Don't get us wrong - we love the Audi e-tron S Sportback... but the e-tron GT is just too complete
23 May 2022|1,446 views
Extolling the virtues of the Audi e-tron S Sportback is not a difficult task.
There's lots to go on about for one of the first two all-electric Audis to ever wear the red/silver-plated 'S' badge on its grille and trunk (the other is its 'more proper' twin, the regular e-tron S).
The e-tron S and e-tron S Sportback mark the first all-electric Audis to wear its 'S' badge In a world where most performance EVs will already deliver as much excitement as you want from just two electric motors, its tri-motor set-up raises the bar even further. With a larger motor up front, the two smaller motors on the rear axle allow power to be sent to each rear wheel individually, allowing for better traction as you exit a bend (more quickly than the passenger up front may be comfortable with).
Then there is the sheer brutality of its performance. The e-tron S Sportback made headlines when it was released for delivering nearly 1000Nm of torque (!) and close to 500bhp in 'Boost' mode.
But that's the 'performance' bit of its 'performance SUV' title; the latter 'SUV' bit also requires it to live up to certain expectations.
The Sportback's rear bench is more than commodious even for passengers above 1.7 metres On this front, the Sportback also over-delivers. Unless you're 1.9 metres, the rear bench is more than commodious for both your neck and your legs, and that 600 litre boot will handily take more than a weekend's worth of road trip luggage (in other words, more than enough for something like our recent road trip from KL to Singapore). Couple that with its adaptive air suspension, and you've got a long distance cruiser that will be dependably comfortable from dawn to dusk.
Ultimately, however, the laws of physics come into play. The Sportback is more than 1.6m tall, and you sit quite high up, meaning despite the car's performance oriented disposition, it's hard not to feel like you're sitting on, rather than in it. At 2.7 tonnes, it's also not light.
Things are much different in the e-tron GT. I didn't get to drive the RS e-tron GT, Audi's full-fat electric flagship, but even the "regular flavour" version is more than plenty.
The difference in feeling is instant when you climb into the cockpit of the e-tron GT For starters, you instantly appreciate how everything feels tighter (not tight) when you climb into the cockpit. Unlike in the e-tron S Sportback, the centre console rests reassuringly closer - in the mid-point between chest and waist-level. For some reason, even the way the digital driver's display is enclosed feels more snug.
The numbers are impressive enough; the e-tron GT's dual motor set-up produces 469bhp and 630Nm of torque, propelling it to 100km/h from standstill in just 4.5 seconds. In Boost mode, that century dash timing drops to 4.1 seconds as power swells to 520bhp and 640Nm.
But even more impressive is how ready the car is to keep pace with a heavy right foot when you're already well into three digit territory. In fact, this is where the e-tron GT starts to properly come alive - and to the absolute delight of whoever's lucky enough to be at the wheel.
The e-tron GT's readiness to still keep the pace up when well in three-digit territory is incredibly impressive The suspension set-up hits the sweet spot between stiff and supple. On paper, the car's massive proportions may appear rather gratuitous, but when you're taking even slight bends at those sorts of speeds, it starts to make sense why Audi made the e-tron GT close to two metres wide.
Because of the lack of an engine note and because of the car's incredibly stable ride, it's also easy to momentarily forget how quickly you're going. The only reminder perhaps is a bit of wind noise - but you also get the sense that you're hearing it only because of how silent the car is otherwise. If there's anything the e-tron S Sportback perhaps does better, there is substantially more weight to its regenerative brakes than the e-tron GT's - but then it's also the heavier car.
Then, the cherry on top of the icing is that you genuinely don't need to pick just one single favourite passenger to do your road trip with the e-tron GT.
405 litres of space greet you in e-tron GT's trunk, which is also fairly deep and wide-opening The sloping roofline (and this not actually being an SUV) may make sitting behind appear to be a bearable affair at best, but as a 1.74 metre tall passenger, I was plenty happy to temporarily inhabit the second row as part of an impromptu arrangement.
