2024 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron

midsize luxury SUV / 4-door SUV

Fully electric
2024 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron 4-door SUV
2022 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron shown
Photo courtesy of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Small overlap front
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: updated test

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Headlights (varies by trim/option)
Front crash prevention: pedestrian
Standard system

Other available safety features

  • Standard blind spot detection
  • Standard lane departure warning & prevention

Key

  • Good
  • Acceptable
  • Marginal
  • Poor

Small overlap front

The small overlap front evaluation consists of a driver-side and a passenger-side component. If the results of the two evaluations differ, then the combined small overlap rating is equal to the lower rating.

Driver-side

  • Rating applies to 2022-24 models

Tested vehicle: 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro EV 4-door

The Volkswagen ID.4 was introduced in the 2021 model year as the first electric SUV in Volkswagen's lineup. These ratings also apply to the Audi Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron, introduced in the 2022 model year.

Overall driver-side evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the driver-side small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

The frontal and side curtain airbags worked well together to keep the head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury.

The driver's space was maintained well, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEN2105
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm) 4
Footrest (cm) 5
Left toepan (cm) 5
Brake pedal (cm) 7
Parking brake (cm)
Rocker panel lateral average (cm) 0
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column 0
Upper hinge pillar max (cm) 5
Upper dash (cm) 7
Lower instrument panel (cm) 5

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEN2105
Head
HIC-15 307
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.7
Extension bending moment (Nm) 8
Maximum Nij 0.30
Chest maximum compression (mm) 27
Femur (kN)
Left 0.2
Right 0.0
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 0
Right 0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.33
Right 0.48
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 1.6
Right 1.5
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 68
Right 57

Passenger-side

  • Rating applies to 2022-24 models

Tested vehicle: 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro EV 4-door

The Volkswagen ID.4 was introduced in the 2021 model year as the first electric SUV in Volkswagen's lineup. Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Volkswagen/Audi as part of frontal crash test verification. These ratings also apply to the Audi Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron, introduced in the 2022 model year.

Overall passenger-side evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on passenger side

Test ID VTP2111
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm) 5
Footrest (cm) 7
Right toepan (cm) 5
Center toepan (cm) 3
Rocker panel lateral average (cm) 0
Upper occupant compartment
Center dash (cm) 3
Upper hinge pillar max (cm) 4
Upper dash (cm) 3
Right lower dash (cm) 3

Passenger injury measures

Test ID VTP2111
Head
HIC-15 266
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.9
Extension bending moment (Nm) 25
Maximum Nij 0.28
Chest maximum compression (mm) 23
Femur (kN)
Left 0.3
Right 0.7
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 0
Right 0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.54
Right 0.37
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 2.5
Right 2.7
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 57
Right 74

Driver injury measures

Test ID VTP2111
Head
HIC-15 324
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.1
Extension bending moment (Nm) 7
Maximum Nij 0.24
Chest maximum compression (mm) 35
Femur (kN)
Left 0.0
Right 0.3
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 0
Right 0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.29
Right 0.43
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 2.0
Right 2.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 51
Right 62

How the small overlap front test is conducted

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2022-24 models

Tested vehicle: 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro EV 4-door

The Volkswagen ID.4 was introduced in the 2021 model year as the first electric SUV in Volkswagen's lineup. These ratings also apply to the Audi Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron, introduced in the 2022 model year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the moderate overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head contacted the side curtain airbag during rebound.

Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal, and all leg and foot injury measures were very low.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF2106
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 1
Left (cm) 1
Center (cm) 1
Right (cm) 1
Brake pedal (cm) 4
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 0
Right (cm) 0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) -1
Rearward (cm) -5
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 0

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF2106
Head
HIC-15 238
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.9
Extension bending moment (Nm) 12
Maximum Nij 0.19
Chest maximum compression (mm) 30
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.1
Femur force - right (kN) 0.1
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 0
Maximum tibia index - left 0.23
Maximum tibia index - right 0.23
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.6
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 1.6
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 39
Right 55

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: updated test

Rating applies to 2022-24 models

Tested vehicle: 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S EV 4-door 4wd

The Volkswagen ID.4 was introduced in the 2021 model year as the first electric SUV in Volkswagen's lineup. These ratings also apply to the Audi Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron, introduced in the 2022 model year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbags.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES2213
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -29.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES2213
Head
HIC-15 41
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.8
Compression (kN) 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 25
Lateral force (kN) 0.8
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 21
Average deflection (mm) 18
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 1.70
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.15
Pelvis
Combined force (kN) 1.6

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES2213
Head
HIC-15 243
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.3
Compression (kN) 0.5
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 7
Lateral force (kN) 0.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 18
Average deflection (mm) 14
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 1.94
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.19
Pelvis
Combined force (kN) 2.0

How the side crash test is conducted

Headlights

Ratings are given for 2 different headlight variations available on this vehicle.

Trim level(s)

  • Prestige trim
Low-beam headlight typeLED projector
High-beam headlight typeLED projector
Curve-adaptive?No
High-beam assist?Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination High-beam assist credit Some glare

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was fair in all 4 tests.

The low beams created some glare.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual right and both left curves and fair on the sharp right curve.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway, on both left curves and on both right curves.

Technical measurements for this test
Trim level(s)
  • Prestige trim
Low-beam headlight type LED projector
High-beam headlight type LED projector
Curve-adaptive? No
High-beam assist? Yes
Overall rating
Applies to 2022-24 models
LOW BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Amount glare
exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge 98.2 m 9.3%
Straightaway left edge 66.4 m 9.3%
250m radius right curve, right edge 62.1 m None
250m radius left curve, left edge 63.8 m None
150m radius right curve, right edge 53.4 m None
150m radius left curve, left edge 51.6 m None
HIGH BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge 183.4 m
Straightaway left edge 180.1 m
250m radius right curve, right edge 87.7 m
250m radius left curve, left edge 89.7 m
150m radius right curve, right edge 64.9 m
150m radius left curve, left edge 66.0 m

Trim level(s)

  • Premium trim
  • Premium Plus trim
Low-beam headlight typeLED reflector
High-beam headlight typeLED reflector
Curve-adaptive?No
High-beam assist?Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination High-beam assist credit

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the left side of the road and fair on the right side. On curves, visibility was fair on the sharp left curve and inadequate on the gradual left and both right curves.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the left side of the road and fair on the right side. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual left curve, fair on the sharp left curve and inadequate on both right curves.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway and all 4 curves.

Technical measurements for this test
Trim level(s)
  • Premium trim
  • Premium Plus trim
Low-beam headlight type LED reflector
High-beam headlight type LED reflector
Curve-adaptive? No
High-beam assist? Yes
Overall rating
Applies to 2022-24 models
LOW BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Amount glare
exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge 82.4 m None
Straightaway left edge 58.8 m None
250m radius right curve, right edge 50.7 m None
250m radius left curve, left edge 53.1 m None
150m radius right curve, right edge 42.2 m None
150m radius left curve, left edge 48.0 m None
HIGH BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge 134.2 m
Straightaway left edge 146.6 m
250m radius right curve, right edge 61.3 m
250m radius left curve, left edge 77.8 m
150m radius right curve, right edge 47.7 m
150m radius left curve, left edge 57.3 m

How headlights are evaluated

Front crash prevention: pedestrian

Rating applies to all 2024 models

System details

  • standard Front Assist (with Autonomous Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring)
Overall evaluation
Includes high-beam assist credit

Crossing child — day

  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 25 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 15 mph.

Crossing adult — night

  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams. When using its low beams, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 25 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 21 mph when using its high beams. When using its low beams, impact speed was reduced by 24 mph.

Parallel adult — night

  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams. When using its low beams, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 37 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 21 mph when using its high beams and a warning was issued 2 seconds before impact. When using its low beams, impact speed was reduced by 22 mph and a warning was issued 1.8 seconds before impact.

How front crash prevention is evaluated