- More power and range
- New model designations
- Minor content changes in upper trims for ’25
Audi has stepped in and stepped up its game with the Q4 e-tron SUV midway through the 2024 model year –dropping the base Q4 40 and turning the Q4 50 trim level into the new 55 trim, with a hefty horsepower increase, a bit more range, quicker DC fast charging and sportier suspension and steering.
Some Q4 e-tron trims will get minor price reductions for the 2025 model year and there will be a new Q4 45 trim to replace the Q4 40 e-tron.
Audi says the 2025 Q4 45 e-tron will get sizeable boosts in power and range. (Tip: because the Q4 40 has been discontinued, there could be some good deals to be had on any remaining on dealers’ lots.)
The Q4 e-tron powertrain boosts are the same as received earlier in 2024 by the Volkswagen ID.4, the Q4 e-tron’s corporate cousin.
The Green Car Guy has always like the looks and ride quality of Audi’s EVs, and while the compact Q4 is the least expensive of the lot, it also is the most practical. While a foot shorter – and easier to toss around – than the midsize Q8 e-tron, for instance, it isn’t all that much smaller inside, where it counts.
Q4 and the Competition
The Q4 e-tron is quite comfortable and we found the power boost and tweaked handling of the Q4 55 to improve ride quality and drivability significantly. We expect the same will be true of the 2025 Q4 45.
The electric Q4 has never topped the charts with range or power, but the upgrades that add that half-a-decade to the model nomenclatures makes it awfully competitive in the hotly-contested small luxury electric SUV category.
We’d much rather tootle around town or head out on the open road in the Audi Q4 than the more Spartan Tesla Model Y or the less sporty Mercedes-Benz EQB. Genesis’ all-wheel drive Electrified GV70 has all the luxury and more power than the Audi Q4 55 e-tron, but starts almost $10,000 higher and offers less range.
Pricing for Volvo’s EX30 starts well below the Q4, but the Audi offers more luxury than the Volvo with its Scandinavian minimalist interior. The Volvo is smaller than the Audi and more of a premium compact electric SUV than a luxury model, although it certainly will be cross-shopped against the pricier Q4 e-tron.
Of all the small luxury electric SUVs, only the Model Y presently qualifies for a federal clean vehicle tax credit. The Volvo EX30 remains the low-price leader in the competitive set, but subtracting the tax credit from the Tesla’s selling price lands the Model Y in close second place.
Highly Driveable
We were able to test the 2024 Q4 55 for a week this summer and enjoyed the luxurious interior – especially the comfortable, supportive and multi-adjustable seats – along with the improved ride and handling and the extra oomph. The additional range, although not a lot, was a nice feature as well.
We wish Audi provided full one-pedal driving with its EVs but the company apparently is convinced its drivers don’t need it. Still, maximum brake regeneration does slow the Q4 to just a few miles per hour, so it can be used almost like one-pedal except the driver eventually has to mash to brake to achieve a full stop.
Our only serious concern is that while there’s plenty of cargo space for a couple, a larger group or a couple with children and all the extra equipment that entails might find the Q4 e-tron a little lacking when packing for an extended trip.
Q4 e-tron Trims and Pricing
Until the ’25 models hit the dealerships, Audi offers the 2024 Q4 e-tron in just one configuration – the Q4 55 Quattro with all-wheel drive. It is available in three trim levels, Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige.
The 2025 Q4 45 will be available with rear-drive and in Premium and Premium Plus trims only. For all 2025 models, the previously optional Technology Package becomes standard. It includes Audi MMI Navigation plus, traffic sign recognition, Audi virtual cockpit and Audi Connect.
In order to keep 2025 pricing pretty much the same, Audi dropped the automated parking assist system from the Premium Plus trims and moved the heat pump on the Premium Plus trims into an optional cold weather package. The heated windshield on the 2024 Prestige trims also was moved into the cold weather package.
- Premium
Although discontinued, it may still be possible to find the rear-drive 2024 Q4 40 e-tron at some dealerships. It starts at $50,995 including a $1,195 destination fee. The 2025 Q4 45 retains the same base price despite its big power and range boosts, but a bump in the destination fee to $1,295 will raise the total by a scant $100 – to $51,095.
The all-wheel drive 2024 Q 55 e-tron starts at $56,395, including destination. For 2025, that jumps slightly to $56,495.
The Premium trims come with 19-inch alloys with all-season tires; LED lighting; an 11.6-inch infotainment system touchscreen; automatic three-zone climate system; leather upholstery with heated front seats and a power-adjustable driver seat; a power liftgate; wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; adaptive cruise control; roof rails, and a portable Level 2 (240 volt) charging cable.
The optional Convenience package, at $2,850, adds stuff that ought to be standard on a luxury SUV (and is for the higher Q4 trims) including a driver seat memory system, power adjustable front passenger seat, wireless phone charger, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, auto-dimming and power folding exterior side mirrors with position memory, dual-pane acoustic glass for the side windows, a motion-sensor alarm system and a hands-free automatic tailgate.
