- the 2022 audi e-tron gt brings audi's design and style to a platform shared with the porsche taycan.
- the e-tron gt will have 522 horsepower and audi claims it will go from zero to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, plus there's an rs version that makes 637 horsepower.
- the 2022 e-tron gt will go on sale this summer starting just above $100,000.
according to audi head of design marc lichte, the 2022 e-tron gt is the best-looking vehicle he's ever designed. we tend to agree and would go so far as to say it's one of the best-looking evs out there. it's a vehicle that, regardless of powertrain, would be welcome in the garage of the type of driver who wants to sit behind the wheel of something beautiful. one look and it's clearly an audi. except that underneath, it's also a porsche.
the 2022 audi e-tron gt joins the 2021 e-tron and e-tron sportback suvs in the automaker's ev lineup. we all know that electrified suvs would be likely to find more customers these days, so it's good to know that audi and porsche still see the enthusiast sedan market as a viable business. the four-door gran turismo measures 198 inches long, 77 inches wide, and only 55 inches tall, giving it roughly the same dimensions as the 2021 bmw 8-series, tesla model s, and, of course, porsche taycan.
the shared architecture means the all-wheel-drive quattro e-tron gt has many overlapping features with the taycan, including a two-speed transmission. first gear is for launching the vehicle, while the taller second gear is meant to optimize efficiency at highway speeds. there's also optional rear-wheel steering, which can rotate the wheels up to 2.8 degrees.
the e-tron gt has two motors, producing 429 horsepower from the rear motor while the front motor outputs 235 hp. the combined power of the two motors is 469 hp with an overboost function in launch mode that pushes the horsepower to 522 hp for 2.5 seconds. on the torque front, the vehicle produces a combined 464 pound-feet. (these are essentially the same specs as the taycan 4s with the smaller of porsche's two battery packs.) the result for the gt is a claimed zero-to-60-mph time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 152 mph. for those requiring more speed, there's also the 637-hp rs e-tron gt, which has rear-wheel steering as a standard feature.
as with the taycan, the e-tron gt prioritizes coasting over aggressive regenerative braking when the driver lifts their foot off the accelerator. most regenerative braking waits for the application of the brake pedal. the e-tron gt also has a battery management system that enables something we appreciated from the taycan: the ability to do acceleration runs over and over again without the performance degradations we've come to expect from evs.
connecting all of this to the road are standard 20-inch five-spoke alloy wheels with gray accents. performance package models come with the same wheels but with black accents. the rs variant is available with 20- or 21-inch aero five-spoke wheels. a three-chamber air suspension makes tweaks to accompany mode selections and can adjust body height 0.9 inch downward and 0.8 inch upward.
for added sportiness and increased downforce, the e-tron gt is outfitted with an active rear spoiler. the height adjustment has helped audi secure a claimed 0.24 drag coefficient. that's not as sleek as the taycan's 0.22 but still rather slippery, which is exactly what you want from an ev to enhance its mid- and high-speed range.
audi now claims a u.s. range number of 238 miles, although epa estimates are not yet available. that's based on 85.0 kwh of usable battery capacity from a 93.0-kwh-gross battery pack. it's a bit more than the 83.7 kwh usable (93.4 kwh gross) capacity found on the 2021 taycan 4s with performance battery plus, which has an epa-estimated 227 miles of range.
as with the taycan, the e-tron gt's 800-volt electrical architecture supports dc fast charging up to 270 kw, and audi says it can be charged from 5 to 80 percent in under 23 minutes.
inside is a non-leather interior made from recycled materials along with an alcantara-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel. nappa leather is available.
a 12.3-inch digital dash cluster sits behind the wheel, while a single 10.1-inch infotainment system houses the latest mmi system. audi says it opted for the single infotainment system display as opposed to the dual display found in the e-tron to make the vehicle more driver focused. the dash is available in graphite gray or optional open-pore walnut or matte carbon. eight-way adjustable sport seats are standard, and 18-way adjustable seats with a massage function are available.
the e-tron gt will come in three trim levels, although audi didn't share specifics on how they're differentiated. the quattro premium plus will start at $100,945, the quattro prestige will start at $108,145, and, for those needing all the speed audi can—or is allowed to—squeeze out of the platform, the rs e-tron gt will start at $140,945. the 2022 audi e-tron gt will arrive in dealerships this summer.