LESS IS MORE (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Less is definitely more with Audi's e-tron GT. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at the base GT quattro version.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 32

The entry-level version of Audi's e-tron GT is easily the most sensible choice in the range. In fact, range might have a lot to do with your decision in choosing this model.

Backgroundword count: 134

It's always been a bit of a mystery why sales of Audi's e-tron GT have only ever been a fraction of those of its almost identically-engineered development partner, the Porsche Taycan. It was to try and restore some parity in this regard that Audi substantially overhauled the e-tron GT in 2024, initially with mid-level S e-tron GT and top RS e-tron GT models. The biggest seller in the line-up, the much more affordable e-tron GT quattro, followed in mid-2025 and is the car we look at here. The big price saving with this base model (nearly £20,000 over the S) means a big reduction in power. But otherwise you don't lose too much by choosing this entry-level variant and it offers the longest EV range figure in the line-up. Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 359

Just how much power do you need in a car of this kind? The S e-tron GT model we tried recently offers 592PS in normal use - or up to 680PS with launch control 'boost mode' engaged. For this base GT quattro, the figures are 503PS in normal use - or up to 584PS with launch control 'boost mode' engaged. We can't imagine that you'd notice that power difference very often - and indeed, the GT quattro's 0-62mph sprint time (4.0s) is just 0.6s slower than that of the S model. Either way, this car feels very fast indeed. Apart from the price saving over the S e-tron model, another reason why you might be tempted to choose this base GT quattro model is driving range - which improves that S model's 374 mile figure to 386 miles. Both cars use the same 97kWh (usable capacity) long range battery. As with the original e-tron GT (first launched back in 2022), all the basic engineering is shared with this car's VW Group cousin, the Porsche Taycan (which you can't really blame Audi for because it's extremely complex). The Taycan's offered in a (rarely chosen) base rear-driven form, but the e-tron GT has always standardised dual motor 'quattro' drive courtesy of motors at front and rear. Aided by an e-torque vectoring system, the traction generated by this set-up is quite astonishing; at almost any cornering speed, the thing just grips and goes. Though in this updated model, this powertrain's front motor is as before, the rear motor is now completely new, more compact and 30kg lighter. As before, in what still seems quite an innovation, that rear motor is connected to a 2-speed gearbox that uses its second gear for pulling away (though you can hear it dropping down to first in the launch phase if the 'dynamic' mode's been selected). All of this is as in most Taycans. As before, there's only one real area of key engineering difference between the two cars - steering feel, which Ingolstadt has always developed differently, making it lighter than a Taycan and more familiar to customers graduating to this car from another Audi.

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