Audi E-tron GT review

From £107,7308

Updated electric four-door is almost entirely new underneath, but is the recipe actually improved?

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Sitting serenely at 185kph in the outside lane of a glass-smooth autobahn, it occurs to me that the newly updated Audi E-tron GT might be the most invincible-feeling car on sale, at least before you get into the realm of Unimogs and literal near-indestructibility.

The original E-tron GT, only recently retired, had a likeable sense of unflappability to it, but not to this extent. That said, you might look at its replacement here and wonder what exactly has changed. Aside from the bumpers, not a single exterior panel has been updated. The expansive, peaceful cabin of Audi’s electric flagship is fundamentally unaltered too, although there are some trim changes.

However, underneath the fat-hipped, long-snouted body, this is, in the words of erstwhile Quattro chief Stephan Reil, who now leads Audi’s R&D division, “almost a completely new car”. Right now, there’s no reason to doubt that: the Mk2 feels freakishly advanced. Let's find out why that is.

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DESIGN & STYLING

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02 Audi RS E Tron GT Performance 2024 review front driving

So what are these changes, which need to justify a hike in base price from just over £85k in 2021 to the thick end of £110k now?

Foremost among them is an upgraded, 105kWh battery pack, which weighs 9kg less than before (at 625kg it still isn’t light) but has 12% more capacity and gives the Mk2 374 miles of claimed range.

This ought to address at least in part the old E-tron GT’s most glaring weakness, which was that its effective motorway range of around 240 miles couldn’t hope to cash the continent-crushing cheque written by either the look of the thing or the name itself. The new car should go meaningfully farther in the real world.

The maximum charging speed has also increased, from 270kW to 320kW, although engineers say the real improvement is the way the Mk2 will sustain near-300kW speeds for longer. The old 93kWh battery apparently needed to be inside a 5deg C window in order to charge optimally; the new one is more versatile. It will in theory gain 175 miles in just 10 minutes.   

Then there’s power: there’s rather a lot more of it now, to the extent that even the base model tested here feels quicker point-to-point than an RS6 Avant. Whereas the Mk1 made 469bhp in its meekest guise and 637bhp in brain-out RS form, for the Mk2 the stakes start at 671bhp in the S E-tron GT, rising to 845bhp in the RS and 912bhp in the 2.5-sec-to-62mph RS Performance. 

I know, it all sounds crackers. But power is relatively cheap in the electric age. Audi hasn’t even had to upgrade the two-speed gearbox on the back axle, and the 236bhp front motor is unchanged in hard terms. The rear motor is new, however. With an axial length of 192mm and a diameter of 230mm, it is not only responsible for the Mk2’s colossal uplift in power but is also more compact and around 30kg lighter than its predecessor.

While the standard E-tron GT and the RS version used to look largely identical, Audi has taken this opportunity to differentiate them further. As a result, the S E-tron GT now has silver triangular inserts in the front air dam, similar to Audi’s combustion-powered S models.

Meanwhile, the RS models have more aggressive L shaped inserts, which optionally can be made from a new ‘camouflage’ carbonfibre on the Performance model as part of a carbon pack. Further visual alterations include an embossed hexagon pattern for the front mask, and a redesigned diffuser with a central reflector on the RS models. A selection of optional new wheel designs and paint choices are available too.

INTERIOR

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10 Audi S E Tron GT 2024 review dashboard

The basic layout of the E-tron GT hasn't much changed. All the major controls are left where they were in the pre-facelift model, and there remains the same expansive, curved dashboard and high-ish window lines that create an ambience that's halfway between trad super-saloon and proper sports coupé.

It's a lovely space, and the enormous panoramic roof now uses polymer-dispersed liquid crystals, so it can change from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button. 

A more questionable update is to the slim steering rim, which is now squared off at the top and bottom. This is still a pleasingly classic wheel in its overall size – it's a little larger in diameter than that of the Porsche Taycan, the Audi's sister car – and twirling it is effortless, but the angles won't be for everyone.

