When visiting Audi’s “The Place To-e” in Antwerp, we took the opportunity to slide behind the wheel of Audi’s all-electric SUV flagship. It is already quite familiar to us seeing it produced, as your servant has made already several guide tours around the Brussels factory where it is built.

I will also continue to do so and in the near future be able to welcome you there to show you around the production lines, but until now we never had the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of one.

Of course, Audi Import in the person of PR Manager Audi Belgium, D’Ieteren – Audi Import Sofie Luyckx will rather sooner than later offer me a longer test drive in one, but we tell you here already our “first drive” experiences.  

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Impressive in ingenuity, style and build quality

The e-tron makes a statement of quality and style when you approach it. This is even reinforced when you see the dashboard and cabin and slide behind the wheel. Clean, well balanced, superbly finished, this is what your eyes and hands see and feel.

The instruments, dials and function knobs are all digital, embedded in shiny black surfaces, which are ergonomically ideally angled towards you. You would like to touch them with gloves, as your fingers leave marks on their semi-matte surfaces. Maybe we should go back – with pleasure – to this gentlemen drivers’ tradition of wearing fine leather gloves when driving a car, certainly with a noble example like this one.

It is all breathing this angular futuristic Audi styling language, which has a timeless balance to it.

Comfort in silence and refinement

We took this e-tron fro a very gentle urban ride, testing out the energy recuperation modes when decelerating and/or braking, which is very cleverly controlled in intensity by the paddles on the steering wheel. A very refined touch.

Progress is of course, as an e-car befits, silky smooth, with ample acceleration power delivered by both engines fore and aft. With this luxury SUV it is combined with excellent suspension comfort, and here the Audi really stands out. This is further enhanced by the superb seats, which make the picture of a fine quality car offering top level refinement complete.

In the neighbourhood of the “The Place To-e” in Antwerp is the magnificent Middelheim park, and this is where we photographed the e-tron for you.

Soon more about this superb car, when we have it for a longer drive…

Hans Knol ten Bensel