Audi RS e-tron GT 2022 Review

Due on sale in Australia in September, the striking 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT will soon spearhead the German brand’s local EV range, with pricing announced in February at $249,700 plus on-road costs.

Significantly, this figure undercuts the comparable Porsche Taycan Turbo by about $20,000, even though the Audi is only a whisker short of the latter in terms of outright performance.

As per its Porsche counterpart, the Audi RS e-tron GT features an 800-volt architecture that enables quick charging (from five to 80 per cent charge in under 23 minutes), with the 93kWh battery pack delivering a touring range of 400km-plus, according to the car-maker.

Propulsion comes from a pair of electric motors – one for each axle – that deliver total system outputs of 440kW (475kW in overboost mode) and 830Nm.

Audi quotes a 0-100km/h split of 3.3 seconds, and the RS e-tron GT feels every bit this quick out in the real world. More on this later.

The standard equipment quota is generous as the RS comes with 20-inch alloy wheels, Matrix LED headlights, three-chamber air suspension, a rear differential lock, Nappa leather upholstery, carbon-fibre inlays, 14-way adjustable electric sports seats (with front seat warmers), three-zone climate control, digital instrument display, wireless smartphone interface and charging, digital radio, head-up display, 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system and lots more.

There’s a swag of safety kit in the 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT including pre-sense collision mitigation, adaptive cruise assist, active lane assist, intersection assist, 360-degree cameras and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The inner structure of the battery that houses the modules as well as the frame surrounding it are made of lightweight aluminium.

Audi claims the battery system contributes significantly to the rigidity and crash safety of the body, to which it is attached via 28 screws.

Beneath its cell space there is a compound structure of flat extruded sections through which coolant flows that circulates in its own low-temperature circuit.

The battery’s “feel-good” temperature is between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius.

As per the Porsche Taycan Turbo, the 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT is propelled by a pair of electric motors – one for each axle.

There’s a 178kW unit on the front axle that sends drive through a single-gear transmission, while the 340kW motor on the rear axle is hooked up to a two-speed gearbox to deliver snappy off-the-mark acceleration.

An electronic limited-slip diff at the rear is also standard to ensure the massive torque of the RS e-tron GT can be effectively harnessed.

Total system output is 440kW in normal mode with an overboost function that delivers 475kW for 2.5sec when you floor it in Dynamic mode or engage launch mode.

The Audi’s peak power output and 830Nm torque quota place it between the Porsche Taycan 4S and Taycan Turbo.

The RS e-tron GT is no lightweight at 2.4 tonnes, but the dual permanently excited synchronous motors make light work of their task, catapulting the big sedan from 0-100km/h in 3.3sec and propelling it to 250km/h, should you have access to a racetrack or stretch of derestricted road.

The avalanche of instant torque is genuinely eye-opening, and there’s a great temptation to floor the throttle and lift off – then keep repeating the procedure – just to experience the lung-compressing thrust of the RS e-tron GT.

As you’d expect, there’s only a subdued electrical whine accompanying the rocketship acceleration, but a synthesised growl (“e-tron sport sound”) adds to the vocals when you select ‘Dynamic’ via the drive mode selector.

The e-tron sport sound comprises two control units and amplifiers in the luggage compartment, and these generate a separate exterior and interior sound that’s generated by two loudspeakers each outside and inside the vehicle.

Data about the rotational speed of the electric motors, the load, the vehicle speed and other parameters serves as the basis for the digital sound, but it’s more muted than the equivalent feature in the Porsche Taycan Turbo.

While braking, the electric motors alone provide deceleration of up to 0.3g, so they provide the majority of retardation in everyday driving, enabling them to recuperate up to 265kW of power.

The hydraulic wheel brakes are activated only when you apply heavy brake pressure, with recuperation remaining active almost until the vehicle comes to a standstill.

The silky silence and magic-carpet ride of the 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT become evident within a just few kilometres of setting off.

Wind noise is almost non-existent, and a drag coefficient of 0.24Cd is proof that the low-slung Audi is highly efficient in carving through the air.

