Audi plans to give its e-tron SUV a major upgrade as part of a mid-cycle facelift
The upgrade in question for 2022 will mean a much higher range among others.
Audi’s first-ever EV, the e-tron SUV, was first launched in 2019, and since then, it has formed the basis of all of its future models. Now, it may only be a couple of years, but the technology is changing with every new day, and as a result, Audi has given the green light to a major upgrade of the flagship EV SUV. The update is aimed at extending the life of the flagship siblings, the e-tron and e-tron Sportback, until at least 2025.
Sources inside Audi have told Autocar that the upgrades to the powertrain to both the models would mean a boost in the range to more than 373 miles as opposed to the 249 miles from the 95kWh battery pack. “There will be a facelift for the e-tron SUV and the e-tron Sportback. They will both be significantly upgraded with a number of technical updates that will further increase their competitiveness.”
There are two upcoming models to be launched in the near future, the Q4 e-tron, and the Q6 e-tron. Earlier, it was said that the Q6 e-tron would replace the e-tron twins, but that speculation has been denied by an individual from Audi itself: “The Q6 E-tron will compete in a different market segment to the e-tron and e-tron Sportback. It’s smaller – roughly the size of the ICE-powered Q5. However, the dedicated platform will allow it to offer interior and load-carrying space similar to today’s Q7.”
The e-tron twins are built on VW Group’s MLB platform (a modified version), originally developed for the ICE-powered models, but the upcoming Q6 e-tron, slated for a 2023 launch, and being developed alongside the electric Porsche Macan, will ride on the new, EV-specific, VW Group’s PPE architecture, jointly developed by Audi and Porsche.
The e-tron, which has its rivals in the Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla’s Model X Long Range Plus, will launch in the second half of 2022 along with its Sportback version.
