It’s fun to look back on what we thought about EVs when they first got popular. One of the biggest concerns was they’d all be the same. You know, kinda boring, appliances. It didn’t seem like electric motors had much in the way of personality.
Well, that proved to be untrue, in fact one of the things we really love is how different they are. Compare a Hyundai Ionic 5 N, to a BMW i4. Both great performance vehicles, yet so different. The Ionic is completely non-Hyundai like, while the i4 a BMW to the core.
So now we have the 2025 Audi Q4 55 e-tron. Audi says it’s the entry-level model for Audi electrification, but is it enough to lure EV buyers into the premium brand? Let’s take a look.
Audi Gorgeous!
Like the BMW i4 we tested recently, Audi decided to keep the Q4 styling in traditional family lines – we’ve got no problem there, they’ve been making some of the most handsome European vehicles on the market. In fact, where some of BMW’s latest styling has seemed a bit outlandish (and polarizing), Audi has kept things conservative and handsome.
The Q4 may be their entry-level EV, but there’s nothing entry-level about the way it looks.
That starts out at the front. If you’re a fan of the blacked-out look, you’re at the wrong vehicle here. The ‘Q is proud and blingy, with a large pentagon grille with a full metal tone finish on the grille, and the lower fascia which wraps around large side vents and a lower grille. The familiar four rings make this unmistakably Audi, and thanks to the optional Prestige Package, it also adds Matrix-design LED headlights and projection lights in the exterior mirrors. The Q4 makes a big bold statement from the start!
The profile keeps the good times coming. The Q4 is offered in two body styles, a more traditional crossover SUV and a sportback model. We like the traditional model in this case, as it suits the stubby lines and short overhangs to create a tight muscular look. We love the contrasting lower cut-in below the sharp door creases, but we’re totally obsessed with the Sport Package’s 21-inch 5-spoke design wheels in a platinum finish. With a sport suspension crouched over the big wheels and tires, our tester looked ready to pounce!
The rear view is the most restrained, but still handsome, with LED taillights and a lit bar that spans the width of the tailgate for an integrated look. The arrow-design taillights are pure Audi, and the lower fascia with metallic highlights bring some added interest. We also adored the optional Navarra Blue Metallic paint that really popped – we’re seeing more and more manufacturers move away from the cement-tones, blacked-out wheels, etc. and our Q4 was proof of just how jaw-dropping a fresh look can be – even on a relatively conservative design.
Pure Premium Interior
We often use Audi as the benchmark for a great interior. And we’ve found other premium makers following up. Well bad news other brands, Audi takes another step forward and creates an even greater place to spend time.
Open the door and you’re hit by the angular design, with sharp angles from the vents, the gauges and info-tainment display spanning the width of the cabin. It feels spacious too, and the Q4 is very close to the gas-powered Q5 model.
Like other Audi models, you’re also immediately impressed with the quality of materials –everything looks and feels expensive. It’s loaded too, the previously optional Technology package is now standard and the brings a host of goodies, including Audi virtual cockpit plus, Audi MMI Navigation plus, Traffic sign recognition and Audi connect.
The virtual cockpit is a handsome 10.3-inch digital display, that gives you two different layouts to suit your needs and tastes. Most importantly for an EV, battery range is marked out clearly, and we also appreciated our tester’s optional head-up display.
While most manufacturers like BMW are serving up dual displays laid out as a seamless single wraparound screen, the Q4 is a bit more old school, with a separate 11.6-inch touch screen in the center dash that’s angled towards the driver. It’s a massive screen, and things like navigation, or favorite WAZE app and others are big and bold and easy to see.
The Audi layout is simple and common sense, and it’s easy to navigate your way around. Underneath the big screen is a smaller digital display for the climate control system, and it’s equally as easy to understand – and we love that features like heated seats are instantly accessible, with no need to go fishing around in screens just to warm your buns.
Adding to our Q4’s upscale vibe was the optional Sport Package, which includes super comfortable and supportive front sport seats, an interesting-looking top and bottom flattened steering wheel, aluminum front door sill inlays with illuminated S logo, a black headliner, and high-tech mesh anthracite interior inlays.
While Q4 comes before Q5 (at least numerically) we also found the interior space comparable, with an adult friendly rear seat, and plenty of cargo space in the rear, even taking into account some room being taken up by the battery. You don’t have to compromise just because you want an EV.
An Upgraded Drive
Performance-wise, the Q4 got a nice upgrade mid 2024 model year, when the Q4 50 got replaced with the Q55, with a stellar 40 horsepower bump to 335, while at the same time enhancing range 22 miles to a reasonable 258. That’s a win-win in our book.
There’s even better news for 2025, with the entry-model Q4 40 becoming the Q4 45 e-tron, receiving an 81-horsepower increase and dropping the 0-60 mph time by 1.6 seconds. The revised battery pack can now charge at a higher 175kWh rate and adds 23 miles of range giving the Q4 40 288 miles on a full charge.
Along with our Q4 55’s 258 miles range, you should be able to fast charge from 10-80% in just under 30 minutes – but we actually found our tester was a bit quicker than that!
While we haven’t been in the Q4 45 yet, we think it’s probably worth the extra cash for the Quattro AWD 55 model. The power is excellent, that added grip will help in all seasons, and the Q4 sprints to 60 in just 5 seconds. Yes, there are some EVs that are faster, but few feel so good as they go about their business.
With typical German road feel, the Q4 talks to you, making you feel part of the driving experience, and it’s one worth sharing. The Sport Package suspension is a bit firmer, but not harsh, and with those big wheels, tires and Quattro AWD the Q4 loves being thrown around on a twisty road and comes storming out of corners thanks to instantaneous low-end EV power.
It also has all the fine road manners and luxury you could ask for, with super-low interior noise levels, and advanced driver assist functions keeping you safe and excellent adaptive cruise control with stop and go that takes the tedium out of the daily commuter.
Upgrade in Price as Well?
Well, let’s take a look. The Q4 e-tron lineup starts at $49,800. For a gorgeous, premium EV crossover that’s a fine value. Stepping up to the Q4 55 like our tester starts at $55,200.
Our tester as they say, was the full enchilada, including Navarra Blue paint ($595), Prestige Package ($6,600), Sport Package ($1,800) and Cold Weather Package ($1,000). Add in $1295 for Destination, and we rang the bell at $66,490.
While not a crossover, we think the BMW i4 Gran Coupe is a strong competitor, as like the Audi, it gives a lot of European driving appeal, while still moving the ball forward on the EV front. And at $66,975 comparably equipped it’s equally premium priced. Both worth a test drive.
And for something completely different, we love the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N that’s rewriting the rules about what a performance EV can be. At $67,495, it’s right in the ballpark as well.
With gorgeous looks inside and out, that wonderful Audi driving experience, married to an excellent EV powertrain, the 2025 Audi Q4 55 e-tron quattro is a great luxury EV crossover!
Ben Lewis grew up in Chicago, and after spending his formative years driving sideways in the winter – often intentionally – moved to sunny Southern California. He now enjoys sunny weather year-round — whether it is autocross driving, aerobatics, and learning to surf.