There’s a sliding switch, rather than a gear selector lever, to engage either ‘D’ or ‘R’, plus flappy paddles behind the wheel to adjust the level of regenerative braking rather than to simulate up- and downshifts.

Drive it sedately and the RS e-tron GT isn’t too far behind the impressive Mercedes-Benz EQS in terms of its limo-like refinement.

The key here is a suspension set-up that comprises aluminium double-wishbones at the front, while the elaborate rear suspension is a multi-link arrangement with three-chamber air springs. Adaptive dampers are fitted at all four corners.

The lithium-ion battery system is stuffed under the passenger cell, and the payoff here is a low centre of gravity and near 50:50 weight distribution over front and rear axles.

Our test vehicle was equipped with the optional rear-wheel steering and 21-inch rims, enabling the driver to exploit the full dynamic repertoire of the Porsche-developed chassis.

The RS e-tron GT is clearly no minnow as it measures 4989mm in length and 1964mm in width, and it tips the scales at 2420kg with a 75kg driver.

Even so, it has a level of agility that belies its hefty girth.

The impressive balance and composure of the chassis plus the car’s massive footprint – via 285/35R21 rubber at the front and 305/30R21 gumballs at the rear – means it takes real commitment to even begin to unstick the Audi’s leech-like grip on the tarmac.

The electromechanical steering is precise and well-weighted, so you can point the car with accuracy.

That said, the tiller conveys little in the way of textured feedback about what’s going on at the front wheels.

The standard cast-iron discs have with a tungsten-carbide coating that’s said to reduce wear and prevent flash rust – a phenomenon that’s not uncommon in EVs that don’t need to use their wheel brakes very often.

The standard brakes serve up adequate stopping power, so we don’t really see the need to tick the box for the optional carbon-ceramic brakes.

The Audi’s cabin is oriented more towards the sportscar end of the spectrum than the techy bonanzas that distinguish the cockpits of some EVs. You sit relatively low in the RS e-tron GT, and there’s a pronounced centre tunnel that separates the driver from other occupants.

The virtual cockpit and MMI interface will be familiar to anyone who’s driven a current-gen Audi so it’s easy to forget you’re in an EV as the driving experience doesn’t differ massively from the brand’s ICE cars.

The two sculpted bucket seats in the rear provide adequate knee-room and headroom for average-sized occupants, but small side windows and tall seatbacks in front of you contribute to a slightly claustrophobic feeling in the back.

There’s 366 litres of boot space behind the rear seat, which isn’t huge, but that’s the penalty for having to house the bulky 93kWh battery pack.

Two charging sockets are provided, one on either flank positioned by the front wheel. Both ports feature AC charging connections, with the passenger side (on left-hand drive cars) also offering a high-speed DC charging port.

There’s plenty to like about the 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT. It’s a beautifully cohesive EV that, much like its Porsche Taycan counterpart, nails almost all the key metrics for a high-performance sedan.

The Audi is ballistic in a straight line, but more impressive still is the sheer competency with which the whole package is able to meet the diametrically opposite demands of being corner carver and ultra-refined grand tourer.

As for the RS e-tron GT’s outrageous styling, it might lack the visual purity of the curvaceous Porsche Taycan, but I quite like its in-yer-face musculature and aggression. That said, looks are always subjective, so each to their own.

If there is a chink in the Audi’s armour, it’s that there’s a degree of remoteness in its demeanour. It feels as though you’re interacting with the car through several layers of software, which is probably not too far from the reality.

Even so, there’s more than enough substance there to potentially tempt buyers away from more conventional offerings such as the BMW M5 Competition and Mercedes-AMG E 63 S, both of which are priced in the same ballpark.

The RS e-tron GT is emphatic proof that EVs needn’t be boring. Far from it.

How much does the Audi RS e-tron GT cost?
Price: $249,700 plus on-road costs
Available: September 2022
Powertrain: Two permanently excited synchronous motors
Output: 440kW/830Nm (475kW on overboost)
Transmission: Two-speed planetary gear set (rear axle), single-speed reduction gear (front axle)
Battery: 93.4kWh lithium-ion
Range: 433-472km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 20.6-22.6kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested