Audi e-tron GT vs Cupra Terramar

What's the difference?

Anyone lamenting the demise of V8 and V10-powered internal combustion sports cars will change their mind after driving the Audi e-tron GT.

It is a phenomenal car and you can feel the engineering expertise that’s gone into making it. 

The e-tron GT feels at home on German roads and autobahns, but a drive on Australian roads could well reveal some flaws. We will wait and see.

Until then, the e-tron GT is one of the most deeply impressive cars I have ever driven. And if you’re fortunate enough to be able to afford a car like this, perhaps it’s your next (very fast) family car?

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

There may be a lot of factors we don’t know yet, chief among them being price. One thing is for sure, though, the Terramar looks to be an intriguing and anything but dull mid-size SUV alternative for up-sizers or family buyers who love to drive.

While it might not be one of the more affordable options, it certainly makes the argument for a semi-premium alternative. Seems like Cupra’s last combustion car is certainly one worth waiting for.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

You could argue the e-tron GT was already a stunner and didn’t require any visual changes, but Audi has still made a few tweaks. Thankfully, they are relatively subtle.

The 2025 e-tron GT gains refreshed front-end styling with a new front grille, headlights and lower bumper and air intakes. The look is inspired by Audi’s latest design language as seen on the recently revealed A6 Avant e-tron.

The S has more subtle front and rear styling, while the RS and RS performance take on a more aggressive and sporty look with a dramatic rear diffuser and different lower front styling. 

The RS performance further differentiates itself from the RS with an optional matt, darkened carbon roof and optional ‘carbon camouflage’ elements found in the embossed bumper, door trim, parts of the diffuser and side mirrors.

Audi has introduced some rather gorgeous new alloy wheel designs, some standard, some optional.

I had forgotten how stunning the e-tron is in the metal. You can see by its stance that it’s related to the Porsche Taycan - they share the 'J1' platform.

Despite the low-slung sports sedan vibe, they have their own distinct identities. If you’re after elegant clean design, you’ll likely favour the Porsche. But I am increasingly leaning towards the Audi on the design front.

Inside you get redesigned sports seats, a new steering wheel and fresh inlays, including sustainable wood on some grades. I love the new steering wheel, covered in Audi’s version of synthetic suede. BMW take note - you don’t need a big chunky steering wheel in a performance car. This rim is just right.

There’s new readout and graphics for the digital driver display and the carpet and floor mats are made of 100 per cent recycled nylon fibres. Audi’s used synthetic suede and leather throughout, and the non-leather grey cloth trim in the S is a knockout. But you can get real leather if you want.

Some of the grades we drove at the launch event come with Audi Exclusive elements which add unique touches and colours chosen by the customer, from the interior inserts, trim, stitching and more. Audi Australia isn’t saying too much but some of these Exclusive options might end up here eventually.

The Terramar looks sharp. In the metal it’s clear this is a departure from its platform-mates, the Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq.

In fact, with its rounded nose, sleek light fittings, and light-bar emblazoned and spoiler-fitted rear, the Terramar is looking, if anything, a bit Porsche in its silhouette.

Up front, the aggressive grille design is in part meant to evoke the fangs of a big cat, while down the side the ‘wave’ line in the bodywork of the doors is meant to not only look sporty but bring a unique highlight to the Terramar’s side profile.

Around the rear, the roofline culminates in a tidy spoiler piece, while the big rear diffuser references quad exhausts at the edges without actually featuring them.

The brand is also moving away from the standard gloss colour gamut, and onto something a bit unusual leading the charge with matt colour options and aggressive blacked-out wheel designs.

I, for one, love it. In a segment with so many derivative designs, the Terramar wears overt aggression, but at the same time measures it with an air of finesse and confidence. A design like this is hard to come by.

Inside, expect the usual Cupra highlights, and by that I mean expect the unexpected. Like its Formentor and Tavascan siblings, the Terramar’s interior is full of unusual textures, colours and materials.

Aside from the tidy steering wheel the brand has moved away from leathers, replacing soft-touch surfaces with a kind of Neoprene. It feels good and avoids feeling nasty through clever use of texture and colour.

The usual Volkswagen Group switchgear is here, new-generation big screens, with thankfully refreshed software which is both faster and easier to navigate than before. The digital dash elements, as usual, are the best on the market both in terms of design and customisation.

Even the seats have interesting shapes in a bucket-like design clad in a mix of neoprene and recycled ‘Seaqual’ fibres. Across the dash you can see highlight pieces not in chrome or gloss but in a kind of matt silver with a three-dimensional lizard-scale look.

Perhaps the best part of all of this is how evident it is that clear design thought has been given to every single piece of this car. It’s the opposite of the (supposedly) grand old days, where sticking another badge on a Tiguan would have done, and we’re all better for designs like this being in the market. 

