Supercars and hypercars aside, beautiful cars are few and far between these days. And if you narrow it down to electric vehicles (EVs) only, there’s even less of a chance of finding one that you’d fall in love with at first sight. It’s usually our rationale that takes over for us to “like” a car or to find one to be “cool” these days – affordability, practicality, performance, features, etc. But here’s an EV that could probably make you fall in love at first sight, and it is the Audi e-tron GT.
It’s a sedan that looks like a supercar and in Malaysia, there are essentially three versions of it that you can purchase. There’s the “base” e-tron GT, the e-tron GT with the Dynamic Package, and the RS e-tron GT. The one we have in the photos here is the Audi e-tron GT with the Dynamic Package.
Audi e-tron GT Exterior: A sedan that looks like a supercar
Yes… this is the “Iron Man” car or whatever, but its looks alone are enough to wow you and turn heads wherever you go. And it does all that without sacrificing any of its “Audi-ness”. It has a serious-looking face, it is more angular than it is curvy, and even looks like an elongated R8.
The best thing about the e-tron GT’s design is perhaps the fact that it doesn’t try to be weird at all like most of the other EVs these days. In fact, the e-tron GT even looks like a typical combustion engine car with the way that its front end is designed. Unlike other EVs, it doesn’t look like Neo when he got his mouth shut by Agent Smith.
And it’s not just the front end of the e-tron GT that is refreshing in the sea of weird-looking EVs of today. The overall shape of the e-tron GT is pleasing to look at too. Sure, it’s not as sleek as a typical grand tourer, but where else can you find a low-slung sedan these days? To add to that, its body lines are also fashionably dramatic and not overdone.
What about its lights? Well, it gets the typical continuous light design you see on just about every car today, but the e-tron GT adds its own twist with the spaced-out taillight cluster on the edges. The headlights get a fancy startup sequence to show off the matrix LED arrangement. The e-tron GT generally boasts newer tech in comparison to the “older” Taycan that shares the same J1 platform with it.
RELATED: 2023 Audi e-tron GT, RS e-tron GT launched in Malaysia – from RM601K
Audi e-tron GT Interior: Thanks for keeping the physical buttons
Given the futuristic theme of the e-tron GT’s exterior, it’s quite surprising that there are not many screens slapped onto its dashboard. Thank you, Audi, for keeping physical buttons relevant, and maintaining a rather conventional cabin design.
The only screens in the e-tron GT are 2 screens – one for the digital instrument cluster and the other for the infotainment head unit. The HVAC controls, hazard light control, parking camera control, etc. all consist of physical buttons, giving you a more human-centric approach – what’s the point of our many senses if we don’t use them?
The driver’s seat of the e-tron GT is a great place to be in – the dashboard is angled towards you, a perfect seating position is easily achievable, the steering wheel has decent grip, and there’s little to no glare from the upper part of the dashboard. The seats of the e-tron GT are also one of the best that you can find out there.
Complaint-worthy items for the first-row passengers include the extensive use of hard plastics on the dashboard (which also comes with rather unperfect edges), the knock-off iPod-like media control on the centre console, and the almost useless wireless mobile phone charger in the centre armrest box (you’d have to contort your phone just to get it charged wirelessly). All else, the first-row layout is decent with spot-on ergonomics.
The second row of the e-tron GT is not the best one out there as it does feel a little discounted with the lack of screens (unlike what you find in the Mercedes-Benz EQS) and with only three climate control zones available (most cars at this price point would have 4-zone climate control). The second-row seats are pleasant, but it can get a little cramped if you’re on the taller side.
One thing that doesn’t matter too much but would probably make you feel robbed is the lack of a sunroof. But hey, the Audi e-tron Gt with the Dynamic Package comes with a carbon fibre roof.
Driving Experience: Perhaps the most ICE-like EV out there
The e-tron GT is a pleasure to drive. There you go, you can just go ahead and order one right now. No need to read further.
The typical EV crowd is looking for range, efficiency, cost savings, practicality, acceleration times, and so on, but the e-tron GT is one of the few EVs that actually gives you driving pleasure. So if you’re interested in both an EV and in driving as well, the e-tron GT is perfect for you.
The way it handles corners, the way it delivers power, and how it hides the fact that it weighs over 2 tonnes is just amazing. It’s not even the most powerful EV out there especially when you consider the likes of the Mercedes-AMG EQS 53, but the e-tron GT is the kind of car that you can have fun with in the corners. Sure, it’s no Lotus, but it is considerably agile for what it is.
RELATED: Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 review – What’s the point of performance EVs anyway?
That aside, it lives up to the “GT” moniker in its name as well. Its ride is refined and relaxed, and by the time you finish a road trip, you’ll still feel relatively fresh – no neck or back pains whatsoever. Cabin noise levels are also decent so you won’t have to bear the droning sounds of rolling tyres and everything else on long journeys.
Speaking of sounds, the e-tron GT does come with its own version of fake sounds – and it is perhaps one of the better ones out there as it sounds like a jet engine. No kidding. Although the sound wasn’t created by recording the sound of an actual jet engine but by combining about 32 sound elements into one. The element that probably underpins the jet engine sound is the sound recorded from the inside of a plastic tube with a spinning fan attached at the end of it.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again – allow us drivers to make these sounds louder. Sometimes all we want is just a little bit of stupid fun. Not all the time, just sometimes.
RELATED: 2023 Audi Q8 e-tron first look and drive – Not your typical try-hard EV
Charging
You can do 22 kW AC charging with the e-tron GT. That’s a win in my book. If you’re young and you drive a lot, especially on the weekends, this is a great feature to have. Sure you won’t always be able to recharge to 100%, but you’ll regain a significant amount of range even from a quick charge at home – the key word being “home”.
You don’t want to be wasting time at public charging stations so 22 kW AC charging is perfect. It’s not the quickest, but perfect. Oh, the e-tron does 270 kW DC charging too which is relatively high by today’s standards.
The e-tron GT’s range is rated at 501 km (WLTP). The battery holds its charge pretty well too and its range generally matches what the instrument cluster tells you.
Verdict
The e-tron GT is the perfect EV if you’re the type that enjoys driving. It looks cool too, which is a big plus.
Audi e-tron GT with Dynamic Package overview:
| Electric drive | Dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) |
| Maximum power output | 530 hp metric (in boost mode) |
| Maximum torque | 640 Nm (in boost mode) |
| Transmission | 2-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | AWD |
| 0-100 km/h | 4.1 seconds |
| Battery Capacity | 93.4 kWh |
| Electric Range | 501 km |
| Max. AC charging rate | 22 kW |
| Max. DC charging rate | 270 kW |
| Price | RM679,990 (with Audi Assurance Package) |
GALLERY
