Yahoo Autos 2024 Audi Q4 E-Tron gets chassis updates, more power, faster charging
Carmakers normally roll out big changes at the beginning of a new model year, but Audi is bucking that trend to make improvements to the Q4 E-Tron. Halfway through the 2024 model year, the electric crossover gets updates such as more horsepower and more driving range.
The motors still draw electricity from an 82-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, but Audi explains its engineers optimized the cell chemistry to increase the DC fast-charging capabilities. As a result, topping up from 10% to 80% takes about 28 minutes "under normal conditions," according to the manufacturer. These changes make the Q4 E-Tron compatible with 175-kilowatt charging, up from 150 kilowatts before.
It's not just the charging system that's faster. Audi fitted the rear axle with a new electric motor that bumps the dual-motor drivetrain's output up to 335 horsepower, a healthy 40-horse increase compared to the outgoing system. Hitting 60 mph from a stop takes 5 seconds flat, down from 5.8 seconds before, and Audi notes that the crossover's EPA-estimated maximum driving range increases from 236 to 258 miles.
The brand adds that it improved the steering response and tweaked the suspension system to deliver better performance without sacrificing comfort. When we drove the earlier version of the Q4 in September 2022, we wrote that "handling is good enough to have fun with, yet the ride quality remains pleasantly calm," so it will be interesting to find out how the chassis updates affect the Q4's real-world behavior.
