Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron Review & Prices

The Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron is the swoopy, coupe-SUV version of the popular Audi Q4 e-tron. It’s just as comfortable to drive and almost as spacious inside as its more sensible counterpart, but it’s more expensive, too.

It’s mechanically similar to the Cupra Tavascan, Ford Capri and Volkswagen ID4. If the regular Q4 is the Posh Spice of the figurative electric car pop group, then the Q4 Sportback e-tron is…also Posh Spice, just in her short hair phase. That is, it’s a bit sleeker, and there’s a little less volume up top.

But it isn’t the only electric coupe-SUV around at the minute, with the BMW iX2 and Peugeot E-3008 to consider, as well as the smaller, cheaper - but brilliant - Toyota C-HR+ and Nissan Leaf. The Tesla Model Y is also worth considering, as is the Chinese Xpeng G6.

The Audi is one of the tidiest-looking of the lot, especially after its 2026 update. Neater bumpers, a sleek, body-coloured grille and intricate LED patterns in the lights work well with the Sportback’s roofline - and you get a neat little ducktail spoiler at the back, too.

Range Test: Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback v Genesis GV60 v Mercedes EQA v Nissan Ariya v Tesla Model Y v Volkswagen ID Buzz

You’ll notice a far larger change inside the Q4 Sportback e-tron, with an all-new dashboard and centre console layout bringing the SUV in line with the rest of its model range. That may sound like progress, but unfortunately, it isn’t.

While the new layout may look sleeker, the driver display itself is a massive step backwards compared to the earlier car’s unit - which was one of the best in the game. The graphics aren’t as sharp, it’s surrounded by an ugly binnacle and it’s lost some handy functions, too. Fortunately, material quality is still fairly high in the Sportback with plush materials everywhere you touch.

Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 274 - 361 miles
Efficiency: 3.9 - 4.1 mi/kWh
Battery size: 59kWh, 77kWh
Max charge speed: 160kW - 185kW
Charge time AC: 13hrs, 0-100%, 7.4kW
Charge time DC: 27mins, 160kW / 29 mins, 165kW / 27mins, 185kW, 10-80%
Charge port location: Right side rear
Power outputs: 204hp, 286hp, 340hp

Front passengers now have the option of their own display, which is as unnecessary as in every other Audi, but if you don’t want your dashboard to resemble Piccadilly Circus you can have an upholstered panel in its place.

Interior space is generous in the Q4 Sportback e-tron, and though you lose some headroom in the back compared to the SUV it’s less noticeable than you might expect. There are plenty of storage cubbies, including a pair of wireless phone charging pads and brilliant bottle holders in the doors - while the 527-litre boot is actually a smidge bigger than in the SUV. Go figure.

There are two battery options for the Q4, spread across three motor choices. The entry level e-tron can manage 274 miles on a charge, while the more powerful, four-wheel drive Quattro can go as far as 330 miles. The middle-child, rear-wheel drive Performance version is the range king, at 361 miles.

Regardless of motor, battery or trim options, the Q4 Sportback e-tron is a very pleasant car to drive. The suspension does a great job of smoothing out rough roads, even on the whopping great 21-inch wheels, though the spongy brakes can make it hard to come to a smooth stop.

It feels even more comfortable on the motorway, making the Sportback a very pleasant road trip partner. You’ll notice a small touch of wind noise in the cabin, but it’s far from intrusive. Thanks to the precise steering and plenty of grip, you can hustle the Q4 down a twisty road with confidence.

Verdict (50 words):

The Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron is a great choice of family SUV - if you’re happy to sacrifice a touch of space for a sleeker look, compared to the regular Q4. The BMW iX2 is sportier to drive and the Peugeot E-3008 is larger inside, but the Audi is a solid - if expensive - all-rounder.

Check out the latest Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron deals, Q4 Sportback e-tron lease offers and even used Q4 Sportbacks for sale through Carwow to see how much you could save. Alternatively, we also sell used Audis, and if you want to sell your car online, carwow can help with that too.

The Audi Q4 e-tron is already pretty expensive as far as SUVs go, and the Sportback tacks around £2,000 on to that - regardless of which trim level or battery you opt for. That means a starting price of almost £49,000 in entry-level Sport trim with the small battery, which is an awful lot of money for a car so similar to the far more affordable - and better-equipped - Skoda Elroq.

