Audi e-tron GT Review (2023)

Introduction

When the Porsche Taycan was introduced, it redefined what a four-door electric car could do. Here was something unbelievably fast, but also great to drive, really well built and more versatile than your average sports car. But not to be outdone, sister company Audi launched its own take on the same basic structure, creating the Taycan’s biggest rival of all. It’s called the e-tron GT, and as the name suggests, Audi has designs on creating an electric GT car for the ages.

To that end, the car comes with a choice of two different versions – the basic e-tron GT and the more performance-orientated RS e-tron GT Both are powerful, smartly styled and high-tech, but the former offers a bit more luxury and comfort than its high-performance sibling. The question is, can one or even both cars step forward and take the electric saloon bragging rights away from Porsche?

At a Glance

The e-tron GT is nothing if not striking to look at, what with the jutting jaw and angular lines at the front, but the rear end is a bit more sculpted, and though it won’t be to everyone’s taste, it will at least turn heads. That’s particularly true of the RS e-tron GT, with its bigger wheels and black styling package, but both cars are pretty eye-catching.

Inside, the cabin is more conventional for Audi, with the brilliant Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster providing a colourful and useful display behind the steering wheel, while a central touchscreen controls all the media, navigation and smartphone integration systems. But Audi has resisted the urge to fit a touchscreen climate control panel, sticking with the much more ergonomic switchgear.

Naturally, the quality inside is near-faultless, but the big attraction for many customers will be the powertrain, which combines a massive battery with two electric motors. Even in the RS model, it provides an official range of around 300 miles, but the highlight is the acceleration, with 0-62mph reached in as little as 3.3 seconds. That’s the kind of pace you get from the V10-powered R8 supercar, but there are no CO2 emissions at all.

Then there’s the way the car drives. Audis aren’t usually known for their handling prowess, but the e-tron GT is based on the same underpinnings as the glorious Porsche Taycan, which helps to buck the trend. Yes, Audi has designed the e-tron GT to be softer than its sibling from Stuttgart, but it can still cut it on a winding road. Though it can’t quite match the Taycan’s brilliance, it’s still an attractive balance of qualities.

Key Features

Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital instrument displays are nothing new – they’ve been found in Audi products for the best part of a decade now – but they’re still among the very best digital clusters in the business. Customisable, clear, and completely integrated with the central touchscreen, they’re the gold standard for the premium car market, and it’s against this system that all others are weighed, measured and largely found wanting. And it’s standard in both versions of the e-tron GT.

The other big lure of the e-tron GT is the way it drives. Yes, it’s softer than its cousin and arch rival, the Porsche Taycan, but that just means it’s marginally more comfortable on long journeys and country roads, just as a GT car should be. The trade-off for that is, admittedly, a reduction in dynamic ability, but the e-tron GT is still more than good enough to provide some thrills on a race track or a back road.

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Range & Batteries

Whichever version of the e-tron GT you choose, you get the same 93.4kWh battery pack, of which 83.7kWh is usable. In the case of the e-tron GT, that equates to a range of just over 300 miles on the official economy test, and around 250 miles or so in the real world. Opting for the RS e-tron GT, with its more powerful motors, means you’ll struggle to get quite so far, with official figures suggesting a range of 294 miles on a charge. Realistically, you’re probably looking at about 230, and even less if you make use of the car’s meaty 598hp.

Performance & Drive

While both versions of the e-tron GT get the same battery pack and a two-motor electric powertrain, there are differences in power output between the two models. Opt for the basic e-tron GT and it’ll send up to 530hp to all four wheels, offering you a 0-62mph time of around four seconds. That’s mighty fast, and it can be delivered at any moment you choose, which makes it great for overtaking.

It’s just that it isn’t quite as great as the RS e-tron GT, which ekes a little more power from its electric motors. With 598hp all told, it’s capable of 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds, which is only marginally slower than the R8 supercar. Considering it has four doors and a bigger boot, that makes the RS e-tron GT incredibly quick.

And it isn’t just fast in a straight line. All but the base versions of the e-tron GT get an air suspension set-up that allows the car to corner very impressively. The steering is a bit light, but the response from the front wheels is sharp and the car’s body doesn’t roll too much in the bends. That, combined with an effective set of brakes, means you’ll have plenty of confidence in the car’s abilities, and it’ll be plenty of fun on a good road. Admittedly, it won’t be quite as much fun as the Porsche Taycan, but there’s no shame in that. The Audi runs its cousin very close.

And it has the advantage of being slightly more comfortable. Whichever version you choose, the e-tron GT is a fraction softer than the Taycan, and that means it deals with the bumps in a slightly more pliant manner. It’s still a bit firm around town – the weight of the battery sees to that – but it feels a bit more settled than the Porsche and that makes it feel more relaxing. On the motorway, it wafts along very nicely indeed.

Charging

Audi has bestowed the e-tron GT with a strong battery system that’s capable of accepting charge at up to 270kW from a public charging point. Of course, you’ll need to find a charger capable of delivering that kind of power to do that, and they’re few and far between. However, if you can find one that runs at even 150kW, you can top up the battery from 10% to 80% in just 23 minutes. 

Even if you can only find a 50kW charger, that feat will take an hour and a half – just enough time for a nice lunch. Naturally, charging at home will be a slower process, especially with such a big battery, but filling the battery from empty using a 7kW domestic ‘wallbox’ charger takes 14 hours, which means you can just about do it overnight. Not that you’re likely to come home with a completely empty battery very often. Be sure you're getting the most out of every home charge by checking out our guide on picking your ideal electric car charger.

Running Costs & Emissions

The big advantage of choosing an electric GT car over a petrol-powered equivalent is, of course, the cost of fuel. Admittedly, petrol and electricity prices fluctuate, but you’ll generally spend a lot less running an e-tron GT than you would spend on an RS5 Sportback, for example. To keep running costs to a minimum, you will want to charge at home as much as possible, particularly if you have a cheap off-peak rate, because charging publicly can get quite expensive. Nevertheless, it should still work out much cheaper to run than an equivalent petrol car.

That’s especially true if you’re getting an e-tron GT as a company car. With zero tailpipe emissions from its electric motors, it attracts a very low rate of Benefit-in-Kind tax, which makes it a more attractive proposition than a petrol or even hybrid sports car. However, because the e-tron GT’s price tag is slightly higher than that of the Taycan, the Porsche will prove marginally cheaper on the tax front. The difference will be negligible, though.

Interior & Technology

Audi has worked hard to give the e-tron GT a sporty and stylish cabin, with a driver-orientated design that feels more like a sports car than a saloon. That means rear visibility isn’t always brilliant, although it isn’t as bad as it could be, and it means you feel snug without getting too claustrophobic. Dark materials are complemented by some colour from the touchscreen and digital instrument display, while the minimalist style feels quite German.

As does the cabin quality. The odd plastic button feels a little on the cheap side, but that’s purely because everything else in the cabin feels so solid. Every panel fits snugly alongside its neighbour and the whole thing feels robust, durable and tactile. Audi really knows how to build interiors.

It’s ergonomic, too, because Audi has resisted the temptation to go for a touchscreen climate control system, preferring to stick with conventional buttons. They’re much easier to use on the move, and that comes in handy when the car is swishing soundlessly though the countryside at high speed – exactly the sort of driving it was designed for.

But we can’t go without doffing our collective caps to Audi’s on-board technology. The touchscreen infotainment system generally works well, and it looks clean and stylish, but it isn’t a patch on the digital instrument cluster. Dubbed the Virtual Cockpit, it has become a mainstay of Audi models, and it’s a completely integrated system that puts all the information the driver needs behind the steering wheel. It’s configurable, too, so you can always see the information you want in vivid colour. It was great when it came out back in the mid-2010s, and it’s still one of the best systems on the market.

Practicality & Boot Space

Given the shape of the e-tron GT, it’s no surprise to hear it isn’t the most practical thing on the market, although it does have plenty going for it. For a kick-off, the 350-litre boot isn’t especially large – a Taycan’s boot is slightly bigger – but it’s about the same size as the boot in a Genesis Electrified G80 or a Volkswagen Polo, so it’s just about big enough for day-to-day life.