The e-tron GT is a big car, so it has potential for family duties, but it’s also a sports car, and that means some compromises. 

The new front sports seats in any of the various trim options offer incredible levels of comfort, ample support and they’re well cushioned. This is a Grand Tourer so comfort is important and that box is well and truly ticked.

It’s low to the ground which helps with feeling connected to the road, and the multi-adjustable seats and steering wheel mean it’s easy to find your perfect driving position.

With the addition of new air suspension as standard, the e-tron GT has a neat trick. When you touch the door handle, the set-up automatically increases the vehicle’s ride height by up to 77mm to make it easier to get in and out of. \

Don’t expect much visibility out the tiny rear windscreen, but you can rely on the clear surround-view camera display. 

From the driver’s seat, everything comes easily to hand. The multimedia screen isn’t a stretch to reach, nor are the buttons on the stack and console. Thanks for keeping buttons, too, Audi.

Audi’s current multimedia setup is solid. It has big menu icons, logical menu steps and you can swipe across for more.

The ‘Virtual Cockpit’ digital instrument cluster is also excellent and easily customisable. The built-in sat nav shows up in multiple places if you like, such as the head-up display, instrument display or multimedia screen. During our extensive drive from Frankfurt, it didn’t miss a beat.

The optional panoramic glass roof has a cool feature. You can switch from opaque to clear with the touch of a button. And you can even have a mix of the two. Clever.

To maximise space, Audi moved the phone charger to inside the central bin. Given it is hard up against the side, it doesn’t consume that much room.

Elsewhere up front, smaller bottles will only fit in the door pockets if they are lying flat.

In a smart bit of design from Audi, the battery pack is split to accommodate deeper footwells for the rear passengers. So many electric cars, especially sedans, suffer from having the battery pack under the entire length of the vehicle's floor which means your legs sit awkwardly upright. Hello Tesla...  

As a result, you can sit like a normal human in the back of the e-tron GT, and there’s ample legroom behind my six foot-plus driving position. That’s helped by scalloping the rear of the front seats. Headroom is tight but that’s expected given the swoopy roofline. 

There’s no bottle storage in the rear doors, only enough room for a phone. You get lower air vents, seat heating controls and a central fold-down armrest with cupholders. 

The boot is long and the 60/40 split seats fold flat which is handy for loading long items. There are a number of nooks and a handy cargo net, too. Luggage space ranges from 405 litres for the S e-tron GT to 350L for the RS performance. There’s a sizeable front trunk for housing charging cables.

Up front the presence of big blocky seats, easy-access touchscreens, and a bit more space available on this 'MQB Evo' platform adds up for a solid practicality offering for those in the front seats.

Storage comes courtesy of big bottle holders in the doors, two more with variable edges in the centre console with a small tray next to it good for keys or wallets, a wireless phone charging bay in front and an armrest console box behind.

It doesn’t have the insane modularity of its Skoda Kodiaq cousin, but the intent of the Terramar is to be much more driver-focused and it feels it.

Similarly, the back seat doesn’t feel as lavish as it does in many rivals. It’s still sufficient, at least in the outboard positions, for an adult my size.

At 182cm tall, I have a bit of airspace for my knees and plenty of arm-flailing room with soft-touch materials in the doors, but the bucket seats up front and dark headliner trim close in the space compared to other cars on this platform.

This second row is also on rails, but moving it forward even a little bit will eat significantly into the space you have.

Amenity-wise there are pockets on the back of each front seat, bottle holders in each door, adjustable air vents on the back of the centre console with a third climate zone back there, as well as dual USB-C outlets for powering devices. The armrest console offers two more cupholders.

Expect a pretty solid boot space, internationally measured at 508 litres which would position it up there in terms of mid-size SUVs despite its more coupe-style roof when compared with its contemporaries.

Sorry, we don’t have local pricing and specs. We don’t even know what variants it will be sold in.

What we can tell you is this won’t be your grandma’s Tiguan. The Terramar is set to sell its Cupra credentials, arriving in Australia with at least the 195kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged engine which also powers the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

The Australian division is also hoping it will be able to get at least one variant into this market “starting with a five” (the late $50,000 region) although it is unclear whether that will be for a punchy version or a potentially-planned entry-level 1.5-litre MHEV number.

From there it’s safe to assume that it will reach well into the mid-$60K region for the 195TSI version we tested for this review, and beyond especially for the plug-in hybrid version, which the local division is also keen to get its hands on.

Regardless, you can expect standard kit like LED headlights, big alloy wheels, some variation of the Volkswagen Group central touchscreen (the car we drove had a 12.9-inch unit similar to new Skoda and VW products), and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. Expect wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, built-in navigation and wireless charging.

