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Road test review: Audi RS e-tron GT

Saturday, 15 January 2022

An olive green Audi RS e-tron GT in an olive grove. Perfect.
No matter how you look at it, the RS e-tron GT is a handsome machine.
No matter how you look at it, the RS e-tron GT is a handsome machine.
That full-width taillight makes a cool light show at night.
That full-width taillight makes a cool light show at night.
The interior is surprisingly low-key, going without the second screen found in the e-tron SUV.
The interior is surprisingly low-key, going without the second screen found in the e-tron SUV.

Audi has expanded its electric range by two, both low-slung four-doors. They are both suffixed ‘GT’ and they both use Porsche Taycan bones, but this one gets that special RS badge as well. Could it be the most well-rounded high-performance EV on the market today?

OUTSIDE

Audi hasn’t been too adventurous with the exterior design of the GT, but it doesn’t really need to be. Current Audi’s look brilliant, and the GT doesn’t change that.

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That mean front end doesn’t hide an engine. But it does hide a speaker for an external sound generator that makes the RS e-tron GT sound like an Imperial Star Destroyer.
That mean front end doesn’t hide an engine. But it does hide a speaker for an external sound generator that makes the RS e-tron GT sound like an Imperial Star Destroyer.

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There’s a textured, closed-off grille holding the registration plate and Audi’s four-ring logo, while the autonomous system’s radar array site below. There’s also a speaker mounted here for the awesome sports sound, which is quite different to Porsche’s. More on that later.

Audi also uses conventional door handles, rather than the pop-out units Porsche has on the Taycan, and there are two charge ports, one per side, which is handy, although only one has the extra plugs for DC fast charging. It’s on the passenger side.

The gear selector is a tiny rocker in the centre console.
The gear selector is a tiny rocker in the centre console.

Around the back is a full-width LED taillight that puts on a little light show when you unlock it at night, and a subtle diffuser. Those rear tyres are huge as well, 305s, paired with 265 fronts.

INSIDE

Despite it being more of a grand tourer than the Taycan, the RS e-tron GT is still a brilliant piece of kit for those that like to flirt with the speed limit.
Despite it being more of a grand tourer than the Taycan, the RS e-tron GT is still a brilliant piece of kit for those that like to flirt with the speed limit.

Inside the GT is remarkably restrained in a tech sense. The e-tron SUV has two digital screens, the lower dedicated to air-conditioning and climate controls. The GT does away with the second screen, replacing it with physical knobs and buttons. It’s much better too – the screen gets fingerprints on it instantly and has more propensity to cause headaches.

The steering wheel is standard RS, as is the digital dashboard, albeit with EV-specific readouts like battery level.

Lots of carbon fibre and Alcantara give the cabin a really swanky vibe, although the gloss plastic around the gear selector and start/stop button does detract a bit from the experience.

The tiny rear window, a carryover from the Taycan, is also not ideal, but thankfully many, many cameras and sensors are ready to help back into spaces.

UNDER THE BONNET

Being based on the Taycan, there aren’t many surprises underneath the sexy sheet metal. Two electric motors provide oomph, one on each axle, paired with a two-speed automatic transmission. They combine to produce 440kW/830Nm, or 475kW/830Nm on overboost. That’s achieved by activating launch control which, when used, will push your eyeballs back into your skull and merge your intestines.

The motors are powered by a 93kWh battery, the larger of the two offered in the Taycan, enough for a maximum range of 472km, says Audi. You can get pretty close to that figure too, depending on how you drive and how much air-conditioning you like.

It’s all nestled in an 800 volt architecture which allows recharge rates up to 270kW, which is a huge amount of power to be shoved into a car. At that rate, 100km of range can be generated in five minutes, while charging the battery from five to 80 per cent takes barely 22 minutes.

Audi doesn’t use Porsche’s trick air suspension either, using its own air suspension system instead. The RS e-tron GT also gets all-wheel steering to help stability at speed and agility in town. The standard GT gets an open rear differential while the RS gets a controlled limited-slip diff.

ON THE ROAD

So how does it all come together? Well, like the Porsche Taycan Turbo S from 2020, it’s absolutely spectacular.

It’s not quite as rip-your-face-off brutal as the Taycan, considering it’s closer to the non-S Turbo in power, and Audi is quite insistent on that ‘GT’ part of the name. If the Taycan is a four-door sports car, this is a four-door electric grand tourer.

But don’t take that to mean it’s a soft and cushy cruiser, because holy hell this thing is quick.

Point to point, the RS e-tron GT will hang on to basically anything else on the road, especially on Auckland roads. There’s so much traction from the quattro system, and while it does do that Audi thing of understeering, you have to be really going for it to run into it. I know the spec sheets will say a Taycan Turbo S or Tesla Model S is faster, but I’d put money on you not noticing when you’re actually experiencing it.

And yet, even in Dynamic, the ride is superb, even on 21-inch wheels. The suspension is well set up to be a GT, the only real question mark in the long-distance equation is if you can make the range last between charge stops and not go hell for leather all the time.

The steering is quick and accurate, but like most other fast Audis, it does lack feel and feedback. I also wish the paddle-operated regeneration modes could go a few steps higher, to enable a form of one-pedal driving. At the same time, though, you’re probably having too much fun to notice or care.

That speaker up the front generates a low rumble, special to the e-tron GT, and distinct from the Taycan’s hum. The car will also make other sci-fi noises based on drive mode, throttle position and other parameters. All you really need to know is that it sounds really cool.

VERDICT

To answer that question at the top, yes. This is probably the most well-rounded high-performance EV on the market right now. It’s expensive, sure, but it slots in between the more powerful Porsche Taycan Turbo ($297,300) and the less powerful Taycan GTS ($249,600).

It’s that bit more comfortable than the Taycan for that bit less money, while still being incredibly fast on the road. But honestly, if you have $300k to burn on something like this, chances are your choice will boil down to what you like the look of more.

Or you could save some money and order a Tesla Model S Plaid, although who knows when that will get here.