Audi Q4 e-tron

The 2024 Model Year enhancement saw Audi install a 'PCM' (or 'Permanently excited Synchronous Machine') on the rear axle of both single and dual motor variants, the idea being to promote higher efficiency and release greater power.

It's a useful enhancement, the benefit of which at the foot of the line-up is disguised by another of Audi's silly badging initiatives.

Basically, to reflect the motor power increases made as part of this update, the old smaller battery '35' model's now become the '40', whereas the old bigger battery '40' and '50' models have, respectively, become the '45' and the '55'.

Which of course leads to all kinds of confusion since it means the 'new' Sportback 40 variant seems on paper to be an inferior choice to the original '40' model. To simplify things, it's probably best not to think of a '40'-badged Q4 Sportback e-tron at all, unless budget really is tight, in which case we'd suggest you choose something else in this segment.

That 40 Sportback e-tron model can go only 256 miles on a charge of its 63kWh battery - which is some way behind the class-leading curve.

And performance from its 204PS motor feels leisurely in light of the 2.0-tonne kerb weight. Choose a Q4 Sportback e-tron with the larger 82kWh battery most customers rightly want and the PCM system's benefits become much more obvious.

The two mainstream '45'-badged models both put out a healthy 286PS, but can be driven far further than the base version.

The rear-driven 45 derivative manages up to 347 miles between charges, while the twin-motor 45 quattro variant delivers a 328 mile range.

If you want more power, you'll be directed to the flagship Q4 Sportback e-tron 55 quattro variant, which has 340PS and also manages a 328 mile range. As long as they chose one of the 82kWh models, an owner of an earlier version of this car would find that performance of this updated Q4 Sportback e-tron is noticeably perkier than the original.

In one of the mainstream '45' derivatives, rest to 62mph takes 6.7s (1.4s quicker than the smaller-battery '40' version) and the top speed is 112mph.

In the top Q4 Sportback e-tron 55 quattro, the 62mph sprint can be dispatched in just 5.4s.

There are five main 'drive select' modes - 'Efficient', 'Dynamic', 'Comfort', 'Auto' or 'Individual'.

Plus there's a 'Range' setting for if you're running really low on charge.

As usual with an EV, you've to remember to regularly select 'B' rather than 'D' from the gear selector.

Otherwise, your control over brake regen is pretty limited - mainly via a selectable screen in the centre monitor's 'Efficiency Assist' section, which uses information from the forward sensors and the navigation to channel energy back into the battery when braking or off-throttle.

Certain steering wheel designs give you paddleshifters too, but we don't have those here.

The Q4 Sportback e-tron is definitely a sleeker thing than its standard-shape counterpart - and not just visually - the drag coefficient drops from 0.28 to 0.26Cd.

This sportier variant's more sharply swept back silhouette culminates in a roof spoiler that sits much lower on the split and steeply raked rear window, and as the area in which the air swirls as it comes off the vehicle is restricted to the zone beneath the spoiler, that area is significantly smaller than in the ordinary Q4 e-tron.

This not only highlights the more unique design of this SUV coupe, but also enhances its range by around 7 miles, while also reducing the lift on the rear. Behind the wheel, everything on the upper level is angular, with none of the elements appearing to blend very harmoniously with each other, but it all kind of works in a contemporary, minimalistic sort of way.

There's an unusual jutting lower console trimmed in smudge-worthy piano black for the neat little gear selector slider.

And, just above, the silver trimmed central fascia section incorporates horizontal vents and the 11.6-inch MMI Navigation Plus central display, with a sweep across the cabin that gets interrupted by a beady-browed instrument binnacle with a 10.25-inch 'Virtual cockpit' screen.

Futuristic? You'd say so.

Premium? Possibly, but only really if you spend some cash on a more up-market level of trim. In the rear, there aren't too many headroom compromises to go with the swept-back roof line.

To accommodate the battery, the back seat is mounted 70mm higher than the front.

