Stuff UK – September 2019

W

ELECTRIC CARS

Buy from £68,060 (with PiCG) Lease from £687/month / audi.co.uk

AUDI E-TRON

hen electric cars began appearing

on our streets, some makers

thought it best to make them

look as futuristic and otherworldly

as possible. Silly rounded proportions,

blanked-off radiator grilles and

liberal use of blue were all present,

as manufacturers assumed early

adopters wanted to shout about their

eco sensibilities... but it turns out most

folk just want a regular car.

Audi recognises this fact and its big,

brutish E-tron is about as conventional

as premium SUVs come. Stand it next to

the Tesla Model X, for example, and the

Californian import looks as if it’s been

beamed down from outer space. But

underneath the recognisable veneer

is a massive 95kWh battery pack and

dual-motor configuration that Audi claims

is good for around 220 miles on a single

charge. There’s also a bunch of exciting

new technology that hopes to entice

buyers away from smoke-spewing

diesels and into the future.

The wing mirrors, for example, are

actually little cameras on stalks that

deliver a live video feed to two large

screens on the inside of the driver and

passenger doors. It takes a little while to

get used to as the screens aren’t in the

typical mirror location – and of course,

you can leave that option box un-ticked

and go for old-fashioned slabs of glass

instead. However, Audi claims it does

wonders for aerodynamic efficiency;

and when you’re trying to eke every

last drop from the lithium-ion battery

packs, a couple of massive wing mirrors

are a handy thing to be able to dump.

SOMETHING INSIDE SO STRONG

Audi has also thrown max razzle-dazzle at

the infotainment setup, with two screens

KEY SPECS

ORange Up to 237 miles

OPower 300kW (402bhp)

O0-62mph 5.7 seconds

OTop speed 124mph

OInfotainment 10.1in and 8.6in

haptic touchscreens

making up the centre dash and the

unrivalled Virtual Cockpit taking care

of the instrument readouts, navigation

and pretty much anything else you want

to programme it to do.

And how does it drive? Well, it feels very

much like every other large Audi SUV in

the range, albeit one that emits hardly

any sound when cruising around town.

But this is largely the point, because the

German marque wants to appeal to as

many customers as possible with its

electric offering – and it feels the best

way to do that is with familiarity.

MERCEDES-BENZ EQC

Buy from £62,140 / Lease from £759/m
/ mercedes-benz.co.uk

The upcoming Merc EQC will spearhead a
massive EV onslaught from the brand,
which will see 10 new electrified whips
hitting the road by 2025.
In order to impress the Tesla crowd, the
EQC packs an 80kWh lithium-ion battery
with a WLTP-certified range of 259 miles.
Two electric motors deliver a combined
402bhp, which Mercedes claims will get
this bulky unit to 62mph in 5.1 seconds.
Like Audi, Mercedes-Benz is playing is
straight here in design terms: you’re
getting luxury motoring, intuitive tech,
some stylish design and a premium
price tag.

KEY SPECS O 259 miles O 300kW
(402bhp) O 0-62mph in 5.1s O 112mph
O Twin 10.2in touchscreens

Stuff says ++++,

TESLA MODEL X

Buy from £83,050 / Lease from £1254/m

/ tesla.com

Largely based on the Model S, Tesla’s

space-age people-carrier is driven by the

same battery and electric propulsion

system as the saloon, so you can specify

the range-topping 100D model and liquify

anything at the lights. There’s a claimed

range of 315 miles, seven seats and a set

of eye-catching ‘falcon wing’ doors that

never fail to draw a crowd.

It’s a technological tour de force, with

one of the best infotainment systems

known to man, but it’s very expensive,

it doesn’t ride particularly well... and

we still can’t quite get to grips with the

oddball styling.

KEY SPECS O 315 miles O 250-500kW

(335-671bhp) O 0-62mph in 2.7/3.4s

O 155mph O17in touchscreen

Stuff says ++++,

STUFF SAYS The very best of Audi with added eco credentials: an

EV with widespread appeal among electro-sceptics ++++,