Should you buy one?

If you like the look of it, the Audi Q4 E-Tron has a reasonable starting price that’s about £5,000 more than a Skoda Enyaq iV or Volkswagen ID.4. That figure soon balloons by choosing plusher models, larger batteries and optional extras, however.

The big question is whether you think it’s worth the premium over its Volkswagen Group sister cars, the ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq iV. As we awarded the latter with the Car of The Year trophy for 2022, we’ve already concluded that it isn’t.

But we do like the Q4, and the good news is that there are very real differences between the Audi and its German and Czech cousins. The Q4 E-Tron is a great compromise in EV ownership (range over power, charging speed over top speed), and it’s small enough in town to be usable in all situations. It can be personalised to the taste and budget of your choice, and that makes it very desirable in the ranks of the electric car.

What we like

The Q4 is a generally very impressive premium electric SUV, with excellent range for the mid-spec 40 model, a classy cabin and a good driving experience, with the exceptionally comfortable ride quality being the stand-out characteristic.

What we don’t like

While the Q4 is impressive, it’s also quite expensive and yet lacks some niceties, such as a standard parking camera, which is offered by rivals. Its warranty is also well beaten by competition from Hyundai and Kia, which may not have the premium appeal, but which you would be foolish to ignore. It also has to cope with competition from in-house rivals, Skoda and Volkswagen, which offer broadly similar performance for less cash.