2024 Audi e-tron GT debuts with wild GT Performance flagship
Facelifted electric super-fastback packs a heap of extra grunt and can now go further tooThe number of variants in the 2024 Audi e-tron GT range has swelled to three as part of a facelift for the German luxury brand’s flagship EV.
Revealed in Europe today and now comprising the S e-tron GT, RS e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT Performance, Audi’s upgraded battery-electric grand touring fastback line-up is expected to arrive Down Under in the closing stages of 2024 or early 2025.
And the big news is it will bring mildly refreshed exterior and interior designs, more power, bigger and more advanced batteries and revised suspension settings.
All versions pack the same 105kWh battery pack as seen in the latest Porsche Taycan – up from 93.4kWh and with new cell chemistry – which gifts the S e-tron GT a maximum WLTP range of up to 602km – an improvement of 120km.
The new battery can also be charged at up to 320kW when using a DC fast-charger (up from 270kW), yielding a 10-80 per cent charge in 18 minutes, and is 9kg lighter than the previous unit.
Renamed from the familiar ‘e-tron GT’ to ‘S e-tron GT’, the updated base model earns its new prefix with a healthy 500kW of power (+125kW), allowing it to spring from 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds and top out at 245km/h.
The RS e-tron GT has also had a power bump, this time up to 630kW (+155kW), and now dispatches the 0-100km/h sprint in just 2.8sec, says Audi.
That’s nothing compared to the new RS e-tron Performance, however, which packs 680kW and is claimed to hit 100km/h in just 2.5sec, making it both Audi’s quickest and most powerful production model to date – but still 0.1sec slower to 100km/h than its more powerful Taycan Turbo GT sister model.
Both RS versions have a top speed of 250km/h.
Accompanying the improved accelerative capabilities is a bigger new braking system comprising steel discs on the S e-tron GT, tungsten carbide-coated rotors on the RS and carbon-ceramic discs on the Performance.
The familiar adaptive air suspension has been overhauled as part of the 2024 update and now sports ‘2-chamber/2-valve’ technology, which Audi says improves cornering dynamics without impeding ride comfort.
A new steering ratio makes for quicker turn-in and lighter steering in the default setting; S e-tron GT drivers can configure and save their own individual set-up (chassis, powertrain, steering, etc), while the RS siblings get two individual modes.
The RS e-tron Performance also gets a unique ‘performance’ mode on top of the custom modes and the familiar efficiency, comfort and dynamic modes.
Other enhancements include a dedicated battery display for the Audi Virtual Cockpit (digital instrument cluster), redesigned alloy wheels, seats, steering wheel, entry sills and graphics, plus a boost mode, more powerful regenerative braking (400kW versus 290kW) and a more efficient battery pre-conditioning system.
Australian pricing and specification details will be announced closer to the facelifted and expanded e-tron GT line-up’s local release in roughly six to nine months (Audi Australia is yet to lock in a concrete ETA).
The upgraded model will almost certainly be more expensive than the current e-tron GTs, which range from $182,400 to $251,100 plus on-road costs, however, the new RS e-tron GT Performance range-topper will almost certainly eclipse the $300K mark.
Related: Hot Audi wagons are here to stay
Related: Audi e-tron 2022 Long-Term Review
Related: Supply limitations and decontenting for Audi e-tron S
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
