Audi announces an E-tron S. We hardly dare to speak of a revelation yet, but the specifications of the currently fastest E-tron are already on the street.
The news about the E-tron S is accompanied at Audi by photos of an E-tron Sportback still covered in a characteristic camouflage motif. That car appears as S, but also the regular E-tron is available with the new powertrain. This brings the total of available powertrains for that model to three, because we already knew Audi’s electrical pioneer as 50 and 55.
Compared to those cars, the S adds one electric motor. According to Audi, the E-tron S is thus the first production car to be powered by three electric motors, and the Germans could be right about that until the arrival of Tesla’s Cybert truck. What is special is that the large electric motor that drives the rear wheels in the 55 variant is responsible for the front wheels of the S. The rear axle gets two less powerful ones, which together are good for 267 hp. The total comes to 435 hp and 880 Nm, but then we are not there yet. The E-tron S also has a so-called Boost mode, with which the total can be temporarily increased to 503 hp and 976 Nm. This brings Audi’s fastest electric SUV in 4.5 beats from 0 to 100. Not impressive compared to Tesla’s, but considerably faster than the tight six beats that an E-tron 55 needs for that trick. The summit at the S is limited at 210 km/h.
That every rear wheel has its own electric motor is also good for driving dynamics, according to Audi. By smartly distributing the driving forces, the car is pushed through the bend, so that a smaller steering input should be needed to achieve the same result.
In terms of exterior and interior, the E-tron S is dressed as it would with an S-model with an internal combustion engine. Due to the camouflage we don’t see much of it yet, but Audi promises that the newcomer will include sports seats, a diffuser, 23 mm wider wheel arches and wheels of at least 20 inches. The E-tron S is expected to be available from May and will be available at Dutch dealers after the summer. Details about prices and the final appearance will of course follow soon.