2022 Audi E-Tron GT is a 637-HP EV Taycan Sibling

Kyle Patrick
by Kyle Patrick
The latest EV from Ingolstadt is a big four-door grand tourer ready to take on the best sport sedans.

Audi showed off Tuesday afternoon the production version of the E-Tron GT. Sharing much of its electrified DNA with Porsche’s Taycan, the four-door is a similarly stylish, high-performance EV. Even so, when the two E-Tron GT models arrive in North America this summer, the differences between the vehicles from Ingolstadt and Stuttgart go deeper than the styling.

SEE ALSO: 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo Review: Truly Electrifying

Let’s talk about those looks for a minute. While the Taycan connection is evident in the greenhouse, the E-Tron goes its own way with the rest of the design. The nose is pure Audi, with available laser lights framing a blocked-off take on the shield grille. The rear-end treatment has distinct A7 vibes—the E-Tron is longer and wider—with a powerful shoulder line carrying over from above the rear wheels and wrapping around the body, atop the full-width taillights. These are more sharply defined hips than the smoother haunches of the Taycan. Not to be outdone, Audi has fitted both the E-Tron GT and RS E-Tron GT with very cool wheel designs.

Static photo,
Colour: Kemora grey metallic
Static photo, Colour: Kemora grey metallic

That’s correct: from launch, there will be an RS version of the E-Tron. Both models run the same 93.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, with an 800-volt architecture allowing for 270-kW charging with the right setup. At that maximum level of juice, Audi quotes a 5-to-80 percent charge time of a little less than 23 minutes.

SEE ALSO: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Review: First Drive

The “base” E-Tron produces 469 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque via two electric motors, with output raising to 523 hp and 472 lb-ft during launch control. Meanwhile the RS features a more powerful rear motor, increasing the total to 590 hp and 612 lb-ft. Torque in the RS is a stout 612 lb-ft. Audi says both will buzz up to 60 mph in less than four seconds: 3.9 for the base model, 3.1 for the RS. Estimates for North American range are 238 miles for the E-Tron, and 232 miles for the RS.

Static photo,
Colour: Daytona grey
Static photo, Colour: Daytona grey

Other familiar bits under the E-Tron’s skin include the Taycan’s two-speed transmission and three-chamber air suspension. A locking rear differential as well as rear-wheel steering is standard on the RS, and optional on the base.

Inside, the E-Tron is recognizably Audi, with the Virtual Cockpit digital IP in front of the driver, plus a large, hi-res infotainment screen. It’s a very technical look, and in keeping with the E-Tron’s environmental bent, comes completely leather-free. Audi’s designers have kept a decent level of physical buttons inside the EV, and moved the somewhat awkward shifter of the Taycan off the dash and into the center console.

Interior
Interior

Pricing for the 2022 Audi E-Tron begins at just a Benjamin under six figures. That doesn’t include destination, nor the up to $7,500 in federal tax credits. A Prestige trim demands an additional $7,100. Meanwhile the RS E-Tron GT starts at $139,900. For those keeping track at home, both start slightly cheaper than, yep, you guessed it, the respective Taycans (the 4S and Turbo). Porsche still has the lower entry point, however, thanks to the new base Taycan. The E-Tron GT will begin arriving in dealerships this summer.

Discuss this story at our Audi e-Tron GT forum.

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Kyle Patrick
Kyle Patrick

Kyle began his automotive obsession before he even started school, courtesy of a remote control Porsche and various LEGO sets. He later studied advertising and graphic design at Humber College, which led him to writing about cars (both real and digital). He is now a proud member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), where he was the Journalist of the Year runner-up for 2021.

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