Audi Q4 e-tron becomes best-selling premium import electric car in April

The Audi Q4 40 e-tron and Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron were the best-selling premium imported electric vehicles in Germany for the second consecutive month in April with a total of 325 units (according to the Korea Association of Imported Motor Vehicles).

According to the Korea Association of Imported Motor Vehicles, the Q4 40 e-tron and Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron were the best-selling imported electric vehicles in Korea in April, with 239 and 86 units respectively delivered to customers, totalling 325 units, making it the best-selling premium imported electric vehicle brand in Germany.

The Q4 40 e-tron and Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron are Audi's first all-electric SUVs in the compact segment and the first Audi models based on the MEB platform, and have been so popular with domestic consumers that all units were sold out within two months of their debut in Korea, making them the first models to popularise premium electric vehicles.

The Q4 40 e-tron and Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron offer sporty driving performance with a maximum power output of 204 hp and a maximum torque of 31.6 kg-m and a top speed of 160 km/h. Both models are equipped with a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 82 kilowatt-hours, which enables the Q4 40 e-tron to travel 411 kilometres and the Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron to travel 409 kilometres on a single charge on a combined basis.

The Q4 40 e-tron is priced between $61.7 million and $68.7 million and the Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron is priced between $65.7 million and $72.7 million. Electric vehicles are eligible for government and local government subsidies, with the state subsidy for 2024 being KRW 1.96 million for the Q4 40 e-tron and KRW 1.98 million for the Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron.

In terms of local government subsidies, both models cost KRW 450,000 in Seoul, while in Geochang, Gyeongnam, the SUV model costs KRW 3.43 million and the Sportback model costs KRW 3.47 million. Consumers can therefore purchase the Q4 40 e-tron for KRW 59.29 million in Seoul, and the Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron for KRW 63.27 million (base trim, VAT included; prices may vary when selecting certain interior and exterior options).

Meanwhile, Audi Korea is making concerted efforts to meet the diverse needs of consumers and create opportunities for sustainable growth in the Korean market as the automotive market continues to shift towards electrification and digitalisation.

Audi EV owners will be able to find and book charging stations, check the status of their charge, link their credit card to the e-Tron charge credit card and check the remaining amount via the dedicated e-Tron menu in the myAudiworld application, making charging even easier, and there is also a charging on demand service for customers who are unable to charge themselves from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

Audi Korea also offers an industry-leading warranty of eight years or 160,000 kilometres on all Audi e-Tron batteries and five years or 150,000 kilometres on powertrain components, including the drive motor. This will help Audi e-tron customers save money over the lifetime of their vehicle.

In addition, Audi Korea is continuously investing in expanding facilities, training specialised technicians and automating its parts management system to strengthen its EV service infrastructure. As of May 2024, Audi Korea operates 31 service centres and 14 high-voltage battery maintenance centres with the capability to repair electric vehicles. In addition, for customer convenience, even if a customer uses a general service centre that is not an e-Tron designated service centre, the dealer will directly transfer the car to a service centre that can repair e-Trons.

It also has a structured certification system to train electric vehicle specialists. The specialised electric vehicle technicians are categorised into the following categories: Electric Vehicle Specialist (EIP), High Voltage Technician (HVT), Advanced and High Voltage Expert (HVE). Audi currently has a pool of around 900 electric vehicle specialists in their respective fields and is continuously developing its expertise through systematic courses.

Article roadtesting editorial (dhseo1208@gmail.com)

Photo Audi Korea