The Performance version costs an extra £4,500 with its larger battery and more powerful electric motor, while the Quattro is £5,000 on top again.

S-Line trim adds around £3,000 to the price, for which you get sportier bumpers, lower suspension and extra supportive seats inside - plus a sportier steering wheel. Black Edition trim adds all-black exterior details, heated seats all-round and two-tone leatherette/suede upholstery - for another £3,000.

The top-dog Vorsprung comes with the passenger-side display as standard, 21-inch wheels and OLED lights - but at £13,000 more than the entry-level model it’s really very expensive.

Every version of the Q4 is good to drive, but they’re not exciting by any means

In town

The Q4 Sportback e-tron is a very pleasant city-goer, where its soft suspension deals with potholes, speed bumps and battered road surfaces with very little fuss. Even the Vorsprung model with its massive wheels and lowered suspension is cushy from behind the wheel, though sudden potholes are a bit more audible than on the balloon-tyred Sport versions.

A 10.2-metre turning circle takes the sting out of tight multi-storey and parallel parking manoeuvres, as does the light steering, but the sloping roofline, enormous pillars and the boot spoiler bisecting the back window hamper rear visibility. At least the Q4 comes with a rear-view camera and parking sensors as standard.

On the motorway

No matter which motor you choose, the Q4 Sportback is peppy enough to get up to motorway speeds without causing undue stress on the sliproad. Once you reach a cruise, the Audi is so comfortable you soon realise you could spend all day behind the wheel. There’s almost no road noise - again, even on the big wheels - while there’s a bit less wind noise than in the Q4 e-tron SUV on account of the Sportback’s slippier, coupe-like roofline.

It’s even more comfortable at high speeds than it is in town, and clever touches like the augmented-reality head-up display take some of the strain; projecting navigation information onto the windscreen ahead of you, overlaying the real world, right in your line of sight.

On a twisty road

The Q4 Sportback e-tron is just as composed on a twisty road as the regular SUV - meaning it’s impressive compared to a lot of humdrum family EVs. It’s not exactly fun (the overly soft brake pedal robs you of confidence when scrubbing off speed), but with plenty of grip and adequately heavy steering in ‘dynamic’ mode, it’s easy to carry speed through bends on a nicely flowing road.

It’s spacious enough in the back, but the sloping roofline gets in the way of bulky items

The Q4 Sportback e-tron is identical to the regular Q4 from behind the wheel. That means you get a pair of highly adjustable, comfortable seats - especially the body-hugging items in S-Line models - and a fair amount of storage space.

Where the old Q4 Sportback e-tron had a very stubby armrest/cupholder solution the update model has a long, wide centre console which joins up to the dashboard and houses a pair of wireless phone chargers, an exposed lower compartment, a hidden cubby beneath the armrest and a pair of cupholders next to the gear selector.

The door cards are the real stars of the show - yes, really - with built-in bottle holders up by the arm rests, a very logical place for them to be. The door bins are huge as a result.

Space in the back seats

Naturally, there isn’t quite as much room in the Q4 Sportback as there is in the regular model - as a result of the sloping roofline. Legroom is fine, and you’ll fit four long-limbed individuals in with little fuss, but those over six feet tall will feel their heads touching the roof.

You’ll find a pair of ISOFIX anchor points in the outermost seats, beneath very easy to use flip-up plastic covers - which make loading in an infant a piece of cake.

Three-abreast is fine for short journeys, and the lack of a hump in the floor makes for plenty of foot space. When travelling four-up you can flip the middle seat down for somewhere to rest your arm - with cupholders down the middle. The netted front seat pockets feel a bit cheap, however.

Boot space

At 527 litres, the Q4 Sportback e-tron actually offers an extra 12 litres of luggage space than in the regular Q4 - which is surprising, given the rakish roofline. It’s worth noting that figure only includes the volume up to the parcel shelf, so if you have bicycles or other large objects to load up, the regular model is far more practical thanks to its squarer shape and taller load area..

With the back seats folded down there’s 1,460 litres of cargo capacity, while you’ll find some cable storage space underneath the boot floor. It’s a shame there aren’t any clever cubbies aside from that, however, nor is there a front boot a la Changan Deepal S07 and Tesla Model Y.