Boot space in this Sportback actually rises slightly over the ordinary model - 535-litres rather than 520-litres; but capacity when the 40:20:40-split seatback is lowered falls slightly - 1,460-litres, rather than 1,490-litres.

There's a £1,500 premium to pay for Q4 Sportback e-tron ownership over the price of an ordinary Q4 e-tron.

So you'll need to find from around £49,000 for a 40 e-tron model with this sleeker body style.

You'll need from around £53,500 for the rear-driven 45 Sportback e-tron, from around £55,000 for the 45 e-tron quattro version and from around £60,000 upwards for the top 55 e-tron quattro 4WD Q4 Sportback model.

There are lots of model options if you want to pay more, with variants ranging right the way up to just under the £65,000 price point.

Yes, really. There are three main trim levels - 'Sport', 'S line' and 'Black Edition'.

Base 'Sport' variants get 19-inch Graphite Grey alloy wheels, those rims upgraded to 20-inches in size with the mid-level 'S line' trim level most customers will choose.

Even base 'Sport' trim includes LED headlights, front sports seats, 3-Zone air conditioning and an 'MMI navigation Plus' media system with an 11.6-inch centre screen.

The later includes navigation, a WiFi hotspot and Amazon Alexa integration.

There's also a 10.25-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit instrument screen, an 8-speaker 180-watt sound system, rear parking sensors and cruise control. Across the line-up, there's lots of sophisticated equipment available - much of it optional.

Like the Matrix LED headlights with their 16 individually activated LEDs.

And the bespoke Sonos sound system upgrade package.

We'd also want to look at the optional heat pump, which rapidly heats and cools the interior using the thermal losses from the electric components and the temperature of the outside air.

It uses eco-friendly CO2 as a refrigerant, which flows through the circuit at high pressure.

The heat pump can reduce losses in range caused by usage of the climate control system, especially in winter.

Its strengths come to the fore on long drives.

What about battery replenishment? Well in a world where a BMW iX3 - similarly-priced to an upper-spec version of this car - can DC charge at up to 400kW, this Audi's DC charge speed of up to 175kW looks a bit weak.

To be fair, that applies to a number of class rivals too, but few of them have price tags quite as ambitious as this Ingolstadt contender.

We should point out that the DC charge speed figure we just gave for this Audi applies only to the larger-battery 82kWh models (usable capacity 77kWh); the base 63kWh 40 e-tron version (usable capacity 59kWh) can only charge at up to 165kW. Let's get to the DC charging times.

With the 82kWh model, you'll add 106 miles of range for every 10 minutes of charging and you'll be able to replenish the battery from 10-80% in 28 minutes.

From home, a full AC charge needs around 13 hours with a single-phase 7.4kW wallbox - or 8 hours if you've a three-phase supply with an 11kW wallbox.

We wouldn't really recommend the base 63kWh 40 e-tron version of this car, but if you insist on it, you'll add 93 miles of range for every 10 minutes of DC charging and you'll be able to replenish the battery from 10-80% in 24 minutes.

From home, a full AC charge with a 40 e-tron needs around 10 hours with a single-phase 7.4kW wallbox - or 6 hours 30 minutes if you've a three-phase supply with an 11kW wallbox

Within the Q3 and Q5 ranges, the Sportback body shape tends to out-sell the conventional SUV version and much the same trend has been replicated here.

You can see why.

After all, the Q4 Sportback e-tron doesn't cost vastly more than its boxier showroom stablemate, yet makes a significantly more dynamic driveway statement.

There's no real penalty for the more slippery shape in terms of either boot space or rear cabin head room either. There's no doubt that a Q4 e-tron - and especially a Q4 Sportback e-tron - makes more of a premium statement in your office or gym car parking space than a mainstream brand or Chinese rival would from this segment.

But in a market where the playing parameters have been changed fundamentally by the arrival of new-era competitors like BMW's second generation iX3, that attribute alone won't be enough to continue to sell this car in significant numbers for very much longer.

So this Q4 needs to evolve.

Thanks in large part to this Sportback variant, this model has a strong sales base from which to do exactly that.