A $1,300 Black Optic package – optional on all three trims – provides 20-inch alloys and all-season tires along with blacked-out exterior trim and roof rails.
A new cold weather package, at $1,000 for all three trims, adds a heated windshield and an energy-saving heat pump for the climate control system.
- Premium Plus
Added content usually means more bucks. But the ’24 Q4 40 Premium Plus starts at $55,695 while the 2025 Q4 45 Premium Plus – with more horsepower and range – will start at $54,895.
The 2024 Q4 55 starts at $61,095, and that drops to $60,295 for 2025 models.
Standard equipment includes all of the Premium content plus the Convenience package, LED interior lighting, a navigation system.
In addition to the Black Optic and cold weather package options, a SONOS premium audio system can be added for $850.
- Prestige
Available only with the dual-motor, all-wheel drive Q4 55, the top trim starts at $62,995 for 2024 models, and increases to $63,095 for the 2025 model year.
Standard equipment includes all of the Premium Plus content and the SONOS premium audio system.
In addition to the Black Optic and cold weather options, the Prestige can be outfitted with 21-inch alloys and all-season tires for a $1,000 upcharge.
- Sportback
The Sportback body style (right) is available in the three all-wheel drive trim levels for an additional $3,000.
Q4 e-tron Power
The 2024 Q4 55 e-tron comes standard with Audi’s electric Quattro all-wheel drive system. It features electric motors on each axle and is biased for rear-drive but will transfer power to the front wheels as needed for improved traction.
The dual motor system is rated at 335 horsepower, up 40 hp from the Q4 50. Audi says that’s good for cutting the 55’s zero-60 mph spring time to an even 5 seconds from 5.8 seconds for the Q4 50 it replaced. We found it handy for merging onto fast-flowing freeways and for passing on uphill climbs.
For 2025, the new Q4 45 will keep its single-motor, rear-drive powertrain but with a new motor that boosts output to 282 hp – an 81 hp boost – and slashes 1.7 seconds for the old Q4 40’s 0-60 time of 7.9 seconds.
Battery and Charging
All version of the Q4 e-tron, for 2024 and 2025, get an 82-kWh lithium-ion battery pack rated at 77 kWh of useful capacity.
Tweaks to the battery chemistry and improvements in thermal management mean the Q4 55 can take a DC fast-charge at up to 175 kilowatts of power – versus 150 kW for the Q4 50 it replaces. Audi says that’s fast enough – in optimum conditions – to bring a Q4 55 battery from 10% to 80% of capacity in 28 minutes.
That’s par for the segment. Only the Genesis Electrified GV70, with 250 kW DC charging, is the outlier with an 18-minute 10%-80% recharge rate.
for Level 2 (240 volt) home charging, the Q4 e-tron has an 11 kW on-board charger, good for an complete recharge (empty to 100%) in 12 hours. The Tesla Model Y and Genesis Electrified GV70 also have 11 kW Level 2 charging.
Q4 e-tron Range
The 2024 Q4 55 can deliver an EPA-estimated 258 miles of range, up 22 miles from the Q4 50 it replaced. The Q4 55 e-tron Sportback gets the same EPA range estimate.
Audi estimates a range of 288 miles for the 2025 Q4 45, up 23 miles from the Q4 40’s EPA-estimated 265 miles.
Individual driving styles, terrain, ambient temperature and cargo loads all can affect range, but we found the Q4 55 e-tron to deliver close to Audi’s estimated maximum range even with our lead foot.
Passenger Space and Cargo Capacities
Overall, the Q4 e-tron is shorter than competitors other than the Volvo EX30. Its 108.7-inch wheelbase that trails the Tesla, Genesis and Mercedes-Benz models by 3 to 5 inches. The Audi’s wheelbase – which helps determine interior capacities – is almost 3.5 inches longer than the Volvo’s, however.
As a result, the Q4 e-tron trails both the Model Y and the Genesis Electrified GV70 in front legroom and is mid-pack behind the Tesla and the Mercedes-Benz EQB in rear legroom. It finishes last in the competitive set for front head room and trails both the Tesla and Mercedes in rear legroom.
Behind the passenger compartment, the Q4 e-tron has 24.8 cubic feet of cargo capacity, besting only the EX30’s 11.2 cubic feet. Tesla’s Model Y, configured as a 5-seater, leads the competition with 30.2 cubic feet behind the seats.
With the second-row seats folded down, the Audi’s cargo capacity more than doubles to 53.1 cubic feet, but that still trails all but the Volvo’s 31.9 cubes. The 5-seat Model Y again leads the competition with 72.1 cubic feet behind the first row.
The Audi q4 e-tron is rated to tow up to 2,000 pounds, tying the Volvo EX30 and trailing the Model Y and Electrified GV70, each with a 3,500-pound rating. The Mercedes-Benz EQB isn’t rated for towing in the U.S.