It gave me the time - and certainly all the space - to enjoy the full length panoramic roof, to be caught by surprise (and then laugh) at the sudden thrust of a fellow journalist flooring the pedal, and to watch the plantations and hills fold into each other. If not for the fact that I did actually want to get behind the wheel, I could have done the entire KL to Singapore journey right here.
Let's not forget the e-tron GT's cutting-edge design language as well. On the account of looks alone (and without naming names), the grand tourer already blows many of its all-electric competitors out of the water. On more than one occasion, we were given slow nods of approval and thumbs up when driving through the customs - much to the delight of the three of us in the car.
Pictured: The answer to the question of what the perfect road trip companion looks like Before the purists cry foul at what appears to be an SUV being put on the same plane as a performance grand tourer, let me clarify once more that the e-tron S Sportback is no ordinary SUV. Over long distances where both speed and refinement become exponentially more imperative, Audi's first stab at an 'S'-badged full-EV is undeniable.
But we ultimately return to the question of which car will best come through when traffic on the fast lane clears, yet will also rise up to do all the hauling you need it to; which will deliver all the thrills, yet also all the comforts that, together, form the actually hard-to-nail tapestry of a perfect road trip.
The answer is the e-tron GT.
There's lots to go on about for one of the first two all-electric Audis to ever wear the red/silver-plated 'S' badge on its grille and trunk (the other is its 'more proper' twin, the regular e-tron S).
Then there is the sheer brutality of its performance. The e-tron S Sportback made headlines when it was released for delivering nearly 1000Nm of torque (!) and close to 500bhp in 'Boost' mode.
But that's the 'performance' bit of its 'performance SUV' title; the latter 'SUV' bit also requires it to live up to certain expectations.
Ultimately, however, the laws of physics come into play. The Sportback is more than 1.6m tall, and you sit quite high up, meaning despite the car's performance oriented disposition, it's hard not to feel like you're sitting on, rather than in it. At 2.7 tonnes, it's also not light.
Things are much different in the e-tron GT. I didn't get to drive the RS e-tron GT, Audi's full-fat electric flagship, but even the "regular flavour" version is more than plenty.
The numbers are impressive enough; the e-tron GT's dual motor set-up produces 469bhp and 630Nm of torque, propelling it to 100km/h from standstill in just 4.5 seconds. In Boost mode, that century dash timing drops to 4.1 seconds as power swells to 520bhp and 640Nm.
But even more impressive is how ready the car is to keep pace with a heavy right foot when you're already well into three digit territory. In fact, this is where the e-tron GT starts to properly come alive - and to the absolute delight of whoever's lucky enough to be at the wheel.
Because of the lack of an engine note and because of the car's incredibly stable ride, it's also easy to momentarily forget how quickly you're going. The only reminder perhaps is a bit of wind noise - but you also get the sense that you're hearing it only because of how silent the car is otherwise. If there's anything the e-tron S Sportback perhaps does better, there is substantially more weight to its regenerative brakes than the e-tron GT's - but then it's also the heavier car.
Then, the cherry on top of the icing is that you genuinely don't need to pick just one single favourite passenger to do your road trip with the e-tron GT.
It gave me the time - and certainly all the space - to enjoy the full length panoramic roof, to be caught by surprise (and then laugh) at the sudden thrust of a fellow journalist flooring the pedal, and to watch the plantations and hills fold into each other. If not for the fact that I did actually want to get behind the wheel, I could have done the entire KL to Singapore journey right here.
Let's not forget the e-tron GT's cutting-edge design language as well. On the account of looks alone (and without naming names), the grand tourer already blows many of its all-electric competitors out of the water. On more than one occasion, we were given slow nods of approval and thumbs up when driving through the customs - much to the delight of the three of us in the car.
But we ultimately return to the question of which car will best come through when traffic on the fast lane clears, yet will also rise up to do all the hauling you need it to; which will deliver all the thrills, yet also all the comforts that, together, form the actually hard-to-nail tapestry of a perfect road trip.
