Audi E-tron GT long-term test: report 1

The car Audi E-tron GT quattro Run by Steve Huntingford, editor

Why it’s here To see if Audi's electric performance car can also be a good everyday car

Needs to Combine the thrilling drive you’d expect with a level of comfort and usability you might not

Mileage 1028 List price £88,555 Best price £72,980 Price as tested £92,700 Test range 322 miles Official range 383 miles Options fitted Technology Pack (£3195) and Kemora Grey metallic paint (£950)

16 October – More than just a pretty face

There’s a reason why few of us end up buying the supercars we pinned up on our bedroom walls as kids. It’s because, while they looked incredible on those posters, they would almost certainly be hell to live with.

Well, okay, the fact we can’t afford them probably has something to do with it, too. But ‘hell to live with’ is at least a factor.

It’s the classic ‘never meet your heroes’ scenario; better to not let reality ruin the rose-tinted image we’ve built up in our heads, right? However, with my new Audi E-tron GT I’m hoping to prove that you can have poster car looks and performance figures without the drawbacks.

Specifically, I’ve got the new entry-level quattro version, although in this case ‘entry-level’ scarcely does it justice, because you still get 496bhp (or 576bhp when launch control is activated). As a result, the 0-62mph sprint takes just 4.2sec. Or to put it another way, my car is just 0.1sec slower than that Ferrari F40 I once had above my bed.

Other figures are just as impressive. For example, as an electric car, it attracts a lowly 3% benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rating, so costs me just £94 per month in company car tax. And despite all the performance, the official range is a whopping 383 miles.

Okay, in the real world I’m actually seeing closer to 320 miles when the 97kWh (usable capacity) battery is fully charged. But that should still be more than enough for my needs, so I don't expect to suffer any range anxiety – especially given that the range readout seems to be very realistic.

Indeed, if anything it errs on the side of caution; on a recent work trip where I had to drive from London to Derby, I arrived with 10 miles more range than the car had predicted I’d have when I first punched my destination into its sat-nav. And don’t think I was pootling along in the inside lane and slipstreaming lorries; no, I was driving at 70mph whenever conditions allowed.

I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by how cosseting the E-tron GT is on trips like this. Put the standard air suspension in Comfort mode, and it’s brilliant at soaking up lumps and bumps, without the car ever feeling floaty.

Yet, when I take the E-tron GT to one of my favourite country roads, it’s huge fun. It feels much lighter than its 2.4-tonne kerb weight would suggest, there’s little body lean even when you’re driving hard, and the precise steering lets you place the front wheels exactly where you want them.

The only downside I’ve found so far when it comes to the driving experience is that you have to be super-slow over speed bumps – not because ground clearance is especially limited, but because the sheer suppleness of the suspension can cause the nose to ground out.

What else do you get for your money with the E-tron GT quattro? Well, standard equipment includes adaptive cruise control, three-zone climate control, heated and electrically adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, and the feature my eight-year-old daughter always wants me to specify if it’s not included: a panoramic glass sunroof.

I only felt the need to add two options that bumped up the P11D price on which my tax bill is calculated: Kemora Grey paint (£950) and the Technology Pack (£3195), which includes upgraded ambient interior lighting, a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, a head-up display that projects key information – such as my speed – onto the windscreen, and a 360-degree parking camera.

In addition, it brings a remote parking system, which I’m yet to try, but that promises to let me park the E-tron GT while standing outside it. At first I was tempted to dismiss this as a gimmick, but I’ve subsequently realised its potential to be useful, given that this is a wide car, and there might be occasions when I struggle to get in and out if other people have parked inconsiderately.

I’ll report back on how well (or not) this system works in a future report. Plus, I’m looking forward to seeing how the E-tron GT copes with the daily commute and family life – as well as to stretching its legs on some road trips worthy of a car that has the grand tourer initials in its name. Here’s hoping the experience continues to be picture perfect.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

Read our full Audi E-tron GT review >>

Read about more long-term test cars >>

Buy a new car with What Car?

Like the sound of the Audi E-tron GT?

If so, check out our New Car Deals pages to see how much you could save on an Audi E-tron GT.

We’ve got the biggest selection of discounted new cars available in the UK.