The updated Q4 Sportback e-tron interior looks great, but there are some sub-par plastics in easy-to-reach places

The pre-update Q4 Sportback e-tron had a very busy dashboard design, but the latest version is definitely more stylish. There’s a curved, two-in-one screen setup on the dashboard and a wide, premium-feeling centre console separating the front seats.

Sadly, this gentrified cabin has lost one element that previously stood the Q4 out from its alternatives: the fantastic driver display. What used to take up the entire instrument cluster space is long gone, having been replaced with an oddly thin, 11.9-inch display surrounded by cheap-looking black plastic.

Another brilliant feature, cast into the Audi factory bin? The old row of physical climate control switches, ditched in favour of overcomplicated, annoying-to-use menus in the 12.8-inch infotainment screen. It contributes to a cabin which feels less premium than in the older model, even if it’s more pleasant to look at.

The infotainment is otherwise easy to navigate and quick to respond to your touch, plus you can programme shortcuts into a swipe-down menu which makes it easy to turn off any annoying driver aids.

Audi has also replaced the old steering wheel with its annoying haptic switches, in favour of a more conventional item with real buttons.

If you opt for a top-spec Vorsprung model, the Q4 Sportback comes with a 12.9-inch passenger display tacked onto the side of the main screens like an afterthought. It’s an unnecessary addition, but unlike other Audi models, if you opt not to have it you get a trimmed dashboard panel in its place - rather than a nasty, gloss black plinth.

Material quality is generally high in the Q4’s cabin, certainly better than in Audi’s other electric endeavours such as the Q6 e-tron and A6 Avant e-tron. With scratchy door card panels and a hard centre console, however, the interior doesn’t quite live up to the car’s price at times.

There are two battery choices for the Q4 Sportback e-tron. Entry level e-tron cars feature a 59kWh battery for up to 274 miles of range, while the more powerful versions come with a larger 77kWh battery. The rear-wheel drive Performance version can manage 361 miles to a charge, while the four-wheel drive Quattro range-topper splits the difference at 330 miles.

E-tron models can charge at a rate of 160kW, Performance at 165kW and the Quattro Performance a marginally quicker 185kW. It’ll take 27 minutes to charge the e-tron and Quattro from 10-80% on a rapid charger, and 29 minutes for the Performance.

During our testing of an Q4 Sportback e-tron on the motorway, flowing country lanes and some small villages around Munich, we achieved a 3.4mi/kWh efficiency figure in a top-spec Vorsprung Quattro model. That means 262 miles of real-world range, which isn’t particularly impressive, but Audi’s claimed 3.7mi/kWh figure should be realistic around town.

As an electric car the Q4 Sportback e-tron sits in the lowest band of Vehicle Excise Duty - but it’s so expensive that only the most basic model ducks under the £50,000 luxury car supplement threshold. Add metallic paint and the optional comfort pack and you’re over that limit, which means additional tax payments from years two-to-six. Company car drivers rejoice, as the Q4 sits in the lowest Benefit-in-Kind payment rate.

Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron Euro NCAP Score (2025): 5/5

Adult occupant: 91%
Child occupant: 87%
Vulnerable road users: 79%
Safety assist: 73%

The Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron has scored full marks when tested by safety experts Euro NCAP in 2021, and more recently in 2025, too - sharing its score with the Q4 e-tron SUV.

In terms of airbags, there are 12 in total, and the system will even identify how many passengers are in the car and how big they are. Airbag deployment is a dangerous business and being able to determine how big or small someone is, lets the system know how much force to unleash the airbags with. Smart stuff.

As standard, the Q4 features emergency automatic braking, lane-keep assist, a driver monitoring system and two ISOFIX points in the back. Opt for the technology pack and you’ll get Matrix LED headlights - handy if you do a lot of night driving.

Audi came 19th out of 31 brands in the 2025 Driver Power owner survey for reliability and satisfaction, which isn’t particularly impressive. On the other hand, there aren’t any specific stories about any Q4s in particular.

The Q4 Sportback e-tron comes with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. Again, that’s not very impressive - being the minimum, allowed by law in the UK. BMW offers unlimited mileage, by contrast, while Lexus a staggering ten years, 100,000 miles - so long as you keep up annual dealer servicing.

Battery coverage stretches to eight years or 100,000 miles, at least, which puts the Q4 on par with alternatives.