With this enhanced Q4 Sportback e-tron, Audi widens the appeal of its mid-sized all-electric EV. Jonathan Crouch looks at this further improved model.

Background

The Q4 e-tron line-up has performed better than Audi might have dared hope in the UK. For much of its life here, it's been Britain's second best-selling EV and the update package that boosted this car's appeal two years after launch worked a treat for Ingolstadt, netting 17,465 UK sales in 2024, a large proportion of them being of this sleeker-looking Sportback variant. Sales have slowed since though, hence the need for a second update package, announced in Spring 2026. You're probably already familiar with the standard Q4 e-tron model; it's Audi's entrant at the posher end of the over-crowded mid-sized EV segment, giving a more premium sheen to VW Group engineering duplicated by more affordable EV crossovers like the Volkswagen ID.4 and the Skoda Enyaq. Those two cars offer customers the option of having a sportier-looking body shape - in the form of the Volkswagen ID.5 and the Skoda Enyaq Coupe. And it's those two coupe-like SUV rivals that are targeted most closely by this Q4 Sportback e-tron. This slightly more aspirational body style is also probably the Q4 alternative you'd consider if you were looking at two other identically-engineered MEB-platformed models in this segment, the CUPRA Tavascan and the Ford Capri. So lots of shared bits feature here, but Audi insists that it's put its own stamp on the way this model drives and feels - especially in this further updated form.

Driving Experience

With this further Q4 Sportback e-tron update, the car benefits from the VW Group's latest torquier and more efficient APP350 motor. Its power output depends on the size of battery you choose. As before, things kick off with a 63kWh (net) battery model offering 204PS, which in Sportback form now goes 18 miles further on a charge than the equivalent pre-facelift Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron SUV - think about 279 miles. Performance in the base Q4 Sportback e-tron isn't especially rapid (0-62mph in 8.1s en route to 99mph). Ideally though, you'd stretch to the larger 83kWh (net) battery most Q4 Sportback e-tron customers choose. This comes with a choice of two powertrains. Most will be looking at the Q4 Sportback e-tron 'performance' model, which like the base version also has a rear-driven single motor, in this case putting out 286PS, and makes up to 364 miles between charges (up from 348 miles previously). Your other option with the 83kWh battery is the twin motor 'quattro performance' top variant, which puts out 340PS and makes up to 341 miles between charges. That's between 10-20 miles better than the equivalent pre-facelift model, depending on the spec you choose. With the 'quattro performance', the 62mph sprint can be dispatched in just 5.4s on the way to 112mph. Towing capacity for the 'quattro performance' version has been improved as part of this update - to 1,800kg. All the range figures we've given by the way, are for the Q4 Sportback e-tron body shape; you'll get about 10 miles less range with the chunkier SUV version. Otherwise, things are much as before with this Audi. As previously, there's the option of what Ingolstadt calls a 'character sound' powertrain soundtrack, which is offered as an option and varies according to load and speed. This Q4's pretty straightforward to get to grips with behind the wheel. You select drive using a slider-type shifter situated on the centre console and once underway, there's the kind of instant throttle response you'd usually get from an EV of this sort. The rear-driven versions have an impressively tight urban turning circle.