The answer is the e-tron GT.
Extolling the virtues of the Audi e-tron S Sportback is not a difficult task.
There's lots to go on about for one of the first two all-electric Audis to ever wear the red/silver-plated 'S' badge on its grille and trunk (the other is its 'more proper' twin, the regular e-tron S).
The e-tron S and e-tron S Sportback mark the first all-electric Audis to wear its 'S' badge In a world where most performance EVs will already deliver as much excitement as you want from just two electric motors, its tri-motor set-up raises the bar even further. With a larger motor up front, the two smaller motors on the rear axle allow power to be sent to each rear wheel individually, allowing for better traction as you exit a bend (more quickly than the passenger up front may be comfortable with).
Then there is the sheer brutality of its performance. The e-tron S Sportback made headlines when it was released for delivering nearly 1000Nm of torque (!) and close to 500bhp in 'Boost' mode.
But that's the 'performance' bit of its 'performance SUV' title; the latter 'SUV' bit also requires it to live up to certain expectations.
The Sportback's rear bench is more than commodious even for passengers above 1.7 metres On this front, the Sportback also over-delivers. Unless you're 1.9 metres, the rear bench is more than commodious for both your neck and your legs, and that 600 litre boot will handily take more than a weekend's worth of road trip luggage (in other words, more than enough for something like our recent road trip from KL to Singapore). Couple that with its adaptive air suspension, and you've got a long distance cruiser that will be dependably comfortable from dawn to dusk.
Ultimately, however, the laws of physics come into play. The Sportback is more than 1.6m tall, and you sit quite high up, meaning despite the car's performance oriented disposition, it's hard not to feel like you're sitting on, rather than in it. At 2.7 tonnes, it's also not light.
Things are much different in the e-tron GT. I didn't get to drive the RS e-tron GT, Audi's full-fat electric flagship, but even the "regular flavour" version is more than plenty.
The difference in feeling is instant when you climb into the cockpit of the e-tron GT For starters, you instantly appreciate how everything feels tighter (not tight) when you climb into the cockpit. Unlike in the e-tron S Sportback, the centre console rests reassuringly closer - in the mid-point between chest and waist-level. For some reason, even the way the digital driver's display is enclosed feels more snug.
The numbers are impressive enough; the e-tron GT's dual motor set-up produces 469bhp and 630Nm of torque, propelling it to 100km/h from standstill in just 4.5 seconds. In Boost mode, that century dash timing drops to 4.1 seconds as power swells to 520bhp and 640Nm.
But even more impressive is how ready the car is to keep pace with a heavy right foot when you're already well into three digit territory. In fact, this is where the e-tron GT starts to properly come alive - and to the absolute delight of whoever's lucky enough to be at the wheel.
The e-tron GT's readiness to still keep the pace up when well in three-digit territory is incredibly impressive The suspension set-up hits the sweet spot between stiff and supple. On paper, the car's massive proportions may appear rather gratuitous, but when you're taking even slight bends at those sorts of speeds, it starts to make sense why Audi made the e-tron GT close to two metres wide.
Because of the lack of an engine note and because of the car's incredibly stable ride, it's also easy to momentarily forget how quickly you're going. The only reminder perhaps is a bit of wind noise - but you also get the sense that you're hearing it only because of how silent the car is otherwise. If there's anything the e-tron S Sportback perhaps does better, there is substantially more weight to its regenerative brakes than the e-tron GT's - but then it's also the heavier car.
Then, the cherry on top of the icing is that you genuinely don't need to pick just one single favourite passenger to do your road trip with the e-tron GT.
405 litres of space greet you in e-tron GT's trunk, which is also fairly deep and wide-opening The sloping roofline (and this not actually being an SUV) may make sitting behind appear to be a bearable affair at best, but as a 1.74 metre tall passenger, I was plenty happy to temporarily inhabit the second row as part of an impromptu arrangement.
