Audi E-tron 2023: huge range boost confirmed for electric SUV with larger second-gen battery

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Audi will refresh its E-tron electric SUV at the end of 2022 in Europe – but while the aesthetic changes will be minor, major upgrades are taking place under the skin.

UK automotive outlet Autocar has reported that the major change to the E-tron, which splits the size difference between Audi’s Q5 and Q7 SUVs, will be to the battery pack. 

Sources told Autocar that the updated E-tron SUV and Sportback’s range will boost to “more than 373 miles” or 600km in our speak. 

To compare, the current claimed range of the E-tron SUV with its 95kWh battery pack is 400km in real-world driving. In the 2021 Chasing Cars EV range test, the E-tron 95kWh drove for 392km before battery exhaustion. 

A spokesperson for Audi Australia said they had no comment at this time about whether or when the upgraded E-Tron would be introduced to Australia.

Extensive upgrade rather than a new generation E-tron

This update will very likely be a facelift rather than a completely new model and will sit on a revised version of Audi’s MLB architecture. 

Rumours are that in the future, the E-tron SUV could be renamed as the Audi Q8 E-tron, however this has not been confirmed as it will be some time away. 

This could make more sense as the E-tron name can be somewhat confusing to someone unfamiliar with the brand’s electric lineup. 

For the updated E-tron SUV, expect slight revisions to the exterior and interior styling, but otherwise the Audi E-tron SUV will look very similar to the current model. 

Current E-tron range in Australia

There are four variants currently available in Australia for the Audi E-tron range, starting with the E-tron 55 quattro and ending with the range-topping E-tron S sportback. 

Two power trims are available, a 265kW/561Nm 55 model and a 320kW/808Nm S model. Both are available in standard SUV shape or a Sportback coupe-like shape. 

The S model is capable of doing the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.1 seconds, however in boost mode this can drop to 4.5 seconds. Chasing Cars has independently tested the 0-100km/h time of the E-tron S, and recorded a result of 4.58sec.

Audi E-tron SUV 2023: prices in Australia

All prices listed are before on-road costs.

• 55 quattro SUV: $147,400
• 55 quattro sportback: $157,400
• S quattro SUV: $166,900
• S quattro sportback: $173,900