2022 Audi Q4 E-Tron electric packs Q7-like space in a city-friendly package

Audi is moving fast to fill the gaps in its range of electric vehicles. Shortly after unveiling the E-Tron GT, the German firm gave us a preview of an upcoming compact crossover named Q4 E-Tron with a surprisingly spacious cabin.

If the name sounds familiar, it\'s likely because Audi presented a concept also called Q4 E-Tron at the 2019 edition of the Geneva auto show. Like the design study, the production model is built on a brand-specific version of the modular MEB platform developed by parent company Volkswagen and found under the ID.4, among other models. Camouflage keeps the Q4 lines under wraps, but we can already tell it has evolved since we saw it as a design study. Its front end receives bigger headlights and a smaller air intakes, while its rear end gets new-look lights.

Its overall proportions remain about the same, so the front overhang is unusually short because an electric motor takes up less space than a comparable four- or six-cylinder engine. The Q4 measures 180 inches long, 73 inches wide, and 63 inches tall, dimensions that make it about as big as a Q3, yet Michael Kaufmann, the project\'s technical manager, told Autoblog that interior space is comparable to what\'s offered by the nearly 200-inch-long Q7.

Cargo space checks in at 18.4 cubic feet with four passengers on board, and 52.6 cubes with the rear seats folded flat. Audi notes it scattered nearly a cubic foot of storage space (including the glove box) throughout the cabin.

Like the bigger E-Tron, the Q4 upholds Audi\'s reputation for making cars with a high-tech interior. It\'s available with an augmented reality head-up display (HUD), a steering wheel with touch-sensitive buttons on the spokes, a driver-configurable digital instrument cluster, and an 11.6-inch touchscreen for the MMI infotainment system.

Audi isn\'t ready to reveal full technical specifications, but the MEB underpinnings shed some light on what to expect. We know that a lithium-ion battery pack will be stuffed directly under the passenger compartment, and that the platform can accommodate either a single electric motor mounted over the rear axle or a twin-motor layout. Time will tell which configuration Audi chooses; keep in mind, different markets might receive different variants, too.

Full details about the 2022 Audi Q4 E-Tron will emerge in the coming weeks. Sales will start for the 2022 model year. Pricing hasn\'t been released yet, but we expect the crossover\'s base price will lie above $50,000.