We're also unconvinced by the new control panels on the spokes. There's plenty of functionality here, but the proper buttons of the old car were nicer to use and it's now easy to accidentally change the media volume.

Elsewhere, the graphics of the virtual cockpit and sensibly sized central touchscreen have been tweaked to keep them looking fresh, and there are some new trim options available, although UK buyers have much less personalisation to play with than their German counterparts.

One change is that you can now opt for a leather-free option that swaps the usual dead cow for quite an appealing fabric.

On the S model, you can swap the usual silvery-grey trim inlays for birch wood, while on the RS Performance, you can have camouflage-patterned carbonfibre.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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22 Audi S E Tron GT 2024 review performance

When we said even the base S E-tron GT feels faster than an RS6 Avant, we meant it. With 671bhp on tap, this is an extraordinarily quick car and, of course, one with that immediacy of torque delivery that is typical of an EV.

We've also tried the RS Performance, and with 912bhp during launch control (a mere 737bhp normally), it's violently fast. When you deploy it all on a damp road, the rear wheels will squirm and scrabble slightly but otherwise deploy the power with little drama.

Interestingly, the RS Performance model has a dedicated mode in which propulsive force is doled out with even more precision and a little extra shape in the delivery, but the standard car doesn't suffer for not having this feature: it's easy to summon exactly the amount of acceleration you want, when you want it.

Working away behind the scenes is the same two-speed rear gearbox as before. It generally engages second gear when pulling away, for maximum smoothness, although if you engage Dynamic mode, you can still hear it dropping into first. It's a little quirk of the E-tron GT that adds a bit of mechanical engagement.

Elsewhere, brake pedal feel is much improved, a fact made all the more impressive given the amount of regenerative energy that’s created before the caliper gets involved has also increased dramatically, from 290kW to close to 400kW.

Like the Taycan sister car, the E-tron GT has no one-pedal drive mode, but Audi has made one concession: it gives you paddles behind the steering wheel to control the regen, even if it's never all that strong. As standard, it just coasts, which some find disconcerting, while others find it very relaxing.

RIDE & HANDLING

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23 Audi S E Tron GT 2024 review front cornering

Yet the source of the Mk2’s newfound sense of invincibility isn’t about performance. The powertrain’s instant, gloss-smooth and perfectly precise dispensation of torque doesn’t hurt, of course, and neither does fine visibility and the excellent, broadly adjustable pseudo-bucket seats. But the real difference is made by the new active suspension, which Audi and Porsche began developing together in 2018.

It isn't as mechanically complex as the system on the Ferrari Purosangue (in which each damper rod is in effect driven by its own gear assembly) and instead uses an electronic actuator to vary the pressure of the hydraulic fluid flowing in and out of each damper. Powering the pumps takes a lot of power, though, which is why you will see it only on electric and plug-in hybrid cars.

You first notice it when you open the door and the whole body lifts 70mm or so to ease ingress. This does look ridiculous, and you can turn it off. But there’s nothing ridiculous about how the system works on the move, and it avoids the cartoonishly exaggerated effects of Mercedes’ old Magic Body Control system.

In terms of bald numbers, the system can counteract roll by up to 2deg by tilting the body slightly into bends, while in straight-line terms it can mitigate pitch and squat with up to 25mm of upward suspension travel on either axle. The latter manifests in a nice calmness under acceleration and braking, and the former in the uncanny feeling that you could go around roundabouts at whatever speed you fancy.

Take it as read that the long-wave stuff is dealt with beautifully: this four-door GT prefers uncanny flatness to float, but the result is Mercedes S-Class good. Note also that at parking speeds it will drop a 21in wheel off a kerb with barely a ripple. But the real magic is in how it laps up sunken patches of road surface, potholes and odd crests at speed and so on.

As always, though, UK roads provide a unique challenge. On our test route around Bicester, we came across one bumpy road that seemed to confuse the system: It would lift up the body to glide serenely over a bump, only for it to then sit back down quite abruptly, thus making it seem as if the bumps were simply delayed by a second. We also found the RS E-tron GT Performance with the Active Ride to have slightly worse NVH than the standard S E-tron GT, but that might be due to the different wheel-and-tyre package. The Active Ride system is good, then, but by no means infallible.

