2024 Audi e-tron GT Review

In 2023, Australians bought a record number of electric vehicles from all sorts of different automotive brands – a trend that’s expected to continue well into the future. While just a few years ago, buying an EV meant choosing from a limited number of available models, nowadays there’s a broad range of models to suit buyers from small hatchbacks to even utes. But what if you’re after a luxury performance EV sedan? Enter the 2024 Audi e-tron GT.

Not to be confused with Audi’s first EV, the e-tron SUV that’s now called the Q8 e-tron, the e-tron GT is the twin to the well-liked Porsche Taycan. As a result of being co-developed with Porsche, the e-tron GT is surprisingly low-slung for an Audi, with slinky styling that caught lots of attention in our time with it. Is the e-tron GT the luxury sports EV sedan to buy? Let’s find out.

How much does the 2024 Audi e-tron GT cost to buy?

For now, there are two models in the e-tron GT range: the e-tron GT and the RS e-tron GT. Here we’re testing the regular – if you can call it that – e-tron GT, which is priced from $180,200 plus on-road costs or around $198,500 drive away, depending on location.

e-tron GT standard equipment:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Adaptive air suspension
• Dusk- and rain-sensing all-LED exterior lighting with dynamic indicators and laser high beam
• Rain-sensing automatic wipers
• Fixed glass roof
• Keyless entry with push button start
• Electric bootlid with gesture control
• Electric-raising/lowering rear spoiler
• Auto-folding mirrors with heated, auto-dimming, memory and kerb-side dropping when parking
• Tri-zone climate control with rear air vents
• Leather steering wheel with electric steering column adjustment
• Black leather upholstery with synthetic leather on the doors, dashboard and centre console
• Heated 8-way electric front seats with driver’s memory
• 12.3-inch ‘Virtual Cockpit’ digital driver’s display with Google Earth integration
• 10.1-inch touchscreen with ‘Audi connect plus’ live services like traffic and weather
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio
• 710-watt 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system
• 4x USB-C ports
• Wireless phone charger
• Auto-dimming rear mirror
• ‘Audi connect plus e-tron’ services including remote charging, remote climate control and driving data
• ‘Audi connect plus Security & Assistance’ services including car location, emergency calling, online roadside assistance and remote unlocking and locking
• Six-year Chargefox charging subscription
• Type 2 charging cable to connect to an AC charging station
• Type 1 charging cable to connect to a three-pin wall socket

e-tron GT safety equipment:

• Eight airbags (2x front, 2x curtain, 2x front side and 2x rear side)
• Auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, as well as intersection and evasive turning assistance
• Lane keeping assistance with lane departure warning
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
• Adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist
• Adaptive lane guidance
• Head-up display
• Safe exit assist
• Low speed rear automatic braking
• Driver attention monitoring
• Matrix adaptive high beam
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Automatic parallel and perpendicular parking functionality
• 360-degree camera
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Alarm system

The e-tron GT is yet to be safety tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, but the related Porsche Taycan was tested by Euro NCAP in 2019 and received a five-star rating.

e-tron GT options:

• Premium plus package with 20-inch wheels, 30-colour ambient interior lighting, rear privacy glass, air quality package and illuminated door sill covers: $6,400 (or $7,500 with another wheel design – fitted to our test car)
• Diminica package with 14-way electrically adjustable front seats with suede and synthetic leather upholstery, suede for the centre console, steering wheel, door trims and headlining: $8,000
• Carbon & black exterior styling package with a carbon fibre roof replacing the glass roof, carbon fibre trim on the bumpers and mirror caps and gloss black badging (fitted to our test car): $17,500
• Black exterior styling package with black badging and exterior accents: $4,200
• Walnut interior trim inserts: $1,800
• Body-coloured grille: $800
• Alternative 20-inch alloy wheels: $750 – $1,800

e-tron GT colour options (all no-cost):

• Ibis White
• Floret Silver
• Kemora Grey
• Suzuka Grey
• Daytona Grey
• Mythos Black (on our test car)
• Tango Red

The interior colour options for the e-tron GT are limited to just black.

