Audi e-tron GT 2023 review

There are two forms of the Audi e-tron GT, the regular GT version with prices starting from $180,200, or the full-fat RS, which takes a healthy jump to $248,200 along with a corresponding rise in performance and standard equipment.

Audi promises the e-tron GT is better value than its Porsche Taycan rival like-for-like, starting with all-wheel drive only as opposed to the Taycan’s rear-drive base-spec.

For those worried about EV value, consider the e-tron GT is both faster and much more affordable than the R8 was before it was discontinued in Australia last year, with the latter starting from a whopping $316,377, before on-road costs, before it met its end.

The RS e-tron GT has a whopping 440kW of power and 830Nm of torque. (Image: Tom White)

Taking its spot at the helm of Audi’s range, the e-tron GT certainly doesn’t want for standard gear, with equipment on the base version including 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive air suspension, a fixed glass roof, LED matrix headlights, a 12.8-inch digital instrument cluster and 10-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 710-watt audio system, and of course all the expected safety gear.

The standard GT variant is slightly less powerful than the RS with its dual-motor set-up producing ‘just’ 350kW/630Nm, but maintains the rather unusual two-speed transmission and, of course, the all-wheel drive system.

Let-downs for this model include the surprisingly average feeling synthetic leather seat trim, and the plastic filler panels adorning the dash which the RS replaces with much more attractive carbon-look inserts. These are no deal-breaker for sure, but the seat trim in particular feels a bit rude on a vehicle which costs over $180,000.

The RS e-tron GT increases the standard wheel size to 21-inches. (Image: Tom White)

The RS e-tron GT meanwhile ups the power to a whopping 440kW/830Nm, increases the standard wheel size to 21-inch, adds actual Nappa leather seat trim with an additional ventilation function, as well as an all-wheel steering system, rear differential lock, upgraded laser headlights, and tungsten carbide brakes as standard.

The car we primarily tested for this review had further options, taking the price to nearly $280,000, including a more hardcore carbon ceramic brake package, coming in at a staggering $12,500.

The e-tron GT also offers an extremely rare option in the world of EVs, a 22kW AC charging inverter ($6900), which makes it the fastest charging car in Australia on this standard. Good luck finding a public outlet which will actually go that fast.

Thanks to its heavy-duty 800-volt battery hardware, it is also one of the fastest charging electric cars in Australia, full stop. More on this in the charging part of this review.

As with most performance cars, there are some wins and losses here. The e-tron GT gets off to a rolling start though with its front seat (let’s be honest, this is where the action is meant to happen anyway), offering great adjustability, a sporty low position, and plenty of headroom and arm space for the front two occupants.

On the downside, storage space isn’t as stellar as I’ve come to expect on cars with new EV platforms. Most of this is down to the GT’s intent as a sports machine first, with low-set seats meaning less room to carve out for batteries under the floor, and hence less storage cutaways down the centre.

The two cupholders are nice and big, and the console armrest box is okay, complete with a little side-mounted wireless charger, but the door pockets are embarrassingly small with no bottle cutouts, and there’s precious little storage elsewhere.

The front seats offer great adjustability, a sporty low position, and plenty of headroom and arm space for the front two occupants. (Image: Tom White)

The low seat and curvy roof means you have to duck down low to get in, and oddly the big fixed sunroof doesn’t have a retractable shade, so this car is going to get hot being left out in the Aussie sun.

The screens, as usual with Audi products, are a highlight, offering super fast, sharp hardware, and attractive and functional software, with the only real downside being some of the touch areas when phone mirroring can be quite small with such a high-resolution screen.

The back seat lays claim to this Audi’s big EV party trick, the fact that there are sizeable cutouts in the under-floor battery pack so adults can enjoy usable legroom.

The centre rear position is better fit for smaller occupants. (Image: Tom White)

It works. I have airspace for my knees behind my own seating position, and headroom is surprisingly good, too.

Technically the e-tron GT is a five-seater, but the centre rear position is all but useless, at least for adults, as it is very narrow.

There’s nowhere to put your feet thanks to a raised centre floor to facilitate additional battery space, almost like a transmission tunnel in a combustion vehicle.

Rare amenities for rear passengers include two USB-C ports and a third climate zone with a control panel, although, unlike some EV rivals, there’s no full-size household power outlet.

Boot space comes in at 350 litres which isn’t huge considering the e-tron GT’s rather large footprint.

As a result it could only hold two of our three CarsGuide test luggage cases. There’s no under-floor storage here, although you do get an elastic net.

The GT also scores a surprisingly large under-bonnet space, perhaps a good spot for keeping your charging cables.

The e-tron GT is stupidly powerful. The 350kW/630Nm available in the base GT allow a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 4.1 seconds, while the even higher 440kW/830Nm available in the RS reduces that to a mind-melting 3.3 seconds. Not bad for a car which weighs nearly two and a half tonnes.

Like the Taycan, the e-tron GT sports a two-speed transmission, with the low gear primarily used in sport mode as a take-off ratio, with the second made for highway cruising or when the car is set to 'Eco' mode.

Two electric motors allow for fully adjustable all-wheel drive to enhance handling while the RS goes a step further with its subtle all-wheel steer system and locking rear differential which enhances its agility at both low- and high-speeds even further.

The RS e-tron GT accelerates to 100km/h in a mere 3.3 seconds.

There is just one massive battery in the e-tron range, a huge 83.7kWh (net) lithium-ion unit. This grants the GT a driving range of 540km to the more lenient NEDC (rather than WLTP) standard, while the RS scores 504km of range.

The battery is an 800-volt unit, with an integrated water-cooled design which helps the e-tron GT join the Taycan, Kia EV6, and Hyundai Ioniq 5 as one of the fastest-charging EVs on the market.

On a compatible DC charger which can hit this car’s 270kW peak, the e-tron GT can charge from 5-80 per cent in just 22 and a half minutes.

To help this process along, setting the destination to a charger in the car’s built-in navigation will help to pre-condition the battery to ideal charging temperatures.

Other impressive charging specs include the option to install a 22kW AC inverter, bringing the ‘slow charging’ time down to just four hours if you can find a compatible unit.

The e-tron GT joins the Taycan, Kia EV6, and Hyundai Ioniq 5 as one of the fastest-charging EVs on the market. (Image: Tom White)

Otherwise the standard rate is an acceptable 11kW. The e-tron GT is also one of the only EVs on the market with AC charging outlets on either side, ensuring you won’t have to stretch to reach the nearest charging port.

The downside of all of this is the fact the e-tron GT, like its SUV sibling and Porsche Taycan relation, has a comparatively high energy consumption.

The official numbers are 19.2kWh/100km for the standard GT, or 20.2kWh/100km for the RS. These numbers are already high, but we saw significantly higher again on our test route.

While you probably won’t be driving the car as thoroughly during the every-day commute, I have experienced similarly high numbers in the mid-20kWh/100km range in the e-tron SUV during standard weekly testing, so expect similar. Good thing it charges quickly.

All the key active gear is present, and refreshingly, aside from the arguably unnecessary laser-equipped LED headlights, nothing is on the options list.

The e-tron GT is equipped with autobahn-speed auto emergency braking with vulnerable road user (cyclist and pedestrian) detection, as well as intersection assist.

There is also lane keep assist with lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and rear auto braking.

This combines with the clever all-wheel drive system and array of front, side, and curtain airbags to make for a theoretically safe car, although the e-tron GT is yet to be rated by either ANCAP or EuroNCAP.

The e-tron GT is equipped with autobahn-speed auto emergency braking. (Image: Tom White)