An added benefit of the active system is that with the outer struts activated, the steering, which has been sped up just a touch, is more responsive and resolute through its first few degrees.

Meanwhile, traction is excellent, even in the wet, and while the car can quite neatly flick out its tail, it's unlikely do to so if that isn't your express intention. In fact, if the stability control isn't at least peeled back to the midway setting, it's damn near impossible for the car to get even slightly out of shape, no matter how hard you boot it. The thing just grips and goes. 

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MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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01 Audi S E Tron GT 2024 review lead front driving

Unsurprisingly, the E-tron GT has become more expensive, and perhaps conspicuously so, given the discounted rates at which the original car has recently been offered, even with delivery miles. The range now starts at nearly £110,000 for the S Black Edition, rising to more than £160,000 for the RS Performance with the highest level of optional equipment.

By comparision, the Taycan range starts at £85,600, albeit for the purely rear-driven, considerably less powerful entry-level model. In terms of performance, the 671bhp S E-tron GT very neatly (and of course deliberately) splits the difference between the £96,000 Taycan 4S and the £134,000 Taycan Turbo. As for the Lotus Emeya, in general the Audi is priced a little higher, but they are quite closely matched.

Alas, there is a caveat here: in the UK, the active suspension is available only on Vorsprung-spec cars, with anything less getting an updated version of the old's car adaptive air suspension. And even in entry-level S E-tron GT guise, Vorpsrung trim is priced at £130,30, although you do also get the rear-axle steering that so usefully trims the car's turning circle and a host of other extras. 

It's a shame, because buyers in Germany have more flexibility. Over there, a basic S E-tron GT fitted with the active suspension (€7000) and accoustic glazing (€690) can be ordered and would be just the ticket. Audi UK says it may be added as a separate option in the future.

While the entry-level Taycan comes with a smaller battery, all E-tron GTs have the same 97kWh (usable) pack. How far that potentially takes you depends on which version you choose. Given that all E-tron GTs have dual motors, they will never be as efficient as a single-motor Taycan.

On the same loop, we saw 3.3mpkWh from the S version for a range of 320 miles, whereas the RS Performance did only 2.9mpkWh, for a range of 281 miles. In that sense, the lower down the range you go, the better a GT car you get, which would be very counterintuitive for a car with a combustion engine.

VERDICT

25 Audi S E Tron GT 2024 review front static

The E-tron GT's mid-cycle update significantly moves the concept on in multiple ways. Was a 912bhp RS Performance version what this car needed? Not particularly. As usual with EVs, the fastest version doesn't add all that much to the experience. You wouldn't be missing out on any of the upgraded battery or suspension tech if you chose the S E-tron GT, and that's where the real value lies.

With the upgraded battery pack and significantly improved efficiency, this E-tron GT is much more capable of actual grand touring than the original. Find a fast enough charger and it will replenish that big battery in a surprisingly short amount of time. Meanwhile, the Active Ride suspension will keep you comfortable even if you decide to use every last metre of range.

Illya Verpraet

Illya Verpraet Road Tester Autocar
Title: Road Tester

As part of Autocar’s road test team, Illya drives everything from superminis to supercars, and writes reviews, comparison tests, as well as the odd feature and news story. 

Much of his time is spent wrangling the data logger and wielding the tape measure to gather the data for Autocar’s eight-page road tests, which are the most rigorous in the business thanks to independent performance, fuel consumption and noise figures.

Richard Lane

Richard Lane, Autocar
Title: Deputy road test editor

Richard joined Autocar in 2017 and like all road testers is typically found either behind a keyboard or steering wheel (or, these days, a yoke).

As deputy road test editor he delivers in-depth road tests and performance benchmarking, plus feature-length comparison stories between rival cars. He can also be found presenting on Autocar's YouTube channel.

Mostly interested in how cars feel on the road – the sensations and emotions they can evoke – Richard drives around 150 newly launched makes and models every year. His job is then to put the reader firmly in the driver's seat.