Automotive Journalist Calls Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron ‘The Best Car I’ve Driven in 2026’

[Source: Fleet EV News]

Automotive journalists drive a lot of new cars every year, so calling one the best you’ve driven is pretty high praise. That’s exactly what Fleet EV News journalist Marc Sibbald recently said about the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron. And he wasn’t simply calling it his favorite EV or even his favorite Audi. He called it the best car he’s driven in 2026.

Perhaps more interesting is why. It wasn’t neck-snapping acceleration, enormous screens, or some EV party trick that won him over. It was something much more practical. And it is also something that Audi enthusiasts have been griping about in the newer Audi models, the interior.

Sibbald praised the Q4 Sportback e-tron’s cabin for combining the premium materials and design expected from an Audi with the everyday usability that can sometimes get overlooked in modern cars. In particular, he highlighted the center console and its useful storage, phone placement, and thoughtful layout. After spending significant time in a vehicle, those seemingly small details can make a big difference. That’s not to say the Q4 Sportback e-tron is lacking when you put your foot down.

The Australian-market Q4 Sportback 45 e-tron tested sends 210 kW (282 horsepower) and 545 Nm (402 lb-ft) of torque, to the rear wheels. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.7 seconds. Those aren’t supercar numbers, but that’s precisely the point. Sibbald found the power delivery smooth and responsive rather than unnecessarily dramatic.

The Q4 also impressed with its ride and handling. Sibbald praised its balance between comfort and control, noting the composed suspension, steering, and body control. A longer drive from Sydney to Newcastle and back gave him an opportunity to evaluate its comfort, range, and everyday usability beyond a short test drive. The Audi passed that test as well.

There was one area that didn’t receive glowing praise. Sibbald found the Audi’s infotainment interface somewhat dated compared with newer systems from some Chinese and Korean EV manufacturers. However, he didn’t believe that shortcoming was significant enough to undermine the Q4’s otherwise excellent interior. Perhaps the biggest compliment is that the Q4 Sportback e-tron didn’t win him over by trying to reinvent the automobile.

Instead, it succeeded by getting the things owners interact with every day right. Comfort, storage, ergonomics, driving dynamics, and a cabin that’s easy to live with were all high points. Sibbald concluded that the Q4 manages to be both desirable and practical, ultimately declaring it not only the best Audi he’s driven, but the best car he’s driven this year.

In an EV market increasingly obsessed with outrageous acceleration, gigantic screens, and headline-grabbing technology, perhaps there’s something refreshing about an electric Audi earning such high praise simply by being a really good car.