Daily Luxury

2020 Audi e-tron Sportback: a sleeker version of e-tron SUV is coming to the USA

Audi has revealed the 2020 e-tron Sportback ahead of its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The new all-electric e-tron Sportback is essentially a sleeker rendition of the e-tron SUV with a dynamic sloping roofline along with enough room for five passengers.

Less than two months ago, Audi previewed the e-tron Sportback at IAA in Frankfurt. However, it showed up wrapped in digital camouflage. Is it a coincidence the e-tron Sportback was unleased after Ford rocked the automotive world with the all-new and all-electric Mustang Mach-E?

All we can say is the EV wars are starting to heat up.

The e-tron Sportback is essentially a jacked-up four-door coupe

Among the Germans, Audi was the first to reveal a normal-looking electric car. Truth be told, the e-tron SUV looks no different from the Q5, and this can be a problem for some people. Audi came up with a solution in the new e-tron Sportback.

Based on Audi’s official press images, the e-tron Sportback inherited the grand touring vibe of the e-tron GT, the same car Tony Stark drove in Avengers: Endgame. However, it also has the spaciousness of the e-tron SUV. Measuring over 16-feet long and six-feet wide, the Sportback delivers the presence of a family SUV.

But with a curvaceous roof, muscular body, and a third side window rising towards the rear of the vehicle, the e-tron Sportback has a more energetic and outdoorsy vibe. The familiar Audi Singleframe grille is present along with bulging hunches akin to an Audi RS model. And for the first time in a production vehicle, the e-tron Sportback also receives a gorgeous set of digital matrix LED headlights for better illumination.

Audi is offering two versions of the e-tron Sportback

Audi is offering two versions of the e-tron Sportback in Europe. The first is called e-tron Sportback 50 Quattro with a 71 kWh battery pack and 230 kW of power. The more powerful version is the e-tron Sportback 55 quattro, which is the model we’re getting in the good ole’ USA.

Now, that version is equipped with a larger 95 kWh battery pack. Both versions receive dual-electric motors and AWD, but the Sportback 55 is good for 355-horsepower and 414 pound-feet of torque. It’s enough to propel the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in 6.6-seconds and a top speed of 124 mph.

It has a boost mode

That’s right. Boost mode is activated if you shift to Sport mode and press the pedal to the metal. This signals the electric motors to churn out 402-horsepower and up to 490 pound-feet of torque for about eight seconds. The result is 0 to 60 mph in 5.7-seconds, which is enough to scare away sports cars.

The e-tron Sportback has 22-inch wheels, electrohydraulic brakes, and adaptive air suspension. The latter allows the vehicle to lower the ride height at higher speeds or raise the body by up to 3-inches when tackling off-road terrain.

It’s a long-range EV

Equipped with a 71 kWh battery pack, the standard e-tron Sportback 50 achieves 215 miles of range while the e-tron Sportback 55 with a 96 kWh battery is good for 277 miles, both measured using the European WLTP cycle. We reckon U.S.-bound models are good for around 240 or 250-miles of driving range.

Both models support DC fast charging to replenish the batteries up to 80-percent in 30 minutes or less. Meanwhile, the e-tron Sportback also comes standard with a Level 2 11kW onboard charger.

It offers a roomy and luxurious interior

Despite the sloping roofline, Audi said the e-tron Sportback only has 0.8-inch less rear headroom than in a conventional e-tron SUV, and that’s good news when fitting three full-size adults in the second-row seats. The vehicle also offers up to 21.7 cubic feet of cargo room including a 2.1 cubic feet ‘frunk’ or front trunk. Fold down the rear seats and you have 58.4 cubic feet of room.

Standard equipment in the 2020 Audi e-tron SUV includes a power tailgate, a 12.1-inch main touchscreen and a smaller 8.6-inch display in the center console, and wireless charging.

You can expect the Audi e-tron Sportback to arrive at U.S. dealerships later in 2020. Audi has yet to confirm U.S. pricing, but we reckon base prices to start at around $75,000.

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