2022 Audi e-tron, Start your Journey with Confidence

By A.Giron | February 6, 2023

The Audi e-tron is one of the best EV’s in the market today.

There aren’t many EV’s on the market, but the ones that do exist are all pretty good. That’s the case with the Audi e-tron, which counts a smooth ride, impeccable cabin materials, and plenty of premium features among its positive attributes.

Essentially, it offers all the opulence, comfort and performance you’d expect from an Audi, but with the power coming from electrons rather than internal combustion.

All in Style

Our 2022 Audi E-Tron is available in three models, Premium, Premium Plus and Chronos.

The base Premium Plus model is fairly well equipped, with standard features like 20-inch wheels, full LED lighting, MMI infotainment system, and a 16-speaker, 750-watt Bang & Olufsen audio system.

The new Chronos model effectively takes the place of last year’s e-tron’s Prestige trim. It’s essentially the same model, but it’s available in the exclusive Chronos Gray paint.

Features include: Black Optic Package, upgraded headlights, dual-pane acoustic glass for a quieter cabin, head-up display, extended leather on dash, console, and armrests, massaging front seats, rear window sunshades, rear doors, soft closing and intersection assistant.

The Silence Killer

The e-tron has a battery pack that runs the length of its floor. The 95 kWh package sends power to two electric motors, one of which drives each axle.

Audi is known for its Quattro all-wheel-drive systems, but the E-Tron puts an electric twist on all-wheel drive. A series of sensors monitor the vehicle 1,000 times per second to determine the perfect distribution of power between the wheels, even using GPS data to fine-tune things.

The two engines produce a combined 355 horsepower and boost to 402 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque for up to 8 seconds when the transmission is in Sport mode. EPA-estimated range is 222 miles on a full charge. The E-Tron is rated to tow up to 4,000 pounds,

Is the e-tron elegant and luxury?

The e-tron’s quality materials are excellent and as usual with Audi, the design is all about luxury and elegance.

Its interior is rarely disturbed. The quality of the driver’s seat offers maximum comfort during the road trip. The rear passengers can feel more comfortable thanks to the features that they can enjoy.

And it is that this more conventional style of SUV pays dividends in passenger and cargo space, since rear seat passengers have more headroom. The e-tron also offers much more rear legroom and rear cargo space.

Technology

The Audi e-tron features the latest dual-screen version of Audi’s MMI infotainment system, as seen in the SQ8. Audi’s new MMI interface uses multiple screens to control and display navigation, audio and climate controls. It takes time at first, but after you get familiar with it, the system makes a lot of sense.

The upper 10.1-inch screen acts mostly as a screen, and the lower 8.8-inch screen replaces the analog controls for more complicated tasks, like setting the climate control.

Touch points help the user make quick selections, even without the tactile feedback of buttons and knobs. The virtual cockpit display, which replaces conventional gauges, shows a variety of useful details about the drive system, including range.

The center displays work with the Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster, another feature derived from other recent Audi models. Instead of conventional gauges, the driver gets a reconfigurable display that can display everything from an estimated range to images from Google Maps. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also on the menu, along with Amazon Alexa connectivity.

Charging and Efficiency

The e-tron comes with its own self-contained charging unit, which can be plugged into a NEMA 14-50 outlet (the type used for large appliances like washing machines) for 240-volt level 2 AC charging.

e-tron owners who don’t want to deal with hiring an electrician on their own can install an outlet through Amazon Home Services.

According to Audi, this setup will charge the e-tron in about 8 hours, which may seem like a long time, but it allows the car to charge overnight while you sleep.

On the road, Audi will rely on the Electrify America network of charging stations.

Certain Electrify America DC fast charging stations can charge at 150 kilowatts, compared to 120 kW for Tesla’s Supercharger stations.

Audi claims that the e-tron is the only vehicle on sale capable of using those 150 kW stations, allowing for an 80% recharge in 30 minutes.

Audi also claims that chargers at Electrify America stations will stay at full power longer, ensuring the quickest possible range recovery.

Audi will provide e-tron owners with 1,000 kilowatt-hours of free charging on Electrify America, but owners will have to pay for their own charging after that.

Is the e-tron a safe EV?

The Audi e-tron is a very safe EV. Safety features include anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control, front seat side airbags, full-length side airbags.

The e-tron gets a custom cruise control system with lane-keep assist. It also receives traffic light information, which tells the driver when the traffic lights are about to change, but it only works in certain cities.

On the road

The Audi e-tron features a regenerative system intended to recapture energy during braking and coasting.

Regenerative braking means better range and energy efficiency during stop and go driving than when a battery vehicle is running on the open road.

It’s a smooth ride with a quick acceleration, and incredibly quiet interior.

The Audi e-tron proved sure-footed and agile in our test days, with precise and predictable steering, holding up body rolls in tight corners like a good European luxury model.

Our Verdict

The 2022 Audi e-tron is a smooth, light, and highly versatile car for a family that goes about their day with the same routine specs, sleeping while the car charges, or going the “Electrify America” charging route.