It gave me the time - and certainly all the space - to enjoy the full length panoramic roof, to be caught by surprise (and then laugh) at the sudden thrust of a fellow journalist flooring the pedal, and to watch the plantations and hills fold into each other. If not for the fact that I did actually want to get behind the wheel, I could have done the entire KL to Singapore journey right here.
Let's not forget the e-tron GT's cutting-edge design language as well. On the account of looks alone (and without naming names), the grand tourer already blows many of its all-electric competitors out of the water. On more than one occasion, we were given slow nods of approval and thumbs up when driving through the customs - much to the delight of the three of us in the car.
Pictured: The answer to the question of what the perfect road trip companion looks like Before the purists cry foul at what appears to be an SUV being put on the same plane as a performance grand tourer, let me clarify once more that the e-tron S Sportback is no ordinary SUV. Over long distances where both speed and refinement become exponentially more imperative, Audi's first stab at an 'S'-badged full-EV is undeniable.
But we ultimately return to the question of which car will best come through when traffic on the fast lane clears, yet will also rise up to do all the hauling you need it to; which will deliver all the thrills, yet also all the comforts that, together, form the actually hard-to-nail tapestry of a perfect road trip.
The answer is the e-tron GT.
There's lots to go on about for one of the first two all-electric Audis to ever wear the red/silver-plated 'S' badge on its grille and trunk (the other is its 'more proper' twin, the regular e-tron S).
Then there is the sheer brutality of its performance. The e-tron S Sportback made headlines when it was released for delivering nearly 1000Nm of torque (!) and close to 500bhp in 'Boost' mode.
But that's the 'performance' bit of its 'performance SUV' title; the latter 'SUV' bit also requires it to live up to certain expectations.
Ultimately, however, the laws of physics come into play. The Sportback is more than 1.6m tall, and you sit quite high up, meaning despite the car's performance oriented disposition, it's hard not to feel like you're sitting on, rather than in it. At 2.7 tonnes, it's also not light.
Things are much different in the e-tron GT. I didn't get to drive the RS e-tron GT, Audi's full-fat electric flagship, but even the "regular flavour" version is more than plenty.
The numbers are impressive enough; the e-tron GT's dual motor set-up produces 469bhp and 630Nm of torque, propelling it to 100km/h from standstill in just 4.5 seconds. In Boost mode, that century dash timing drops to 4.1 seconds as power swells to 520bhp and 640Nm.
But even more impressive is how ready the car is to keep pace with a heavy right foot when you're already well into three digit territory. In fact, this is where the e-tron GT starts to properly come alive - and to the absolute delight of whoever's lucky enough to be at the wheel.
Because of the lack of an engine note and because of the car's incredibly stable ride, it's also easy to momentarily forget how quickly you're going. The only reminder perhaps is a bit of wind noise - but you also get the sense that you're hearing it only because of how silent the car is otherwise. If there's anything the e-tron S Sportback perhaps does better, there is substantially more weight to its regenerative brakes than the e-tron GT's - but then it's also the heavier car.
Then, the cherry on top of the icing is that you genuinely don't need to pick just one single favourite passenger to do your road trip with the e-tron GT.
It gave me the time - and certainly all the space - to enjoy the full length panoramic roof, to be caught by surprise (and then laugh) at the sudden thrust of a fellow journalist flooring the pedal, and to watch the plantations and hills fold into each other. If not for the fact that I did actually want to get behind the wheel, I could have done the entire KL to Singapore journey right here.
Let's not forget the e-tron GT's cutting-edge design language as well. On the account of looks alone (and without naming names), the grand tourer already blows many of its all-electric competitors out of the water. On more than one occasion, we were given slow nods of approval and thumbs up when driving through the customs - much to the delight of the three of us in the car.
But we ultimately return to the question of which car will best come through when traffic on the fast lane clears, yet will also rise up to do all the hauling you need it to; which will deliver all the thrills, yet also all the comforts that, together, form the actually hard-to-nail tapestry of a perfect road trip.
The answer is the e-tron GT.
Photos by Audi Singapore
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