Should you buy one?

It’s a good electric car, but the biggest elephant in the room for the E-Tron GT is the Porsche Taycan. In isolation, the Audi is a brilliant Grand Tourer with room for four and just enough range to enjoy long and reasonably stress-free trips if you need to use public chargers. But the Porsche is just a little bit stronger in all areas, and as such we’re left wondering why you’d plump for the Audi on any other ground than cost.

Like the Taycan, the E-Tron GT stands out as an electric car that offers something different to a largely SUV and hatchback dominated space. And as such it goes from being just another electric offering to something truly convincing as a package. Of the two models we think the lower-powered E-Tron GT Quattro is the best all-rounder, with more potential miles per charge, smaller price tag and enhanced comfort levels over the sportier RS.

That car is not one to necessarily avoid though. While not as sharp or devastatingly quick at cornering across country, it does offer a softer alternative to the Porsche Taycan without compromising on ballistic pace. We think it looks better, and is ever so slightly more comfortable on a long run, too. It’s worth mentioning the Tesla Model S, too, which is way more efficient, has more room, and is better integrated into its charging network – but they’re tough to get hold of in the UK as the firm concentrates on shifting Model 3s and Model Ys.

What we like

It’s a brilliant long-distance tourer, with a comfortable, well-damped ride. Tech is plentiful, as you’d expect, but there’s nothing in the cabin to put off prospective EV buyers who have driven a lifetime of combustion-powered cars. Really, that’s what we’d expect from Audi. Here it has done as good a job easing its customers in to plug power as the R8 does for first time supercar owners.

What we don’t like

Less mobile people might find it an effort getting in and out, while the battery range looks rather average compared with the best of the opposition. Mainly, though, the existence of the Porsche Taycan (which also comes in ‘estate’ form) makes it tough to justify buying one as a performance car, while other EV saloons offer more space and range.