TESTED: THE 2024 AUDI Q4 55 E-TRON IS A STEALTH UPGRADE
Audi is doing something unusual with its 2024 Audi Q4 e-tron. It's coming out with a raft of upgrades, but instead of doing it the usual way, bringing them in at a model-year break, Audi is just adding them halfway through a model year. There's no badging difference, no 2024-½ designation, no nothing. Yes, Audi is calling the revised car by a slightly different name, although that nomenclature is not on the car anywhere. The only place you'll see it is on the window sticker (so good luck if you're buying one used). The key is to look for a 2024 Audi Q4 55 e-tron, not the otherwise identical Q4 50 e-tron. That one is inferior, in comparison. Oh, and the price is THE SAME.
So what's the big deal? Lots. First, the battery chemistry is different, such that the carryover 77.0-kWh pack size delivers more range and charges more quickly. The EPA says either body style of the Q4 55 (SUV or Sportback) is good for 258 miles, while the 50 can go 236 miles for the SUV or 242 miles for the Sportback. The charging speed of the 55 tops out at 175 kilowatts, up from 150 kilowatts. Recharging the battery pack from 10 to 80 percent now takes a claimed 28 minutes, some eight minutes quicker than before.
Of course, we're Car and Driver, so we always want to test manufacturer claims. Our 75-mph range test returned 220 miles for the 55 compared to just 190 miles for the 50, a big improvement. The average charge rate for the entire 10-to-90-percent run was 112 kilowatts versus the 50's 87 kilowatts. Our overall observed efficiency went from 93 to 99 MPGe.
On top of that, the rear motor has been enlarged, such that maximum combined output is 40 horses greater than before, climbing from 295 horsepower to 335 ponies. As a result, the 60-mph run at our test track took 5.0 seconds instead of 5.6 ticks. The quarter-mile ended in 13.7 seconds instead of 14.2. Passing times from 30 to 50 mph dropped from 2.4 to 1.9 seconds, and the 50-to-70-mph dash went from 3.3 to 2.8 seconds. It goes on and on like that. What's strange, though, is that top speed dropped from 113 mph to 100 mph. You'll never notice it on the road (well, we hope you don't), but it is curious.
The handling has been upgraded as well, and we can indeed feel greater steering accuracy. The Q4 corners smoother and with a smidge more stability, but this does not result in greater measured performance, because the Bridgestone Alenza Sport all-season tires have about the same grip. They cook up the identical stopping distance of 177 feet too. The ride is very smooth on smooth surfaces but gets noisy and almost rough on worn-out desert roads, particularly ones with "alligator" cracks. If you don't know what those are, well then it probably doesn't matter.
The rest of the Q4 e-tron hardly bears mentioning, because it is identical inside and out. It still has the same upscale interior, with leather seats and a premium feel throughout. Our Prestige model featured a head-up display that contained the usual displays but also added augmented-reality animations to underline vehicles within adaptive cruise range and point you into the next navigation turn. It also has a squished "squircle" steering wheel, but you thankfully don't have to take it because it's an option, one that we'd probably skip.
The only thing of note is that this time Audi gave us a Sportback instead of a squareback SUV. We're not fans of the fastback, because you pay more and get less. Every Sportback costs $3000 more than the equivalent SUV, but the wheelbase and overall length are identical. Same goes for the width. Yes, the swoopier roofline is 0.7 inch lower, but you also get 1.3 inches less rear headroom. Getting into the back—or leaning in to settle your child—requires ducking. Honestly, we don't know what the draw is for this, unless you prefer the look.
But the big takeaway is that if you're shopping for a 2024 Q4 etron, make sure you get the 55, whether you buy the SUV or the Sportback. And this is only a temporary problem, because in 2025 all Q4 Quattros will be the 55 going forward.