“More important are the tech upgrades. Five years is a long time in the world of electrification, and battery energy density is always improving. The entry-level 50 version sees its usable capacity rise from 71 to 89 kWh, while the 55 model (and performance-oriented SQ8 E-tron) goes from 89 to 106 kWh, which may be more than the coming Kia EV9. Now we’re talking.
“The motors have additionally been revised, and the automobile’s aerodynamic effectivity additional optimized. Audi claims a spread of ‘as much as 330 miles’ for the 55, and DC charging speeds are improved, too. These have gone from 150 to 170 kW, although that is nonetheless a way off the 240-kW restrict loved by the wonderful Genesis GV70 and others. The battery will go from 10 to 80 p.c cost in 31 minutes, however this time that may’t beat the EV9’s 800V electrical structure, which might do the identical in beneath 25 minutes.
“The Q8 E-tron has also gained some dynamic improvements. The steering is faster and more alert, the suspension has been finessed — all versions ride on air springs— and the stability and traction control algorithms have been tweaked. The 55 has a total of 402 bhp and 490 pound-feet of torque, and it sits between the 335-bhp 50 version and the 496-bhp SQ8. That one gains a third motor.
“The dual-motor 55 is a automobile that has an imperious really feel with out being what you would possibly name interactive. But then no electrical SUV is really working off a mission assertion to entertain — not least as a result of, whatever the chassis wizardry or engineering smarts at play, the E-tron weighs north of two.5 tons, and the physics at work are immutable.
“It’s certainly up there with the BMW iX, although like all premium German machines of this ilk, there’s still a lurking and spurious emphasis on ‘sportiness.’ For what it’s worth, zero to 62 mph takes 5.6 seconds, and its top speed is 124 mph. Not one for a YouTube-friendly drag race film, then.
“Far higher to settle right into a gentler groove, one which’s solely interrupted by a experience high quality that may be slightly agency, notably on the U.Ok.’s appallingly maintained B roads. The powertrain is silky in operation, the controls easily modulated. You can regulate the quantity of regenerative braking on the fly through steering-column-mounted paddles, or go away the automobile to take cost itself within the adaptive drive mode.
“During a 100-mile trip that mixed back roads with freeway in unpleasant weather conditions, I was averaging 2.5 miles/kWh, for a total range of around 270 miles. Although some way short of Audi’s claim, it’s about what I’d expect in real-world conditions. And tolerable.”
— Jason Barlow, Wired
Source: www.autonews.com