2025 Audi e-tron GT facelift review: Warp speed

Nine hundred and twenty five horsepower, most powerful production car ever made by Audi: these are the headlines for the 2025 Audi e-tron GT update. And there are other impressive stats beneath the skin, too. With the update, Audi has made minimal cosmetic changes and has chosen to go with major technical upgrades. The car is still based on the J1 platform, which also underpins its sibling the Porsche Taycan, but there are improvements to the battery, power outputs, charging speed and the suspension. So let’s start with the tech first.

2025 Audi e-tron GT motor, power and performance

There are three variants of the e-tron GT on offer – S, RS and RS Performance – and all of them have received a boost in power. The S gets a 150hp bump to 680hp, the RS goes up 211hp to 857hp, and the range-topping Performance makes a whopping 925hp, up 279hp. We had the Performance version with us for two days in Frankfurt, Germany.

So, what does 925hp feel like? It’s insane! 0-100kph comes up in a gut-wrenching 2.5 seconds, 0.8 seconds quicker than before. I tried this a few times and backed off soon, or I risked throwing up the delicious Bavarian Weisswurst (white sausages) I’d had before. All 925 horses are available only at launch – on the move, the RS and RS Performance have 748hp, which is still plenty. You can also dial up an extra 95hp for 10 seconds via a cool Boost button on the steering wheel. There’s also an RS button that can dial up two RS-specific modes – RS1 and RS2 – which can configure your car’s setup.

Out on unrestricted stretches of the German Autobahn, the e-tron GT is quick. Overtaking goes by in a flash – as do miles – and with Boost mode engaged, it’s simply ridiculous. Accelerate hard from lower speeds and you can actually feel the 2-speed gearbox drop into first and propel you forwards at warp speed. Unlike most EVs, the e-tron GT’s rear motor is driven through a 2-speed automatic gearbox. Both the front and rear motors are permanent-magnet synchronous (PSM), and while the front motor has been reinforced, the one at the rear has been newly developed. A few parts like the motor are borrowed from the Group’s new vehicle architecture, the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), which also underpins the Q6. Flooring the throttle makes the GT very vocal; yes it’s synthesised, but it’s a nice mix of a futuristic motor whirr and an internal combustion engine’s growl.

2025 Audi e-tron GT battery and charging

Feeding all this power is a larger 105kWh (97kWh useable) battery, which, at 625kg, is 9kg lighter. Audi says it has modified the cell’s cooling system, and made changes to the separator materials and cell chemistry. Charging speed has also been upped by 50kW to 320kW, and the battery can charge from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes under ideal conditions. There are a few more graphs and stats available in the Virtual Cockpit to indicate things like battery temperature, quick-charging forecast, and preconditioning status.

2025 Audi e-tron GT ride and handling

The other big change to the new Audi e-tron GT is a new optional active suspension system. Comprising of air springs and hydraulic dampers fed via a quick-acting hydraulic pump, the system can react in an instant to control body movement. One handy function is the comfort entry and exit, which raises the vehicle’s body in an instant as soon as you open the door, thus allowing you a more dignified ingress and egress.

The real magic, though, is on the move – the system can keep the car’s body nearly flat during dynamic manoeuvres. I tried hard to get the body to lean through a set of corners on public roads, but it’s virtually flat despite the high speed. You would need a race track to get any hint of lean, and even then it’s minimal. Audi set up a small, tight track and a slalom course to test this out, and it was remarkable how level the car stays through the curves and cones.

The body doesn’t pitch or squat even when braking or accelerating hard. The system basically pushes down on the opposing side to keep things level. Over speed breakers and potholes, too, the system can make adjustments and keep the body almost flat. It’s remarkable to watch the wheels move frantically while the body stays flat – can’t wait to try this on our roads here.

2025 Audi e-tron GT exterior style

As you would have gathered by now, the updates to the new Audi e-tron GT are deeply technical in nature and minimal when it comes to cosmetics. Forget blink and you’ll miss it, stare hard and you could still miss some changes. That’s no complaint, as this is one gorgeous car. It has an arresting stance, and the depressed bonnet and sleek headlights with the segmented Daytime Running Lamps look very cool and sporty.

The trapezoidal grille area has a cool hexagonal texture and the vertical fins on this Performance trim can be had in what Audi calls a Carbon Camo pattern. There are a few new alloy options like the 21 inchers we had on our car. At the rear, too, little has changed – the most noticeable being the centre light that’s now vertically oriented.

2025 Audi e-tron GT interiors and features

Like the outside, the interior also gets very few changes, with the biggest one being the new steering wheel that’s similar to the Q6’s and arrive in all new Audis. Gone are the buttons and in their place is a touchpad. It does have slots to guide your fingers but buttons would have been far simpler and easier to use. The cool bit is the presence of two red buttons to cycle through the customisable RS1 and RS2 car setups and to engage the Boost function. While the steering wheel is new, the screens have been carried over from the previous car. So you have all the familiar bits like the Virtual Cockpit, and all the buttons operate with a nice quality feel.

There are a few new trims and colours on offer, including the Carbon Camo finish that can be had across the dashboard. The seats also get a nice and sporty high-quality fabric if you opt for a leather-free interior. While the front seats are very comfy, the rear backrest is a bit upright. So you can’t sit back and relax on longer drives.

2025 Audi e-tron GT price, launch and verdict

The new Audi e-tron GT is scheduled to launch in India in mid-2025 and all three versions will arrive here. Ex-showroom prices are currently a shade under Rs 2 crore, but the facelift will breach that – understandable given the many technical updates the new car arrives with. There’s the massive bump in power; a larger, and quicker-charging battery pack; increased range; and the brilliant active suspension. It may be a facelift, but it’s one that’s far more than just skin-deep.