In terms of rivals, the 2024 Audi e-tron GT’s closest is undoubtedly its Porsche Taycan 4S sibling (priced from $205,300 plus on-road costs and then around $25,000 of options to match the e-tron’s standard equipment), but buyers will no doubt cross-shop offerings from BMW (the i5 M60 is priced from $215,900 +ORC) and Mercedes-AMG (the EQE53 costs $214,574 +ORC). But both the i5 and EQE are larger, luxurious and more practical options to the e-tron GT and will better compete with the eventual A6 e-tron that will arrive in the next few years. At the moment, the e-tron GT stands by itself.

How far can the 2024 Audi e-tron GT travel on a charge?

Unlike the Porsche Taycan that it shares a platform with, underneath the body of the 2024 Audi e-tron GT is a singular battery option: a 93.4kWh lithium-ion unit that’s an optional extra on the equivalent Taycan 4S. This battery feeds a dual-motor all-wheel drive system with serious outputs of 350kW of power and 630Nm of torque – 30kW more but 10Nm less than the Taycan 4S.

They are already strong numbers but they can be upped further to 390kW and 640Nm in boost mode, giving a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 4.1 seconds. In person, the e-tron GT feels even faster than that because of just how quickly it sprints off the mark, or reacts to even reasonable pedal input at speed. It’s incredible – and that’s despite being the ‘regular’ e-tron GT too, as those wanting the full fat fast Audi EV experience will want the 450kW e-tron GT and its claimed 3.3-second 0-100km/h sprint time.

In terms of efficiency, the e-tron GT is not amazing. Its claimed efficiency is 19.2kWh/100km on the WLTP cycle for a range of 448km and our week of mixed driving resulted in higher consumption of 23.9kWh/100km for a range of around 350km. However, that’s not so bad given how fast the e-tron GT is and that we weren’t driving particularly economically – drivers can also choose a more economical driving mode if that’s what they desire. As with many other EVs, the e-tron GT’s turn of speed is fun and almost addictive, which definitely isn’t the most efficient way to drive.

Thankfully, thanks to its water-cooled 800V architecture – which puts it up with the best in the new car market for charging ability – the e-tron GT can be charged at up to 270kW on a DC fast charger and a 5-80 per cent charge will take just under 23 minutes. As for AC charging, the e-tron GT accepts a maximum of 11kW, though the RS variant can be optioned with a higher 22kW rate, which is something we’d like to see offered to the regular e-tron too. What is really practical, however, is that it has two charging ports (both do AC charging but one also does DC).

How does the 2024 Audi e-tron GT drive?

Using the same ‘J1’ platform as its Porsche Taycan sibling, the 2024 Audi e-tron GT has taken the Audi brand to new heights of dynamic ability. While it’s not quite as sporty as the Taycan – the Audi engineers reportedly went for more of a luxurious GT-like driving experience, rather than all-out sporty – the e-tron GT is still very impressive when shown some corners with excellent balance, meaty steering and excellent body control. This reviewer is lucky enough to have driven the RS e-tron GT around Laguna Seca Raceway in California and while its four-wheel steering and trick rear diff add another element to the e-tron GT’s dynamic toolbox, buyers of the regular model shouldn’t feel shortchanged as the e-tron GT still drives very well.

While it’s no lightweight at 2,390kg (tare) and is pretty big at just 11mm short of five metres in length, it feels a size smaller than that from behind the wheel. Against the Taycan, the e-tron GT is a touch softer, but because of that, it’s more comfortable and useable every day. Like we’ve experienced with many other Audi products, the e-tron GT’s cross country ability is stunning. Its ride is compliant and thanks to its adaptive air set up, quite comfortable with the hardest bumps rounded off nicely despite the large 20-inch alloy wheels.

Elsewhere in the driving experience of the e-tron GT is a mixed bag. The outward visibility isn’t great because of the small windows – thankfully the standard 360-degree camera is excellent and helps greatly with parking – and the low nose scrapes quite often, even on some smaller speed bumps. Thankfully, the air suspension can be raised a touch to aid going over speed bumps and driveways. The driving position is very low slung and makes you feel like you’re on the ground – a lovely feeling – while the seats are quite comfortable as well, though we wish you could option lumbar adjustment.

As for the active safety equipment, the e-tron GT is great with particularly good lane keeping assistance and traffic jam assistance. How about the laser headlights? Well, they’re the best we’ve ever used with a very long range and really active Matrix adaptive high beam tech. The e-tron GT’s active safety equipment makes you feel very safe from behind the wheel.

