Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback launched in India, priced lower than Mercedes-Benz EQC- Technology News, Firstpost

tech2 News StaffJul 22, 2021 11:04:46 IST

Audi India has announced prices for its first all-electric offering for our market – the e-tron SUV. First showcased in India a few years ago, the Audi e-tron has finally gone on sale, with the entry-level Audi e-tron 50 priced at Rs 99.99 lakh, the higher-spec Audi e-tron 55 priced at Rs 1.16 crore and the swoopy Audi e-tron Sportback 55 coupe-SUV priced at Rs 1.17 crore (all prices introductory, ex-showroom). At its introductory price, the base Audi e-tron undercuts the entry-level versions of both its rivals – the Mercedes-Benz EQC and Jaguar I-Pace – that are priced at Rs 1.04 crore and Rs 1.06 crore, respectively.

The Audi e-tron SUV utilises the Volkswagen Group’s MEB architecture, which is a significantly revised version of the MLB platform that underpins the China-only Audi Q5 long wheelbase model. The e-tron is available in both standard and Sportback coupe-SUV versions, with the former available in two variants – the e-tron 50 (71 kWh lithium-ion battery, two electric motors producing a combined 310 hp and 540 Nm, quattro all-wheel drive) and the e-tron 55 (95 kWh battery pack, dual motor setup producing 408 hp and 664 Nm, quattro all-wheel-drive). The e-tron Sportback, meanwhile, is only available in higher-spec 55 form.

All Audi e-tron models come with matrix LED lighting, four-zone climate control and adaptive air suspension as standard. The e-tron is available in eight colour options, while the e-tron Sportback lets buyers pick from nine colour options.

There are three ways to charge the Audi e-tron. One option is to use an 11 kWh AC charger, which takes 8.5 hours to charge the SUV to full. An optional 22 kWh fast charger will also be an option for the customer, which tops up the car in 4.5 hours. Further, the e-tron can also be charged using a 150 kWh DC fast charger, which gives charge worth 80 per cent of the SUV’s range in just 30 minutes.

Audi India will provide two chargers to all e-tron buyers. The company has also set up DC fast charging facilities at select outlets across the country, which will be free to use for e-tron owners till the end of 2021.

The Audi e-tron rivals the Mercedes-Benz EQC and Jaguar I-Pace. Image: Audi India

Under its curated ownership packages, Audi India is offering a choice of service plans ranging from two years to five years. A standard warranty of two years and a battery warranty of eight years or 160,000 kilometres (whichever is earlier) is also available.

The options for extended warranty are available across a period of two + two years or two + three years, it added.

Audi India is also offering a buyback option, where customers are being assured of a “lucrative buyback price up to three years from the date of purchase, when they decide to upgrade or sell their Audi e-tron 50, the Audi e-tron 55 and Audi e-tron Sportback 55 in the future”. The company said it is also offering complimentary five-year roadside assistance to its e-tron and e-tron Sportback owners.