seller for Audi.

Audi NZ’s signal in media content today that the car will deliver a WLTP cycle-cited range of up to 498 kilometres on a full charge, running off an 82kWh battery with a maximum output of 220kW and electric all-wheel drive, plus deliver acceleration of 0-100kmh in 6.2 seconds could be relevant.

That suggests Audi here is focussing on the family top dog, the 50 Quattro, for which those details synch. The powertrain also makes 440Nm torque.

The Q$ family elsewhere also involves an entry-level 125kW/310Nm Q4 E-Tron 35 and mid-spec 150kW/310Nm Q4 E-Tron 40. These use a single electric motor to power the rear wheels, for 0-100kmh times of between 9.0 and 8.5 seconds depending on the variant chosen.

Audi quotes 341km of range from the E-Tron 35's 52kWh battery on the WLTP cycle. The E-Tron 40 and 50 Quattro have a 77kWh battery pack offering 520km and 488km of range respectively.

The E-Tron 35 can support fast charging up to 100kW, with 125kW charging available to the 40 and 50 Quattro models. The company says in ideal conditions, the E-Tron 40 can gain 130km of range in around 10 minutes of charging.

The SUV body is 4590mm long, 1865mm wide, and 1613mm tall. Boot space is 520 litres, or 1490 litres with second-row seats folded down. The SUV shape has a drag coefficient of 0.28, whereas the Sportback variant has a 0.26 Cd signature.

The car runs disc front and drum rear brakes; the latter is to enable a regeneration cycle from the rear electric motor under braking, meaning less mechanical braking force is required.

The provisions to expected luxury level. It rides on 20 or 21 inch wheels and provisions a 10.1-inch infotainment screen with voice control, with an 11.6-inch screen as an option. The driver gets a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with an augmented-reality head-up display.

Buyers in Europe can also choose from nine equipment packages, each offering different trims, accents, stitching, headlining, and door sill combinations.

Those who opt for the sportier S Line interior can choose between standard natural/synthetic combination leather, premium nappa leather, Dinamica artificial suede, and Puls artificial leather – the latter two which are created from recycled plastics.

Haptic-touch buttons feature on the steering wheel, while seat heating, ventilation, and massage function can figure.

In comment provided to media, local Audi general manager Dean Sheed cited: “The Q4 e-tron makes it easy to embrace e-mobility with Zero CO₂ emissions, great range and progressive styling.

“This model which has sold out in Europe is perfect for both the everyday commute and long-distance driving. We’re excited to be able to showcase New Zealand’s first model at our pop-up store at Westfield Newmarket and encourage people to come and see what this highly anticipated model is all about.”

Audi NZ says the display car is partly wrapped in a geometric print to reinforce that it is a pre-production international model.

It says store visitors will also have the chance to go in the draw to win tickets to the Audi Ice Experience, held at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds, near Wanaka, in August. That day includes opportunity to drive the most expensive electric car Audi sells here, the RS e-tron GT.