Audi Q4 E-Tron Luggage Test: How much cargo space?
It wasn’t the most picturesque day for luggage testing, what with all the garbage cans and sketchy-ass van. No one seemed to be abducted that day at least.
Any who, the Audi Q4 E-Tron is an all-electric crossover on the same MEB platform as the Volkswagen ID.4 and various other VW group EVs. As we’re talking about cargo capacity, it doesn’t have as much as the impressively voluminous ID.4 (one of its few agreeable elements inside), but as I would discover, it is able to carry more luggage than the disappointing Audi Q5. It’s waaaay better than the rinky-dink Q3.
Officially, the regular Q4 E-Tron I tested has 24.8 cubic-feet of cargo capacity, while the Sportback version ironically has more at 26.1 cubic feet. I can’t really wrap my head around why. Either way, those figures are in keeping with a larger subcompact SUV. So is the amount of stuff it can hold, but there are some caveats as usual.
Like many small SUVs, the Q4 E-Tron comes with two cargo floor levels. The upper one is to provide a flat floor when the back seat is lowered, while the lower one is for achieving max capacity with the back seat raised. As I’m only interested in the latter, I only tested with it lowered.
One thing I like about the Q4 setup are the removable partitions on either side that let you utilize the cargo area’s full width when the lower floor height is being used. I wish my Kia Niro had this feature since I exclusively use the lower floor height.
The Q4’s cargo cover is of the gigantic, rigid, hatchback-style variety that definitely can’t be stored elsewhere in the car should you suddenly find yourself in need of more space than it allows underneath.
That scenario is why I test with and without the cargo cover. So let’s get cracking. As always, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife’s fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D).
Not bad! This would be everything but the fancy bag and far better than the Q5 could manage. It’s all thanks to that lower floor option.
OK, now it’s time to chuck the cargo cover, charge cord and removable side panels to the curb. Literally. I would recommend storing them someplace other than your lawn.
Everything fit, but it was not easy. Bags were at angles (especially in the upper left Tetris) and it took multiple tries to come up with these imperfect options, but lo and behold, it did indeed fit. I had to slide the seats forward in the Q5 and Q3 in order to make all of that work, so bravo Q4.
Moving away from the Audi family, though, how does the Q4 fair against other EVs? The EQB smokes it, but then it smokes just about every vehicle of comparable exterior dimension. The Kia EV6 and Ford Mustang Mach-E are also better, but then it’s also not unusual for luxury-brand vehicles to fair slightly worse in terms of interior space than non-luxury ones. Obviously different body styles, but the Q4 does have a fancy bag worth more than the BMW i4.
In the end, I’d say a solid showing in keeping with its on-paper number without any weirdness. The Q4’s cargo area takes advantage of its volume well.