Design and Build

You'll find the visual changes made to this further updated Q4 Sportback e-tron to be uber-subtle. For reference, the LED headlights have been revised, the SingleFrame front grille is now colour-matched to the body and the daytime running lights now offer a choice of four different graphics, which can be changed on the fly. The 'S line' trim package most will choose adds vertical blades in Selenite silver matte to the corners of the front and rear bumpers. 'Black Edition' versions get these blades finished in high-gloss Mythos black. As before, the Q4 Sportback e-tron is definitely a sleeker thing than its standard-shape counterpart - and not just visually - the drag coefficient drops from 0.28 to 0.26Cd. This sportier variant's more sharply swept back silhouette culminates in a roof spoiler that sits much lower on the split and steeply raked rear window, and as the area in which the air swirls as it comes off the vehicle is restricted to the zone beneath the spoiler, that area is significantly smaller than in the ordinary Q4 e-tron. This not only highlights the more unique design of this SUV coupe, but also enhances its range by around 7-10 miles, while also reducing the lift on the rear. Changes made as part of this further update are easier to spot inside, where this Q4 e-tron gains the curved display cluster we've seen on Audi's most recent combustion models (the A5, the Q3 and the Q5) and as part of this, the two main screens get bigger. The instrument display is now 11.9-inches in size (up from 10.25-inches) and is now viewed through a round rather than a squared-off steering wheel, that faux leather-stitched tiller now featuring physical scroll wheels rather than the previous fiddly haptic buttons. Less welcome is the deletion of the previous physical climate controls in favour of touchbar menu options on the new centre screen, now 12.8-inches in size (up from 11.6-inches before). For the first time in this segment, an optional 12-inch passenger display is also now available - the largest ever in an Audi, featuring a customisable standby design. As before, an optional augmented reality head-up display can be fitted. One of our issues with the original version of this car was whether the cabin finish was really 'premium' enough to properly suit the Audi badge. Well you could still possibly criticise on that score (especially if you haven't chosen up-market trim), but things have certainly much improved. Details such as cushioned knee pads, premium stitching and scratch-resistant surfaces lift the interior. As before, there's a rising centre console that seamlessly connects the dashboard to the rear seats and optional plus and pro ambient lighting packages set the mood after dark. Plus optional dynamic interaction lighting below the windshield enhances the atmosphere and improves usability and safety. Sport seats come as standard and a high quality Sonos premium sound system remains available. In the rear, there aren't too many headroom compromises to go with the swept-back roof line. The need to house the big battery under the rear bench brings with it the benefit of positioning back seat folk 70mm higher than those in the front, giving them an excellent view forward, though a little at the expense of headroom. It's also wider cabin than you'd expect a relatively compact mid-sized SUV to be able to provide and with no central transmission tunnel to obstruct things, three adults could actually fit reasonably easily into the back of this car. Power assistance for the tailgate is standard across the range and it rises to reveal a 535-litre space in the SUV model - curiously, it's actually 15-litres more than in the SUV version. In the Sportback, the boot's extendable to 1,460-litres when the 40:20:40-split seatback is lowered (30-litres less than the SUV).

Market and Model

Prices haven't changed much as part of this further update. So Q4 Sportrback e-tron asking figures were still starting from just under £48,000 at the time of the announcement of this facelift in Spring 2026. That represents a premium of around £1,900 on top of the cost of the SUV for this sleeker Sportback body shape. There's a choice of four trim levels - 'Sport', 'S line', 'Black Edition' and 'Vorsprung'. The previous '40', '45' and '55' badges have been ditched, with Q4 e-tron variants now mainly identified by output (204PS, 286PS or 340PS). All the key equipment features you'd expect for the money are in evidence. Base 'Sport' variants get 19-inch Graphite Grey alloy wheels, those rims upgraded to 20-inches in size with the mid-level 'S line' trim level most customers will choose. Even base 'Sport' trim includes LED headlights, front sports seats, 3-Zone air conditioning and an 'MMI navigation Plus' media system with a 12.8-inch centre screen powered by Android Automotive OS. The later includes navigation, a WiFi hotspot and Amazon Alexa integration. There's also a 11.9-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit instrument screen, an 8-speaker 180-watt sound system, rear parking sensors and cruise control. Across the line-up, there's lots of sophisticated equipment available - much of it optional. Like the Matrix LED headlights and the bespoke Sonos sound system upgrade package. We'd also want to look at the optional heat pump. This upgraded Q4 Sportback e-tron introduced improved driver assist systems. Depending on the vehicle's specification, Technology, Comfort, and Dynamic packages are available. Standard features include: parking system plus with distance display, cruise control (including speed limiter) with preparation for adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning with emergency assist, traffic sign recognition, attention and fatigue warning with driver monitoring, and active front assist with evasion and turn assist, front cross traffic assist, and front emergency brake assist. Audi also offers an 'Adaptive driving assistant plus' package that helps with acceleration, braking, maintaining speed and distance, and lane guidance. Above 56mph, the system can also assist with lane changes on the highway. The driver activates the function via the MMI. The system uses arrow symbols in the instrument cluster and head-up display to indicate whether a lane change is possible; once the turn signal is set, it actively assists the steer. Optional trained parking, reverse assist, park assist plus, and four wide-angle surround view cameras are a further convenience boost, especially in the city.

