Audi Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron arrive with three power versions, two batteries

Audi's first foray into electric compact SUV territory is now fully unveiled to the world in the form of the Q4 e-tron. But wait, there's also a Q4 Sportback e-tron, for those of you who are fans of the more 'dynamic' looking rear end.

Aside from the design, the two are identical, they will ship with the same three power options and two batteries. Thus for the following details we'll use "Q4" or "Q4 e-tron" interchangeably, but these apply to the Sportback model too.

The entry-level option in the range is the Q4 35 e-tron, which has a rear motor capable of churning out 125 kW (170 hp) of power and 310 Nm of torque. This allows for 0-100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 9 seconds and a top speed limited at 160 km/h (100 mph).

It has a battery with 51.5 kWh usable capacity (55 kWh gross). This can charge at up to 7.2 kW AC, and up to 100 kW DC. The Q4 35 e-tron has a range of up to 341 km (211.9 miles) in the WLTP cycle, while the Sportback does up to 349 km (216.9 miles).

The Q4 40 e-tron keeps the single rear motor but has more power, at 150 kW (204 hp), the same 310 Nm max torque, and a beefier battery with 76.6 kWh usable capacity (82 kWh gross). A standard 0-100 km/h sprint takes 8.5 seconds, and the maximum speed is limited to 160 km/h. One charge is enough for up to 520 km (323 miles) in the WLTP cycle.

The top of the line Q4 50 e-tron boasts a maximum power output of 220 kW (299 hp) with 460 Nm of torque from its two electric motors that also enable electric all-wheel drive. This variant accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 180 km/h (111.8 mph). The motor on the front axle only comes into action when high power or strong grip is needed.

The Q4 40 e-tron and Q4 50 e-tron share the same battery, which can be charged at up to 11kW AC and up to 125 kW DC. On the latter you can get up to 130 km (80.8 miles) of WLTP range in 10 minutes, or go from 5% to 80% in 38 minutes.

The Q4 50 e-tron can go for 488 km (303 miles) on a charge in the WLTP cycle, while the Q4 50 Sportback e-tron manages 497 km (308 miles) in the same conditions.

In gear D, when you take your foot of the accelerator pedal the car will coast. If you want recuperation, then you can switch to gear B, where recuperation is almost always employed aside from when the car is at a standstill. The limit is 0.15 g of deceleration. With optional shift paddles on the steering wheel, you can manually switch between three recuperation modes - 0.06g, 0.10g, and 0.15g.

The Q4 e-tron has a drag coefficient of 0.28, while the Q4 Sportback e-tron goes even further with 0.26. That difference is probably accountable for the small gains in range for the Sportback.

The boot / trunk of the Q4 e-tron has 520 liters (18.3 ft³) of space, growing up to 1,490 liters (52.6 ft³) if you fold the backseat. The Sportback model's numbers are 535 and 1,460 liters, respectively (18.8 ft³ and 51.5 ft³).

The rear wheel drive models can pull a weight of 1,000 kg (2,204 pounds), while the all-wheel drive version can take that up to 1,200 kg (2,645 pounds), in both cases with braked trailers at 12% incline, with an optional trailer hitch.

Inside you get three trim levels for the infotainment system - MMI, MMI plus, and MMI pro. The standard one comes with a 10.1-inch 1540x720 touch display mounted in the center console, while the MMI plus (available in late 2021) has an 11.6-inch 1764x824 touchscreen, and a Wi-Fi hotspot for passengers.

The top of the line MMI pro brings "the Audi virtual cockpit plus the Audi smartphone interface with wireless connectivity", as well as an AR HUD. It has the same center touchscreen as the plus version, and all iterations come with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster screen, which is operated from the steering wheel.

The Q4 e-tron will arrive in June in European markets, with prices starting in Germany at €41,900. The Sportback will follow in late summer, priced approximately €2,000 more.

There are also two Edition One models that will sell for €9,490 more than the regular ones - "the elegant Edition One in geyser blue embodies the design of the Q4 e-tron concept show car in a production model, while the progressive Edition One in typhoon gray turns heads thanks to its distinctly sporty and dynamic looks", Audi says.