Vehicle Layout Front/rear elec motors, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV Engine/Transmission Axially parallel, asynchronous front AC electric motor and coaxial
asynchronous rear AC electric motor/1-speed auto Curb Weight (F/R Dist) 5,844 lb (50/50%) Wheelbase 115.1 in Length x Width x Height 193.0 x 76.2 x 65.5 in
Energy Consumption, City/Hwy 46/46 kW-hr/100 miles CO2 Emissions, Comb 0.00 lb/mile (at vehicle)SPECS 2019 Audi E-Tron
Base Price/As Tested $75,797/$84,890
Power (SAE net) 184 hp (fr) + 224 hp (rr); 355 hp comb*
Torque (SAE net) 228 lb-ft (fr) + 262 lb-ft (rr); 414 lb-ft comb*
Accel, 0-60 mph 5.1 sec
Quarter Mile 13.7 sec @ 102.4 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 128 ft
Lateral Acceleration 0.80 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 26.6 sec @ 0.71 g (avg)
EPA City/Hwy/Comb 74/73/74 mpg-eforward for reverse, back for
drive.” Judges were also roundly
impressed by the car-of-the-
future interior design and its
widescreen displays for the
instrument cluster, infotainment
system, and climate controls.
The way it drove is even better
than the design. “The powertrain
is responsive and impossibly
smooth, and the E-Tron has
some of the nicest steering
I’ve experienced in an Audi,”
Seabaugh said. De Nysschen
concurred: “It’s evident that
the Audi has been well set up
to take into account the mass
of the batteries. It carries a lot
of momentum in the corners,
but the low center of gravity
assists, and ultimate grip is high.”
(De Nysschen was announced
as chief operating officer for
Volkswagen America, the
parent company of Audi, shortly
after SUV of the Year testing
concluded.)
”Acceleration is not neck-
snapping,” Priddle said, “but
the weight distribution of the
batteries keeps the car soA
lthough electric vehi-
cles have twice won our
coveted Car of the Year
award, electric SUVs continue to
come tantalizingly close while
falling just short. This year’s
heartbreaker is the beautifully
rendered and impressively engi-
neered Audi E-Tron.
To the last, every judge strug-
gled to reconcile their fondness
for the E-Tron’s style, technology,
and driving experience with its
one fatal flaw. Several judges
fawned over its restrained yet
upscale appearance, with Priddle
describing it as “Tony Stark, but
mellowed out and subdued to
fit in instead of stand out.” Loh
fretted it might fit in a little too
well, but Zach Gale found it “one
of the most attractive electric
cars available for sale today,” in
part because it isn’t as ubiquitous
as a Tesla.
The interior received equally
high praise, especially the shifter.
“Applause for a new take on an
age-old problem: design of the
gearshift,” Priddle said. “Rest
your hand on the pad and toggleplanted, and it beautifully holds
the line on curves.”
More than that, we were
collectively won over to Audi’s
approach to regenerative
braking, which we used for
the vast majority of stopping
power and situations. It allows
the vehicle to coast as much as
possible to preserve momentum.
The system also commandeers
the forward-facing camera to
apply regenerative braking as
needed to maintain following
distance while coasting and
minimize loss of momentum as it
does so.
The weight, though, creates
more work for the suspension.
“The suspension reaction is a bit
busy,” Rechtin said. “It’s a little bit
brittle, a bit jittery, transmitting a
lot of road rash into the cabin. You
definitely feel the weight of the
battery pack, the tires protesting
for all they’re being asked to do.”
This didn’t hurt it in the dirt. Fuel
economy–optimized tires and
heavy batteries were no match
for the sophisticated computers
that directly control each wheel.
“Off-road, the E-Tron didn’t give
a rat’s ass about deep sand, hill
climbs, or rough terrain,” de Nyss-
chen said. “It just did it.”The major points of contention,
and the subject of great debate
among the judges, were the
E-Tron’s range and efficiency.
“We went several rounds in
the discussion,” Loh said. “Two
key arguments: First, how can we
reward this vehicle, as good as
it is, if it comes to market seven
years after the Model S, with 55
miles less range? Second, with
the full weight and resources of
one of the largest automakers in
the world, how is this all we get
range-wise?”
A rousing discussion ensued
over consumer driving habits
versus purchasing priorities, but
there was no getting around the
E-Tron’s relatively poor efficiency.
Whether you measure it by range
or energy consumption, the
E-Tron carries the least energy
ef ficiency of any electric vehicle
currently on sale, and that’s diffi-
cult to reward. Scott EvansPRO Car-of-the-future interior • Clever regen braking system • Gotta-have-it looks CON Less range than a 2013 Tesla • Jittery ride • It’s just plain heavy*402 hp/490 lb-ft for 8 seconds in “Boost mode”Audi E-Tron
Finalists
28 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2020