Similarly, the rear seats aren’t especially generous in the headroom department, but legroom is more than ample, and the fact it’s a four-door car means access to the rear is better than it would be in, say, a Porsche 911. Combine that with lots of forward cabin space and a really good driving position, and the e-tron GT is fairly practical as performance cars go, if not necessarily by the standards of some electric vehicles.

Safety

The e-tron GT hasn’t yet been crash-tested by Euro NCAP, so it’s difficult to come to a real conclusion about its safety, but we’d expect it to achieve the full five stars were it to go through the process. That’s partly because most of Audi’s cars achieve that rating, and partly because its sister, the Porsche Taycan, managed a five-star rating when it was tested in 2019. It didn’t score superbly in any one area, but a wide range of really solid performances means it’s a pretty safe thing to drive around in, and we’d expect the same of the e-tron GT.

Of course, it’s helped by the fact it comes with numerous gadgets to help ensure you never have to try out its safety in a crash. There’s a 360-degree manoeuvring camera and parking sensors as standard, as well as all the usual tech including lane departure warning and autonomous emergency braking, which can automatically stop or slow the car if the driver fails to respond to a hazard.

Options

With the standard e-tron GT and the RS e-tron GT, Audi is giving customers a choice of powertrains, but both cars also come with a choice of trim levels. Opt for the e-tron GT and you can have the basic car, with a panoramic glass roof, 20-inch alloy wheels and all the usual tech, or you can go for the Vorsprung, with adaptive air suspension and more upmarket seating. Either way, you get everything you really need, with leather upholstery, a reversing camera and satellite navigation all thrown in as standard. Choose one of the two Technology Pack upgrades and you can add features such as a head-up display, a Bang & Olufsen sound system and a parking assistance package if you so wish.

Alternatively, those who choose the RS e-tron GT get a choice of three different versions, with the base car joined by the Carbon Black and Carbon Vorsprung models. Confusingly, even the base cars get the black styling pack and the air suspension, as well as a head-up display, 21-inch alloys and clever parking assistance tech, but the Carbon Black adds glossy carbon styling features and some red trim on the interior. The Carbon Vorsprung, meanwhile, gets heated and ventilated front seats with a massage function and night vision assistance tech.

Rival Cars

The e-tron’s biggest rival is, naturally, the Porsche Taycan that majors on performance and handling, but the Audi differentiates itself with a slightly softer, more touring-orientated attitude that trades a bit of handling talent for a bit of extra comfort. Both drive very neatly, but if you really want to have fun on your favourite back road, the Porsche is the one to choose.

Alternatives include the forthcoming BMW i5, which in its sportiest guise will match the e-tron GT’s all-wheel-drive, two-motor set-up. It too will be pretty quick in a straight line and it’ll doubtless be impressive to drive, but it’ll offer more rear space and luggage capacity than the Audi thanks to its saloon body.

But even more practical is the Tesla Model S, which is really well packaged to ensure there’s plenty of space. Yes, it’s only available in left-hand-drive form at the moment, which limits its use in the UK, but it’s mighty fast in the right form and it comes with the Tesla image that focuses on tech, but isn’t universally loved.

For a more popular badge, but perhaps a less attractive body shape, you could always go for the Mercedes-Benz EQE Saloon, which is a master of travelling long distances on a single charge, but doesn’t have the handling capability of the Audi or the Porsche. The cabin is quite the work of art, though.

Verdict & Next Steps

There’s no questioning the capability of the e-tron GT. It’s great to drive, it offers plenty of range and it’s very well built. If you like the head-turning design, it’ll tick a lot of boxes. The only problem is that it doesn’t drive quite as brilliantly as the Taycan, which remains the benchmark against which all other electric four-door GT cars must be measured. However, the fact the Audi gives the Porsche such a good run for its money is testament to its quality, and for those who’ve discounted the Taycan for whatever reason, the option of something that’s very, very nearly as good will be more than welcome.

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Audi e-tron GT. 

**Correct as of 12/10/2023. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments or £7,333.11 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.