The car we drove also had Cupra’s signature blend of non-leather and sustainable material choices to clad the seats and soft-touch surfaces. The front seats had power adjust in the high-spec pre-production example we drove, while the rear row is on rails, allowing you to maximise either boot space or rear passenger space.

Rivals? Well this is the interesting part, in this semi-premium part of the market there aren’t many, at least not directly.

In fact, the closest rival when the Terramar arrives will be its Volkswagen Tiguan platform mate, as entry-level Terramars will be priced similarly to very high-grade versions of mainstream options like the Nissan X-Trail, Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage.

Those in a similar semi-premium price-bracket include the Mazda CX-60 or Peugeot 3008/408, while you can even get into some appealing premium options like the Lexus NX in the early-$60K bracket, a part of the market also complicated by some very good EVs like the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Tune back in closer to the Terramar’s Australian launch window, which we understand is late 2025, for all the local details when it comes to pricing and specification.

The fully electric e-tron GT has two motors - one on each axle, ensuring ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive traction.

For the S e-tron GT, the total system output is 430kW of power (or up to 500kW in launch control mode) and 740Nm of torque. 

That’s more power than the previous RS e-tron GT, and enough to get it from zero to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds.

The RS now pumps out 500kW (630kW in launch control mode, no total torque figure available) and can hit triple digits in 3.1 seconds, while the new RS performance flagship boasts impressive outputs of 550kW/1027Nm (680kW in launch control mode) for a dash time of 2.9 seconds. These 0-100km/h times improve in launch control mode.

A newly developed air suspension is standard across the range, and tech wizardry like active suspension and rear-axle steering are optional.

Two powertrains have been revealed for the Terramar, including a 2.0-litre four-cylinder (195TSI) all-wheel drive version, which produces 195kW/400Nm, as well as a 1.5-litre four-cylinder plug-in hybrid which can put down a combined 200kW/400Nm.

Both have been confirmed for Australia, although we understand a 1.5-litre four-cylinder mild-hybrid (MHEV) version is also likely for production, producing 110kW/250Nm driving the front wheels alone. Check back closer to the Terramar’s Australian arrival - scheduled for late 2025 - for local powertrain details.

For the purposes of this review, the pre-production version we drove was a 2.0-litre, 195kW, all-wheel drive version.

Audi has reduced the weight of the battery pack by 9.0kg while also increasing energy density.

Audi has also improved the charging rate which now peaks at 320kW, up from 270kW.

The 105kWh lithium-ion battery on all grades can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in just 18 minutes using a high-power charging station, according to Audi.

AC charging is 11kW and doing that at home will take about 11 hours from depleted to 100 per cent.

The update to the information in the instrument cluster includes details about current operating state of the battery, including temperature, a quick-charging forecast and the pre-conditioning status.

Driving range is impressive and runs from up to 609km on the WLTP cycle for the S e-tron GT, up to 599km for the RS e-tron GT and up to 592km for the RS e-tron GT performance.

Energy consumption ranges from 18 to 19.7kWh/100km for the S, 18.4-21.1 for the RS and 18.7-20.8 for the RS performance.

The 195TSI version tested here has a combined fuel consumption number of 8.8L/100km in its international spec sheet and it requires mid-shelf 95RON unleaded fuel.

If that’s a bit high for you, the plug-in hybrid version uses a new-generation PHEV set-up from VW Group, with claimed fuel consumption as low as 0.5L/100km.

It's equipped with a relatively large 25kWh battery pack allowing a WLTP-certified driving range of 112km in electric-only mode.

It is capable of charging up on an AC unit at a rate of 11kW for a charge time of 2.5 hours, while on a fast DC charger (rare for a PHEV) it can top up in just 26 minutes.

Having the air suspension increase the ride height to get into the e-tron GT is useful, given how low to the ground it is. Once you’re in, you’ll nestle into the sports seats and feel a real connection with the road.

Audi’s generated EV noise sounds like the low, deep growl of a V8, but dialled down. It’s very cool.

The new RS e-tron GT is quick but it delivers acceleration in a smooth, linear manner. There’s no neck-snapping ‘Ludicrous’ moment here. Just straight line performance that will elicit the word ‘wow’ multiple times.

Picking up pace at speed is a breeze - as we discovered on Germany’s autobahns - thanks in part to a ‘push to pass’ button on the steering wheel that adds 70kW of power for 10 seconds, when you need to overtake quickly.

The steering is sharp, but almost a little too sensitive in the RS, to the point where you need to be conscious of your steering inputs. You don’t want to overdo it, but if you do, the onboard electricals should keep things in check. That beautiful steering wheel adds to the engagement.

