2023 Audi Q4 e-tron And Sportback Make US Debut With Higher Prices

To make matters worse, Audi's most attainable EVs no longer qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit.

2022 Audi Q4 e-tron

Dan Mihalascu

By: Dan Mihalascu

Oct 1, 2022 at 1:46pm ET

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Audi is finally launching its 2023 Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron electric SUVs in the United States after delays caused by the war in Ukraine and the sinking of the Felicity Ace car carrier ship.

Starting this fall, the Audi Q4 e-tron will be available as a single motor, rear-wheel-drive model (Q4 40 e-tron) and dual motor, all-wheel-drive model (Q4 50 e-tron quattro), while the Q4 Sportback e-tron will come exclusively with the 50 quattro AWD powertrain.

Built on the same MEB platform as the Volkswagen ID.4, the Audi Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron are the most affordable electric models offered by Audi.

Prices start from $48,800 for the base 201-horsepower Q4 40 e-tron, $53,800 for the 295-horsepower Q4 50 e-tron and $56,800 for the 295-horsepower Q4 Sportback 50 e-tron. All prices exclude a $1,195 destination charge.

Still, the prices are significantly higher than originally announced a year ago, when Audi said the Q4 40 e-tron would start at $43,900, the Q4 50 e-tron at $49,900, and the Q4 Sportback 50 e-tron at $52,700 (before a $1,095 destination charge). In addition, the Q4 models are no longer eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit.

Gallery: 2022 Audi Q4 e-tron

2022 Audi Q4 e-tron

With the launch of the two Q4 models, Audi now claims to have the largest offering of fully electric models of any automaker in the US: five models. Those are the Q4 e-tron, Q4 Sportback e-tron, e-tron, e-tron Sportback, and e-tron GT.

The Q4 40 e-tron RWD model is the most affordable of them all, and it offers an EPA-estimated range of 265 miles (426 kilometers), thanks to an 82-kWh (gross capacity) battery pack. Power comes from a permanently excited synchronous electric motor on the rear axle making 201 horspower.

The Q4 50 e-tron dual motor AWD model offers an EPA-estimated range of 236 miles (380 kilometers) using the same battery and packs a total of 295 horsepower from an asynchronous motor in the front and a permanently excited synchronous motor in the rear.

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As for the Q4 Sportback 50 e-tron, it is EPA-rated at 242 miles (389 kilometers) courtesy of the same 82-kWh battery pack. All models offer an approximate charge time of 36 minutes from 5 percent to 80 percent state of charge on 150 kW DC fast chargers.

The 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron comes with the advanced line exterior as standard, while the Q4 50 e-tron and Q4 Sportback 50 e-tron get the S line exterior as standard. The 11.6-inch center MMI touch display comes standard on all models, while the Matrix-design headlights with digital daytime running lights and augmented reality head-up display are offered as optional extras.