After driving it, our biggest gripe with the Audi e-tron was its price. While it’s a great luxury car and a surprisingly good EV, it was just too expensive. For an electric car with a starting price of about $75,000, it just didn’t have enough range and/or performance.
However, Audi must have heard our (and everyone else’s) concerns and is now offering an entry-level e-tron that, thankfully, keeps the same powertrain and battery.
For 2021, the Audi e-tron will now be offered in two new trim levels; Premium and Premium w/Convenience Plus Package. Previously, Premium Plus was the cheapest trim level for the e-tron but now there are two below it.
Obviously, the Audi e-tron Premium is the cheapest and it starts at $65,900, which is a much more palatable price tag. That puts it right in line with other luxury vehicles of its size and it yet it still boasts the same powertrain and battery pack.
That means it still makes 355 horsepower (402 with Boost Mode) and a 95 kWh battery pack. Thankfully, Audi has also increased range a bit by allowing more battery access, giving it a total of 222 miles.
Despite being cheaper, the Audi e-tron Premium still has a lot of as-standard kit. It still gets 20-inch wheels, heated seats, four-zone climate control, Virtual Cockpit Plus, lane departure warning and comfort pre-conditioning. If you opt for the Premium w/Convenience Plus Package, you get the driver assistance package and a black optics package.
This is exactly what the Audi e-tron needed. Customers will be far more willing to buy a luxury electric car if it’s almost $10,000 less than it used to be. At under $70,000, the entry-level e-tron plays in a different segment and therefor attracts itself to a new set of clientele. Hopefully, this translates to more sales, as the e-tron is a car that Audi needs to succeed.
