In general, EVs are much easier to drive than regular cars. In Singlish: ‘You press how much, you get how much’, since there’s no gearbox or revs to fool around with.
The E-Tron could be a poster boy for the easy EV experience. There’s no creep, and from the outside (at low speeds) it sounds like a low-flying UFO, but otherwise there is very little to get used to. If you can drive a bumper car, you can drive the E-Tron.
EVs are uniquely suited to city driving, and the E-Tron’s instant – but not scary – throttle response allows you to maneuver around ICE traffic as if it’s standing still. The silence and refinement are excellent, no engine hum or gearshift jerks to disrupt the flow, just power when you want, how much you want. There are gearshift paddles, but they’re used to change the amount of ‘engine’ braking, if you want to emphasise the one-pedal EV driving technique.
The car’s adaptive air-suspension (standard) works magic between the massive 20-inch wheels and Singapore’s bad road surfaces. Despite weighing almost 2.5-tonnes, the E-Tron is one of the most comfortable cars we’ve driven in 2020.
If you want to emulate a bolt (Usain or otherwise), summon up the full thrust of the motors (Dynamic mode helps) and the car goes from languid to rocket-launch. Hurtling around corners is fun, but it’s then that the car’s heft begins to become noticeable.
High performance EVs will all sound, and feel, similar to drive no doubt, but the E-Tron is a benchmark here, a cohesive drive experience that offers a spectrum between comfy to quick.
Continue to Page 4: Practicality, costs, competitors
Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: Design, Interior, Features
Page 3: Driving Experience
Page 4: Practicality, costs, competitors
Page 5: Conclusion and Video Review