Audi e-tron GT Singapore Review 2022 - quattro 93 kWh (A)

The Audi e-tron GT electric is a milder version of the RS e-tron GT electric car, both of which share the same J1 platform as the Porsche Taycan. Unlike the RS version, the standard GT does not come with adaptive air suspension, but does still feature quattro all wheel drive, driving mode selection including dynamic mode, virtual cockpit, and the same eye catching design.

I like the Audi e-tron GT. Why? - Because quite simply, for me, along with the Porsche Taycan, the e-tron GT showed that it was possible for the electric car to be functional, stylish, luxurious, and fast - showing that the early naysayers were wrong when they said that electric cars were boring. For starters, the e-tron GT looks striking and amazing. In the Tactical Green paint job on the test car, I was gathering stares at most carparks that I visited during my three days with the car.

Although this isn't the RS, which we drove earlier in the year and with which we were able to shoot some amazing night driving footage, the e-tron GT is no slouch, and still packs 630Nm of torque, making its 469 bhp rating almost feel like a typo error. The car has an immense amount of shove, and will make most uninitiated passengers either squeal in delight, or skip a breath. The two stage planetary gearbox in this car does feel abit different to the one we experienced in the RS, and interestingly, the gear change feels more pronounced in this car, providing an upshift sensation that one might be more familiar with in a petrol powered car.

While its torque and acceration could give most petrol powered supercars a run for their money, it is important to keep in mind that despite its performance figures, the e-tron GT isn't really built to be a supercar, and is rather more of a sports cruiser, built to devour miles and cover ground. As such, the car is actually quite practical, and is easy enough to climb in and out of, comes with four doors with proper rear seats and decent legroom, isofix points to attach a car seat, and a decently sized boot that is larger than what most would have expected to find. In terms of where the car stands when compared to its petrol powered siblings, it's easier to think of the e-tron GT as an electric powered RS7 instead of an R8.

One of the beautiful things about a car like the e-tron GT is that in the abscence of a petrol powered engine and traditional transmission, the car's abilities as a long distance cruiser and as a high powered vehicle do not come at the expense of city driving. At low speeds around town, the car delivers drive in a way that is refreshingly smooth, and does not feel lumpy or lurchy from its inherent power. The e-tron GT then has the ability to be as gentle and smooth as you need it to be, when it isn't busy devouring miles on the highway.

Unlike the RS, which comes with adaptive air suspension, the car comes with a more conventional double wishbone and multi-link setup. Admittedly, this isn't as comfortable as the adaptive air suspension, but it's still more than comfortable for our roads in Singapore, and definitely sufficient for handling straight line speed. In fact, we were able to test the e-tron GT during a media drive with Audi earlier this year, and the car handled sustained high speed cruising with ease, comfortably keeping pace with both a RS e-tron GT and an e-tron S Sportback.

At higher speeds, the car seems to hunker down into the road, and you do get the sensation that you are getting some downforce, which is both confidence inducing, and also helps the driver to feel relaxed behind the wheel - as the car feels slower than it's actual speed. Though not quite like a supercar, the cockpit is designed to hug the driver for a sporty driving experience. The sports seats in the car are made from a recycled compound, though there is also a full leather option with ventilated seats.

Overall, the e-tron GT is a surprisingly well rounded car that despite its immense torque and power, feels easy to live with on a day to day basis. Unlike a supercar that can feel a little constipated at lower town speeds, the e-tron GT is more homogenous to the Singaporean lifestyle, and as a sports cruiser, offers a high level of luxury, superb build quality, a beautiful exterior design, and impressive electric drivability and performance all rolled up into one package. That said, when put beside its RS sibling, it is hard to find areas where the e-tron GT doesnt just seem like a watered down version. For that reason, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that if you can afford an e-Tron GT, you'll probably want to pay the difference and just get the full fat RS version instead.