How practical is the 2024 Audi e-tron GT?

We’ve come to expect high quality, modern and high tech cabins from Audi – that’s what the company is best at, in our opinion – and the e-tron GT’s interior is no different, though it is different to what we’ve expected from the company in a few ways. Quality inside the e-tron GT is generally pretty good – the synthetic leather trim on our test car could feel more special, but the plastics, buttons and screens all look and feel great with the typically satisfying Audi click we’ve become used to. Annoyingly, the e-tron GT is limited to just a black interior with the RS e-tron GT offering more colours like red and grey – we’d choose the optional wood dashboard panel to warm the dashboard up nicely as a result.

Where the e-tron GT’s cabin is not quite as Audi-like as we expected is in its interior practicality. The centre console box is small, as are the door pockets and while there’s a shallow tray next to the gear selector, the e-tron GT’s performance sees whatever you put in there flying pretty quickly. The wireless charger in the centre box is particularly difficult to access, though it holds your phone in snugly. The doors are also quite thick, which adds to a slight claustrophobic feeling inside.

Centre of the e-tron GT’s cabin is a 10.1-inch touchscreen with a whole host of features: live services, satellite navigation, wireless smartphone mirroring and digital radio. It’s the same system that features in other Audi products and the screen quality is great, it’s quite quick to use and it’s easy to get familiar with it. The 12.3-inch digital driver’s screen is also excellent – it’s high quality, configurable and tells you a lot of information if you want it too. Plus, the Google Earth integration is stunning.

Speaking of stunning, the standard 710-watt 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system is excellent. One big positive about the e-tron GT’s cabin to us is the plentiful use of buttons dotted around the cabin. Unlike a lot of modern cars – which predominantly use their touchscreen for the majority of functions – the e-tron has physical buttons for the air-conditioning controls, for example, which makes a big difference in ergonomic usability.

Like the general interior practicality, the e-tron GT’s rear seat space is not its strong suit, but it’s still reasonable. Two six-footers will fit fine once they’ve convoluted themselves in, though it can give a somewhat claustrophobic feeling thanks to the small windows and the thick door panels – our test car also had the Carbon & black exterior styling package that adds a fixed carbon fibre roof. We expect the standard glass roof to make the rear seat feel roomier.

In the back seat are small door pockets, a central arm rest with cup holders, two USB-C chargers and a separate climate zone with air vents – but no heated seats or map pockets. While the e-tron GT is a five-seater, it’s definitely more of a ‘4 + 1’ as the middle seat is not suitable for adults.

The boot of the e-tron GT measures 405-litres – plus another 81L space in the front – and while the boot may not seem huge on paper, in person it’s actually reasonably deep and features both side and under-floor storage for extra space. It’s well trimmed with quality carpeting, while there are also a few hooks to carry bags as well. While there’s no spare wheel (just a tyre repair kit), the electric bootlid opens and closes quickly and the rear seats fold relatively flat as well. As nice as the boot is, we’d still love to see Audi make an e-tron GT Avant, like the Taycan Sport Turismo. Please, Audi?

How much does the 2024 Audi e-tron GT cost to run?

Like other new Audi products, the 2024 Audi e-tron GT is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty. The e-tron GT is also covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty for the battery, while a six-year roadside assistance package and even six years of servicing is also included which covers the first three services from its bi-annual/30,000km service intervals.

Aside from registration, insurance and tyres, the e-tron GT will cost nothing to run for the first six years if using a Chargefox public EV charger, which is pretty damn good.

Should I buy a 2024 Audi e-tron GT?

If you can afford it and are after a low-slung electric grand tourer, the 2024 Audi e-tron GT is a very tempting product. It looks fantastic, it’s very fast, it drives quite well, it’s quite well equipped and thanks to an excellent aftersales package, it would be very inexpensive to run. The interior is also pretty good quality, while the infotainment system is typically-Audi slick in its operation and features a lot of tech.

What some buyers might not like is that the e-tron GT is not that practical inside, its low nose scrapes easily and some features like lumbar seat adjustment and the option to upgrade the AC charging limit to 22kW are unavailable on the regular e-tron GT and you must spend the extra almost-$70,000 to get to the RS e-tron GT to be even able to option them. But as a whole package and as an EV that quickly stirs the soul, the e-tron GT is a great car that’s well worth consideration.