2021 Audi e-Tron Sportback Interior Driveway Test | Q5 bones, Q8 interior

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The Audi E-Tron Sportback is the automotive equivalent of a neutron star: small but unimaginably compact. Now I was a little bit off in the above video when I said it’s the same size as the Q5. It’s actually closer to the Q8 in terms of length with interior dimensions in between the two. Either way, it’s still shockingly tough. At 5,754 pounds, it’s 750 pounds heavier than the dimensionally larger Q8 and a mind-boggling 1,675 pounds heavier than a base Q5. It’s still 1,135 pounds heavier than the Q5 plug-in hybrid. And it’s not just because it’s an electric car full of batteries. The Jaguar I-Pace weighs about 1,000 pounds less, and the Mustang Mach-E is believed to be in a similar range.

What does this have to do with the interior? Probably nothing, but most of the heavy lifting (pardon the pun) of this post will be carried on by the video above so I thought I’d share some interesting information before going over to the photos that will give a closer look at some of the features of the interior of the Audi E-Tron.

An important point that I didn’t mention in the video, however: the interior design and quality of the E-Tron are its most appealing features. Its weight contributes to a cumbersome road holding and most likely to its unimpressive electric range. Viewed objectively as an electric car, it doesn’t hold a candle to the Mustang Mach-E, Polestar 2, or Pick Your Tesla. Still, it undeniably has a much better interior than all of them, which may justify the higher price for some.

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You can see the difference here between the e-Tron (top) with the Q8 (bottom left) and Q5 (bottom right).

The material quality in the E-Tron is far superior to the rather disappointing Audi Q5. The wood finish in particular seems nicer.

Here are closer look at the E-Tron’s “Press Screens”. I really like the haptic feedback and the small amount of extra pressure they require that makes each virtual button feel real. On the other hand, the bottom touchscreen seems technical because of the technology. The normal old buttons and knobs from the Q5 work better.

Here’s the electronic shifter. Again, it’s not confusing, and there’s a mechanical feel that many such shifters lack. Still, the world didn’t need yet another shifter design.

Here is the wheel. It is the same as in the Audi A8.

And finally, here’s a closer look at the center console, including the quasi-floating design and smart (if not unique) wireless charger.