SUV Coupé for the e-tron Family:

Audi is staying true to its strategic alignment by presenting the second model in its e-tron product line. The Audi e-tron Sportback is a dynamic SUV coupé offering up to 300 kW of power and a range of up to 446 kilometres (in the WLTP cycle) from a single battery charge. Its digital matrix LED headlights are a new feature now available for the first time in a mass-production vehicle.

The Audi e-tron Sportback combines the power of a spacious SUV with the elegance of a four-door coupé and the progressive character of an electric car. Its roof extends flat over the muscular body, dropping down steeply to the rear, in typical coupé style. The lower edge of the third side window rises towards the rear, a typical Sportback feature.
With the octagonal Singleframe, the powerful contours above the wheels, and the sculptural rear end, the Audi e-tron Sportback is perfectly aligned with the brand’s design idiom. Exterior detailing signal that the SUV coupé is fully electric. The largely enclosed Singleframe with its vertical struts is presented in a light platinum grey, a specific identifying feature of the e-tron models. In the lower area of the matrix LED headlights, four horizontal segments create the e-tron specific signature in the daytime running lights. This is taken up at numerous points on the model and interpreted in three dimensions, for example, on the striking side sills. Their black inlays draw the eye to where the battery, and thus the energy centre, of the Audi e-tron Sportback can be found. The designers also varied the signature at the broad diffuser, drawing attention to the absence of exhaust tailpipes. A light strip connects the LED lights to one another.

The Audi e-tron Sportback 55 quattro encapsulates efficiency and performance. Each axle is fitted with an asynchronous electric motor that is fed with three-phase current by the power electronics. With an output of 265 kW and 561 Nm of torque, the two standard electric motors pack a powerful punch in launching the SUV coupé from a standstill. By shifting from drive range D to S and fully depressing the accelerator pedal, the driver can activate boost mode. Here, the drive generates 300 kW of output and 664 Nm of torque for eight seconds. This enables the SUV coupé to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds.
Electric all-wheel drive ensures outstanding traction and dynamism on any terrain. With it, Audi is writing a new chapter in the history of quattro drive. It continuously regulates the ideal drive torque distribution between both axles, within fractions of a second. In most driving situations, the Audi e-tron Sportback relies exclusively on its rear electric motor for exceptional efficiency. If the driver requests more output than it can provide, the front unit is instantly activated. This also happens predictively before slip occurs in icy conditions or when cornering fast, or if the car understeers or oversteers.
With the digital matrix LED headlights as top-of-the range equipment, Audi presents a worldwide first in a production vehicle. Broken down into minute pixels, their light can illuminate the road in high resolution. The design is based on a technology abbreviated as DMD (digital micromirror device) and is also used in many video projectors. At its heart is a small chip containing one million micromirrors, each of whose edge length measures just a few hundredths of a millimetre. With the help of electrostatic fields, each individual micromirror can be tilted up to 5,000 times per second. Depending on the setting, the LED light is either directed via the lenses onto the road or is absorbed in order to mask out areas of the light beam.
During deceleration actions of up to 0.3 g which applies to over 90 percent in everyday driving, the high-voltage battery is charged by the electric motors, primarily by the rear electric motor, which act as generators in these situations. The recuperation system provides for variable regulation of energy recuperation between both electric modules, both in coasting mode when the driver releases the right-hand pedal as well as during braking. The degree of coasting recuperation can be set to three stages by the paddles on the steering wheel and is even more strongly differentiated than on the e-tron.
When braking from 100 km/h, the Audi e-tron Sportback can recuperate a maximum of 300 Nm and 220 kW. As with its sister model, this amounts to more than 70 percent of its output and more than any other production model. Overall, the SUV-coupé attains up to 30 percent of its range through recuperation.
With a wheelbase of 2,928 millimetres, the Audi e-tron Sportback has plenty space for five occupants along with their bags. Rear headroom is just 20 millimetres less than in the Audi e-tron. The rear footwell is virtually level, just a flat step remains in place of the centre tunnel. Including the 60-liter storage compartment underneath the hood, which houses the vehicle tool kit and charging cable. The car offers a total of 615 litres of luggage capacity. Folding down the rear seat backrests increases the luggage capacity to 1,655 litres. The tailgate opens and closes electrically, by foot movement as an option.
The interior of the Audi e-tron Sportback is an elegant lounge featuring a seamless blend of design and technology. A generous arc that spans the instrument panel, extending from door to door, harmoniously integrates the cover for the Audi virtual cockpit. Its sleek display stands visually free in space. The wrap-around in the door trims also integrates the screens for the optional virtual exterior mirrors. The instrument panel with its two touch displays is angled towards the driver and therefore particularly ergonomic.
As with all full-size class models from Audi, the e-tron Sportback also features the MMI touch response operating system with two displays. Haptic feedback confirms when a finger activates a function. On the upper 12.1-inch touch screen, the driver controls the infotainment, telephony, navigation, and dedicated e-tron settings. The lower 8.6-inch display is used to input text and to operate the convenience functions and climate control. The menu structure is intuitively logical and flat in the same way as a smartphone; the graphics are clear and condensed.

The myAudi app can connect the car to a smartphone, which allows the owner of the Audi e-tron Sportback to manage all charging processes remotely. These include querying the battery and range status, starting the charge processes, programming timers, and displaying driving statistics. On long-distance trips, the e-tron route planner displays the necessary charging stops along the route, both in the app as well as in the MMI.
The e-tron Sportback will offer the latest driving assistance system making driving more efficient and intuitive. The standard efficiency assists in combination with the adaptive cruise assist, brake and accelerate the Audi e-tron predictively for optimal safety, while predictive tips and automatic recuperation make for a more economical drive. Backing the assist systems is the central driver assistance controller, which continuously computes an exact model of the vehicle’s surroundings, fusing the driver and vehicle seamlessly with its environment.
Audi New Zealand, General Manager, Dean Sheed, says, “2019 has been the year of electrification for Audi NZ, introducing the first fully electric model to market.” “It is great to see the e-tron family expanding with progressive and innovative models like the e-tron Sportback and we are confident this new body shape will be another strong seller in the New Zealand market alongside the e-tron quattro models.” Added Sheed.
The Audi e-tron Sportback 55 quattro can charge with direct current (DC) at up to 150 kW at fast-charging stations. In just under half an hour, the battery reaches 80 percent of its capacity, sufficient for the next leg of its long-distance trip.
Audi’s home installation partner, HRV offer home charging assessment services to determine the capacity of the domestic power supply in customers’ homes prior to charger install. The standard compact charging system is suitable for a simple 230-volt, 10 amp connection and the recommended 32 amp installation providing over 150 kW of “off peak” charging overnight. The optional charging stem connect will be available for ordering at market launch. It offers smart charging functions, for example preferred charging at low-cost times. The combination with a suitable home energy management system allows the vehicle to be charged preferably with self-generated solar power, provided that the house is equipped with the correct system.
The Audi e-tron Sportback, which is being built in the CO2-neutral plant in Brussels, will arrive in New Zealand late 2020. Pricing, specifications and model variants available at launch will be released mid-2020.