Audi e-tron GT 2021 Review

Although Australian pricing for the 2021 Audi e-tron GT has yet to be nailed down, information from other markets suggests that it will undercut the equivalent Porsche Taycan, which starts from around the $190,000 mark plus on-road costs for the 4S.

The e-tron GT will not be offered in as many derivatives as the Porsche, with just the entry-level model tested here and the RS e-tron GT to choose from. They are well-equipped, in compensation.

Even without confirmation of Australian-market specifications, we’re sure that the standard e-tron GT quattro will get eight-way power-adjustable sports seats up front trimmed partially in synthetic leather, along with a 12.3-inch instrument cluster featuring Audi’s Virtual Cockpit system, and a 10.1-inch infotainment touch-screen.

Those seats are heated, there’s three-zone climate control, MMI Navigation Plus, an electrically operated rear hatch, cruise control, parking sensors all-round and a lot more besides.

While both models get adaptive damping, only the RS version comes with air suspension as standard. It also gets tungsten carbide coated brakes and a rear locking differential included. Rear-wheel steering is optional on both cars.

Though the standard suite of safety systems is impressive by any measure, it’s expected that the newest safety tech will be bundled together as an ‘assistance’ pack.

At the heart of the 2021 Audi e-tron GT is an 800V architecture, allowing seriously fast recharging, at a rate of up to 270kW. That means adding 100km of range in just five minutes if such a charger can be found. Naturally, the car adapts to slower charging rates, too.

Between the axles is an 84kWh (net) lithium-ion battery pack that allows a range of up to 488km (WLTP) in the e-tron GT quattro between charges. The same battery is used in the RS model for a slightly shorter range.

Cleverly, the underfloor battery pack has been shaped to make space for the feet of rear-seat passengers. And it’s more spacious back there than you’d expect from the shape of the e-tron GT. Average sized adults can comfortably fit in the outer two seats, and there’s a seat belt for the raised middle position for occasional use.

Not so obvious is the e-tron GT’s sophisticated thermal management system. It uses four different cooling circuits to manage the temperature of the battery and other components during charging and driving. All this should mean more efficient climate control and the ability to sustain long periods of fast driving.

Active aerodynamics are included in the e-tron GT, too, including an adaptive rear spoiler and active air inlets in the nose. Audi quotes a low drag coefficient of just 0.24Cd, the result of some nine million computer simulation hours, apparently.

The 2021 Audi e-tron GT takes its significant propulsive force from an electric motor on each axle. The front item makes 175kW, the rear 320kW, and Audi quotes a combined maximum output of up to 350kW and 630Nm of torque.

In fact, during launch control, for 2.5 seconds, those figures are ‘boosted’ to 390kW and 640Nm. That allows the e-tron GT – which weighs in at nearly 2300kg – to hit 100km/h in just 4.1 seconds (claimed).

It feels every bit as quick as that, but the way it almost silently accrues more speed when already well into three figures is arguably more breath-taking again.

Sure, some Teslas come with faster numbers, but believe us: this entry-level e-tron GT is sportscar-quick. The RS model’s regular outputs peak at 440kW and 830Nm, boosting to 475kW for a 0-100km/h time of 3.3 seconds.

The e-tron GT doesn’t sound like a traditional sports car, obviously, though Audi has had a stab at giving it an interesting – if fake – sound, nonetheless.

In Efficiency mode, it only emits an external noise to warn pedestrians at slow speeds. The default setting is Comfort, where there’s a distinctive rumble emitted on the outside of the car, though it is audible inside at times, as well.

Choose Dynamic and this is enhanced further and piped through the cabin speakers, sounding like a tuned V6 in the mid-range. You can tweak it in the Individual setting through three levels.

Though the pace of the 2021 Audi e-tron GT is a highlight of the car, it’s the way the chassis uses it that sticks in the mind. This is quite possibly the best-handling Audi on sale today.

The only caveat to that statement is that our test car featured the optional three-chamber air suspension upgrade.

In the default Comfort setting, the e-tron GT lives up to its billing, absorbing poor road surfaces with aplomb, smoothing out low-speed, high-frequency imperfections, too, so it’s comfortable in an urban setting or at higher speeds on the highway.

There you’ll appreciate the acoustic windscreen’s efforts at quelling wind roar, while road noise on 20-inch Pirelli P7 Cinturato tyres was commendably low, as well.

The steering is pleasantly direct, but not nervous, and there’s a new steering wheel for the e-tron GT that’s pleasingly thin of rim and small in overall diameter.

Even in Comfort mode, the body control is good.

Nonetheless, the damping force noticeably ramps up in Dynamic mode. It means sharper edges, such as speed bumps and holes in the road, are communicated through the car more obviously, but it’s never uncouth with it. You could easily drive it through town in this setting if you so wished.

Out on more interesting roads, it’s clear that the Dynamic setting brings with it improved control over body movements. It corners flat, even under severe provocation, and there’s no unnerving weight transfer under heavy braking or during direction changes. It certainly disguises its considerable mass.

Aside from the way the suspension deals with the road surface, the all-wheel-drive system is fully variable and it’s paired with torque vectoring on the rear axle to give the e-tron GT more agility.

This is particularly effective when you attack a series of tight bends and, on the exit of those, with your foot pinned to the floor, you can really sense the front and rear motors working to provide traction. It is even possible to exit with a modicum of oversteer, without switching off the stability control.

Given the electric underpinnings of the 2021 Audi e-tron GT, the level of fun and engagement it provides may come as a surprise, despite sharing so much with the accomplished Porsche Taycan. That the Audi marries such capability with everyday usability is a real achievement.

Sure, this isn’t a cheap car, but it’s arguably worth every cent. It will give buyers who can afford such extravagances and who want to go electric another option in the marketplace, with the established mainstream backing of the Audi dealer network.

As a halo model for the e-tron brand, it’s a mighty impressive one.

How much does the 2021 Audi e-tron GT quattro cost?
Price: From $175,000 (estimated)
Available: Late 2021
Powertrain: Two electric motors
Output: 350kW/630Nm
Transmission: Two-speed automatic
Battery: 83.8kWh (net) lithium-ion
Range: 452-488km (WLTP)