2023 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron Review

Audi has expanded its electric vehicle lineup in recent years, and the latest addition to the automaker's EV family is the Q4 e-tron in both standard (reviewed separately) and Sportback body styles. Like other Audis with the Sportback designation, the 2023 Q4 Sportback e-tron has a more rakish roofline for an SUV coupe appearance. It went on sale briefly as a 2022 model and returns for 2023 with several changes.

All Q4 Sportback e-trons now have sporty S line styling as standard equipment. A larger 11.6-inch touchscreen display is also standard, and the available head-up display offers an augmented reality upgrade. This feature projects navigation system directions onto the windshield in front of the driver, making them appear to float more than 30 feet in front of the SUV, showing which lane to use and where to turn. Matrix headlights are also available for 2023, offering customizable light signatures.

The Q4 Sportback e-tron is a compact electric luxury SUV, and within the Audi lineup, it overlaps with the Audi Q5 Sportback. The two SUVs are about the same size on the inside, but the Q4 is a little smaller on the outside. It's also more expensive than the Q5 Sportback, which is typical for EVs.

Dual-motor all-wheel drive is standard, and Audi says it takes 36 minutes to recharge the battery from 5% to 80% using a 150-kW DC fast-charging station. The maximum EPA-estimated driving range measures 242 miles, falling short of several competitors. The Q4 Sportback e-tron faces a growing list of rivals that includes the Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis GV60, Lexus RZ, Mercedes-Benz EQB and Tesla Model Y.

Appealing design is the Q4 Sportback e-tron's main strength, followed by approachable technology and practical utility. However, acceleration and driving range fall short of the best electric SUVs in the class.

The 2023 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron comes in Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige trim levels. A dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric propulsion system is standard, with a permanently excited synchronous motor at the front axle and an asynchronous motor at the rear axle providing a combined maximum of 295 horsepower.