Audi's shift from diesel to electric power is accelerating. According to Automotive News, company executives at Audi have revealed that the E-Tron Sportback, shown as a concept at April's Shanghai auto show, will reach the US as a 2020 model, meaning it will likely hit dealers in 2019.
It will follow the late-2018 introduction of the E-Tron Quattro – a crossover with similar dimensions but boasting a less radical roofline and a roomier interior. Based on a variant of the same platform that underpins the Audi A4, A5, Q5, and Q7, but with at least 500 horsepower from an all-electric powertrain, the E-Tron Sportback will be a very different vehicle.
Audi notes that many of the concept's styling cues will be picked up for production. But beyond that, there will be concept-car-like tech on the production model – for example, cameras and organic LED screens will take the place of traditional mirrors, in markets where that sort of tech is legal.
With those kind of features and a 500-horsepower powertrain, then, the $70,000 price tag Automotive News floated makes a degree of sense. As Audi diversifies after parent company Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal, it's likely we'll hear a lot more about the E-Tron Sportback in the next few years. Stay tuned.
All-Electric Audi e-tron Sportback Coming In 2019
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VW To Add 70 New EVs Within 10 Years
Audi Reveals A6 EV Wagon Concept
Audi Already Offering Over $10,000 Off 2021 E-trons
