[Car Test Drive as a Non-Enthusiast]
Gradual Acceleration in Autonomous Driving
Maintains Speed Even When Foot is Lifted off Accelerator Pedal,
The Audi Q4 40 e-tron has a length of 4590mm, width of 1865mm, and height of 1640mm./Photo=Reporter Jung Min-ju, “Among the three German auto manufacturers (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi), Audi recorded the highest sales of electric cars based on a single model. The star of the show is the ‘Audi Q4 40 e-tron.’ According to the data from the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, it took the lead by selling 301 units in March and 239 units in April this year. In April, it even topped the sales of imported electric cars excluding Tesla.”,
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, ‘What is the reason behind its consistent popularity since its release? Last month on the 30th, I test drove the Q4 40 e-tron. The test drive took place on a 129km course starting from Seoul, passing through Wonju in Gangwon Province. I experienced congested areas and high-speed zones, allowing me to clearly feel the strengths and weaknesses of the Q4 40 e-tron.’,
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Audi Q4 40 e-tron./Photo=Reporter Jung Min-ju, ‘The distinctive round design of Audi catches the eye in the exterior of the Q4 40 e-tron. It emphasizes its identity with a front grille featuring the Audi logo, and completes a strong impression with sleekly raised headlamps. The front overhang is relatively short. The body line transitioning from the sides to the rear gradually becomes gentler towards the back, providing a sense of stability.’,
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, ‘The interior is designed with a focus on the driver. The 1st-row center display, enhancing driving convenience, is slightly tilted towards the driver’s seat for better visibility, and the control buttons located below are positioned within easy reach of the driver’s arm. However, the placement of the smartphone holder below seemed to need improvement.’,
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Audi Q4 40 e-tron 1st row./Photo=Reporter Jung Min-ju, Accomplishments in Autonomous and High-Speed Driving,
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, ‘To cut to the chase, this car demonstrated strengths in both autonomous driving and high-speed driving. On the morning commute to escape Seoul on the Olympic Expressway, fatigue began to set in. As I was cruising at a low speed, I decided to activate the autonomous driving function. It maintained an appropriate distance from the leading car.’,
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, ‘Gradually, as I approached a section where I could accelerate as the number of vehicles dwindled, I increased the autonomous driving setting speed. The difference from other vehicle autonomous driving systems became apparent here. It did not accelerate abruptly to narrow the gap with the front vehicle. Similar to a driver gradually pressing the accelerator pedal to increase speed, the Q4 40 e-tron’s autonomous driving also slowly raised the speed.’,
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, ‘As I entered the highway, I started speeding up in earnest. When I pressed the accelerator pedal, I quickly reached a speed of 100km/h. The zero-to-100km/h acceleration time for this vehicle is 8.5 seconds. It has a battery capacity of 82kWh and a maximum output of around 203.9 horsepower. When switched to high-speed driving mode, the driving feel became even more exhilarating.’,
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, ‘Normally, in electric cars, when you lift off the accelerator pedal, deceleration begins. However, the Q4 40 e-tron was different. It maintained the speed for a few seconds even when the foot was lifted off the accelerator pedal. This alleviated fatigue in high-speed driving situations where you need to keep the accelerator pedal slightly pressed. It seemed like even consumers who are not familiar with electric car driving would quickly adapt here.’,
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Audi Q4 40 e-tron./Photo=Reporter Jung Min-ju, ‘Without realizing it, the trip computer showed an efficiency of up to 7.3 at one point. The Q4 40 e-tron’s certified standard efficiency is 4.7km/kWh.’,
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, ‘A small turning radius is also one of its advantages. Equipped with the Volkswagen Group’s electric car-exclusive platform MEB, it was very convenient during U-turns or parking. Experiencing this level of turning radius in a midsize SUV is by no means easy.’,
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, ‘The single trip range of the vehicle is 411km. The price ranges from 61.7 million won to 68.7 million won. With government and local subsidies for electric cars, it can be purchased in the 50 million won range.’,
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Audi Q4 40 e-tron trunk./Photo=Reporter Jung Min-ju, A bold, honest, and humble test drive written by a car journalist who knows ‘enough’ about cars but not just as much as an expert. since 2018. [Editor],
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