Audi’s engineers deserve plaudits because they’ve somehow made a five-metre long, 2.3-tonne electric sports sedan feel light and nimble. 

It is dead flat in corners without a hint of lean or body roll and navigates tight bends with a surefootedness that is astounding. 

Accelerating out of a corner is executed without fuss and will bring a smile to your dial, helped in part to the optional rear-axle steering.

The technical wizardry that is active suspension - it uses cameras and radars to analyse the road surface ahead and moderate the dampers and the like accordingly - is impressive.

The ride quality of this heavy car with 21-inch rims is a surprise. You’ll notice road joins and bigger corrugations but overall it's quite composed.

And that’s part of the beauty of the e-tron GT. Its Porsche Taycan cousin is a more focused sports car. Whereas the Audi e-tron GT is a Grand Tourer or Gran Turismo if you will.

Yes, it’s incredibly powerful and is blisteringly fast, but it’s also a comfortable cruiser, and something you could easily live with every day.

The S e-tron GT could be all the Audi you need. It’s still incredibly quick, but not as powerful as the RS. It is the more subtly styled model which will appeal to an understated buyer.

A brief stint on a makeshift track in the e-tron GT performance grade highlighted how the active suspension, rear-axle steering and other tech gubbins help it hold the road so well.

It’s an extraordinary car to drive and taking a different approach to Porsche has served Audi very well indeed.

The advanced safety gear is well calibrated and not intrusive. While the speed limit alert can be annoying, the speed sign recognition is spot on. Let’s see how it goes with Australian speed signs next year.

The eyebrow-raising factor about Cupra building a mid-size SUV is that it seems to be the antithesis of the brand’s aggressive and sporty philosophy. Sure, it gets away with the Formentor, but only because the crossover proved to be quite distinct from something like its VW T-Roc platform-mate.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised to find the brand has done it again. As soon as you sit in the Terramar it’s clear this SUV isn’t your average family hauler.

The bucket-style seats immediately hug you, the dash is set nice and low giving you a clear view of the road ahead, and the steering wheel, which the Terramar shares with every other Cupra model, feels suddenly smaller, but just-right under hand.

As soon as you set off, things improve. The 195TSI engine is a belter, and works very nicely with the dual-clutch auto to provide a solid basis for hard acceleration.

While DCT transmissions in the past have been notable for laggy engagement, this latest version (common to other new VW Group products, like the incoming third-generation Tiguan) has been smoothed out, making it feel almost like a traditional automatic from a standstill.

The steering is superb. Not only does the wheel feel ergonomic under hand, but the steering itself is ultra-sharp, making even an SUV this size respond with a feline reactivity.

Wide (255 aspect) tyres reinforce the Terramar’s confidence in the corners, and accelerating out is met by the dual-clutch allowing you to properly ride out the gears, paired with an agreeable engine note.

Standard adaptive dampers feature, giving the Terramar more of a sophisticated feel of the road than many of its platform-mates, although with large wheels and a sportier Cupra-specific damper set, there is a concern that it may ride hard on Australian roads. On the quality European tarmac we tested it on, however, it was comfortable enough.

Sound insulation in the cabin seemed up to the task as well, with the Terramar providing a nice ambiance for countryside driving thanks to low levels of tyre roar and wind noise.

Factors against it? The rear window aperture is a bit small making visibility directly rearward a bit limited, and the lack of physical control dials for core climate and multimedia functions can be distracting when you’re trying to alter them on-the-go.

Other than these small detractors, though, the Terramar is an impressive mid-size SUV. It’s comfortable and quiet, but has attitude in spades and attacks the road with a certain level of confidence well outside the realm of most family haulers in this size-bracket.

It might not be the most affordable option in this category when it arrives, but a keen driver whose budget doesn’t quite stretch to a Porsche Macan will appreciate what the Terramar has to offer.

Don’t expect the Terramar to fall short on the safety front with active standard items including freeway-speed auto emergency braking, lane keep assist with departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and exit assist, as well as adaptive cruise control, traffic sign assist and more.

It also scores the standard array of six airbags with an additional centre (interaction) airbag, however the Terramar is yet to be rated by Euro NCAP or ANCAP so check back closer to its local arrival to see how it performs.

The e-tron GT comes with Audi’s five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty which is fairly standard for the premium segment. The battery warranty is eight years or 160,000km.

Impressively, the outgoing model comes with six years of complimentary servicing by Audi, and the schedules start at every two years or 30,000km. This should carry over for the new model but will be confirmed when the rest of the pricing and specs are locked in.

Cupra currently offers five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty in Australia, which we expect will extend to the Terramar when it arrives Down Under. 

We also expect it to have the same service pack regime, which is most affordable when pre-packaged at the time of purchase. Check back at its local launch for pricing and further details.