Cost of Ownership

What about battery replenishment? For DC charging, standard rear-driven 63kWh models charge at 165kW, while the 83kWh versions can now charge at up to 185kW (up from 175kW before). Under ideal conditions, the battery's state of charge increases from 10 to 80 percent in 27 minutes when charged at a DC fast-charging station. Up to 111 miles of range can be added in 10 minutes. The brand's 'Plug & Charge' system is now standard: with this, at compatible charging stations, the car automatically authenticates itself with an Audi charging contract when the cable is plugged in, starts the charging process, and handles billing automatically at session end. As before, charging times are optimised thanks to the car's intelligent route planner and the automatic battery-preconditioning function connected to it. Drivers who like to plan their charging stops themselves now have the option of manually enabling battery preheating. The manual preconditioning is carried out via the MMI centre screen, which shows how many kilowatt are currently available for fast-charging the high-voltage battery and how much additional charging power is available thanks to the preconditioned battery. Manually preconditioning the battery ensures the best possible charging results at every charging station. As for AC home charging, well all variants have been engineered for charging speeds of up to 11kW. If you're using a conventional 7.4kW garage wallbox, an 83kWh Q4 Sportback e-tron can charge 255 miles of range in eight and a quarter hours. Or receive a full charge in eleven and a half hours, a figure you can reduce to about eight hours 30 minutes with a three-phase 11kW wallbox. However you choose to charge, it's worth noting that in this updated form, the Q4 Sportback e-tron now features post-conditioning. With that, the vehicle's thermal management system cools the battery, for example, if it exceeds a fixed temperature threshold after driving or charging. Using the myAudi app, owners can activate charging remotely using a smartphone. The app also provides access to the comfort remote preconditioning system, which enables remote adjustment of the cabin temperature and seat heating functions to ensure that the cabin climate is always comfortable well before a journey begins. Not so good is the issue of depreciation; the Q4 e-tron doesn't hold its value anything like the way you would expect an Ingolstadt model to do - a problem afflicting so many EVs just at present. This updated Q4 Sportback e-tron is the first Audi with bidirectional charging. With that Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) set-up, the car directly powers electric devices. It does so via a domestic power socket in the boot (providing continuous power of 2.3kW at 230V AC) or an optional adapter on the side charging port with a domestic power socket (2.3kW) or a camping power socket (3.6kW).

Summary

Within the Q3 and Q5 ranges, the Sportback body shape tends to out-sell the conventional SUV version and much the same trend has been replicated here. You can see why. After all, the Q4 Sportback e-tron doesn't cost vastly more than its boxier showroom stablemate, yet makes a significantly more dynamic driveway statement. There's no real penalty for the more slippery shape in terms of either boot space or rear cabin head room either. There's no doubt that a Q4 e-tron - and especially a Q4 Sportback e-tron - makes more of a premium statement in your office or gym car parking space than a mainstream brand or Chinese rival would from this segment. But in a market where the playing parameters have been changed fundamentally by the arrival of new-era competitors, that attribute alone won't be enough to continue to sell this car in significant numbers for very much longer. So this Q4 needs to evolve, as it has as part of this second update with its much improved cabin. Thanks in large part to this Sportback variant, this model now has a strong sales base from which to do exactly that.