Audi E-Tron GT goes official ahead of Australian launch

Official pictures and details on the Audi E-Tron GT model range, including a feistier RS variant, have finally dropped, revealing the brand’s first-ever production EV that will be here before October.

More on local pricing and equipment will have to wait, but Audi has released full details on performance, range, sound, interior, exterior – and what differs for the higher-spec RS variant. Or perhaps, what doesn’t.

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Dimensions and battery system

The E-Tron GT is one of the few instances in Audi’s stable where its RS derivative is virtually identical to the regular models, both outside and under the skin, with each variant sharing the same bodywork and dual-motor drivetrain that features an automatic two-speed gearbox on the rear unit.

From the outside, the E-Tron GT’s four-door sedan body stretches 4.99 metres long. Within that lies a 2.9-metre long wheelbase, while it also measures 1.96 metres wide and 1.41 metres high.

As for power, the E-Tron GT in both guises relies on a 93.4kWh (85.7kWh) lithium-ion battery pack. It comprises 396 pouch cells and comes from Korean battery company LG Chem. Operating at 800 volts, the battery system sits within a skateboard-style platform shared with the Porsche Taycan.

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Driving range and charging

Standard E-Tron GTs can squeeze between 431 and 488 kilometres of driving range from the battery when tested on a Worldwide Harmonized Light Duty Vehicles Test Procedure cycle, whereas RS models manage between 429 and 472 kilometres.

At the moment, Audi says AC charging is set at 11kW and will take the battery from 5 per cent to 80 per cent charge in 9.5 hours.

It also says a 22kW charging capability will become available after launch to cut that time down to 5.25 hours.

Right now, a faster 270kW DC charging will slash that time again down to just 22 minutes.

The electric motors can also generate 0.3g under regenerative braking while recovering 265kW.

Performance

Okay, now the fun stuff: power and acceleration times.

In standard guise, the all-wheel-drive E-Tron GT is rated at 350kW and 630Nm. However, individually, the front motor can in “extreme driving situations” produce 175kW, while the rear motor can hit 320kW.

For the RS, the front and rear motors are rated at 175kW/335kW, but combined they are rated at 440kW/830Nm.

During what Audi calls ‘overboost’, the RS’s combined output increases to 475kW, while the standard car ups combined power to 390kW.

What this equals for the standard E-Tron GT is 0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds, 0-200km/h in 15.5 seconds and a 245km/h top speed.

Meanwhile, the RS model completes the same sprints in 3.3- and 11.8 seconds respectively, and hits 250km/h.

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Dynamically, both variants use double-wishbone suspension and a locking rear differential that sits within the rear motor unit.

The RS E-Tron GT, however, relies on a fully-variable differential instead that’s optional on standard cars.

Externally, the E-Tron GT’s body is moulded around an aluminium and steel architecture to realise a low 0.24 drag coefficient.

Standard rolling stock for regular E-Tron GT models are 19-inch wheels, while the RS gets 20-inch wheels wrapped with tyres optimised for reduced rolling resistance.

A flat undertray and rear diffuser help split the air, while the rear spoiler, front radiator and brake ducts work actively as well. The bumper side inlets also channel air around the front wheels.

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Familiar Audi tech features in a completely new cabin layout – things like a 12.3-inch virtual cockpit for the driver, D-shaped steering wheel and a 10.1-inch MMI touchscreen sitting on a rotated centre stack are present.

All E-Trons feature Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System sound, but you can also option sport sound for more interior and exterior noise played through an external and internal speaker.

Luxury levels are high even with sustainable leather-free interior packages, where Matrix LED headlights are standard on RS models.

Audi will build the E-Tron GT in its German Bollinger Hofe plant in Neckarsulm, alongside its flagship R8 model using carbon-neutral production techniques.

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When does the E-Tron GT go on sale?

In Europe, the E-Tron GT will go on sale in March 2021 from 99,800 Euros (AU$155,688) and 138,200 Euros (AU$215,592) for the RS variant.

An Australian launch for the E-Tron GT is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2021, although specific pricing and model line-up is still to be confirmed.

Stay tuned.

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UPDATE: We've now also added a walkaround video of the E-Tron GT, thanks to German channel Autogefühl.