Back to Page 1: Introduction, design and interior – and how the E-Tron S is wider than a Lambo

Parking and low-speed manuvers are where the S differs, with nearly five extra centimetres of width being quite obvious, since it makes the car almost two-metres wide. The comprehensive parking camera (with 3D ‘outside’ and 360 top-down views) helps mitigate this, but like other coupe SUV, visibility is not the best. 

For all that verbal and visual sibilance, there’s also a little more to match it on the road: The huge 285 section tyres do generate a little more roar and thump, which will be very familiar to those who drive big/performance SUVs with huge wheels, the contrast being the utter lack of engine noise/vibrations. The car’s air suspension is flexible and allows you to waft along in comfort, but also keeps the weight in check when going hard.

There’s a plethora of drive modes (Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Allroad, Dynamic, Individual) which diddle the e-drivetrain, steering, and adaptive air suspension, accordingly.

At full bore, the car really sells the freight train analogy, as it gains speed with unrelenting pace. It’s not as violent as the Tesla Model 3 Performance, or the RS E-Tron GT, but it feels fast due to the high seating position and that near 1,000Nm of torque. 

Does the triple motor layout at least double the fun? Driving in a legal and socially-acceptable manner on Singapore’s roads, it’s honestly hard to say. You do feel it rocket out of corners with less understeer than the normal E-Trons, even the E-Tron GT, but the car is big and powerful enough that you really need a racetrack, or the Autobahn,  for it to be obvious. 

It’s definitely not as obvious as the Audi RS 3 (our on-track Singapore review is out in April) whose RS Torque Split Rear enables it to vector torque to each rear wheel, much like the E-Tron S does.

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The big difference is, this is a big, heavy GT-ish SUV rather than a hot hatch where those things are easier to test without them going to heck.  Also, that car weighs around 1,600kg and the E-Tron S is a entire, staggering one tonne more. 

And along that line, the E-Tron S feels like a RS Q8 or similar: A car that’s capable of semi-wondrous feats of driving, at least to our simple brains, if you can ignore the weight, trust the grip of the tyres, and simply hurl it into the corner.

It would be staggeringly quick on A-roads, and probably B-roads if a brave driver can manage the weight/width, but at least the very strong brakes mean you don’t re-enact the locomotive impression too thoroughly. 

Page 3: The price of power

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