Audi Q8

The Audi Q8 at a glance

From concept to production

Audi previewed the car with two concepts in 2017: the Q8 concept at the Detroit motor show on 9 January and the Q8 sport concept at Geneva in March. The production car was revealed at the Audi Brand Summit in Shenzhen on 5 June 2018 and went on sale in Europe in July 2018. Its design is defined by a large octagonal Singleframe grille, a sloping roof and a light strip across the tailgate; the side windows are frameless.

Underneath, the Q8 uses the same modular MLB Evo architecture as the Audi Q7, with a body of aluminium and high-strength steel. Compared with the Q7, the Q8 is shorter and lower, has five seats instead of seven and a smaller boot. The background of the brand is told in the history of Audi.

Q8 engines and performance

Every Q8 has quattro all-wheel drive with a mechanical self-locking centre differential, which splits torque 40:60 between front and rear in normal driving, and an eight-speed tiptronic automatic with a torque converter. The six-cylinder engines use a 48-volt mild-hybrid system with a belt starter-generator.

Figures are Audi's; top speeds are electronically limited, and the plug-in hybrids were not offered in every market. Audi says the mild-hybrid system of the facelifted cars recovers up to 8 kW under braking and cuts fuel use by up to 0.5 l/100 km. Where the RS Q8 stands among the fastest SUVs is shown in the 1cars ranking of the most powerful SUVs.

SQ8 and RS Q8: the performance versions

The SQ8 arrived in 2019 with a 4.0-litre V8 diesel of 320 kW (435 PS) and 900 Nm, using an electrically driven compressor. Later the SQ8 switched to a 4.0 TFSI petrol V8 with 373 kW (507 PS), which it keeps after the facelift. The RS Q8 of 2019 uses the twin-turbo 4.0 V8 also found in the Lamborghini Urus, tuned to 441 kW (600 PS) and 800 Nm. In 2019 Audi reported a lap of 7:42.253 on the Nürburgring Nordschleife with the RS Q8, at the time a record for SUVs.

For 2024 the facelifted RS Q8 performance raised output to 470 kW (640 PS) and 850 Nm. Compared with the entry 45 TDI, the RS Q8 performance has 300 kW more, almost three times the power.

Dimensions, interior and boot

The cabin follows the Audi A8, with almost no conventional buttons. Two touchscreens, 10.1 inches above and 8.6 inches below, control infotainment and climate, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster sits in front of the driver. Optional adaptive air suspension can vary ride height by up to 90 mm, and all-wheel steering turns the rear wheels by up to 5 degrees for a tighter turning circle and better stability.

The 2023 facelift

Audi presented the updated Q8 and SQ8 on 5 September 2023. The Singleframe grille gained new octagonal inserts, and the headlights can be ordered as matrix LED units with laser high beam. At the rear, digital OLED lights, already used on the A8 and Q5, allow different light signatures and a proximity function that lights them fully when a vehicle comes within two metres. Prices in Germany started at 86,700 EUR for the Q8 and 119,500 EUR for the SQ8 (September 2023).

Safety and assistance systems

In the 2019 Euro NCAP test, the Q8 50 TDI quattro earned five stars, with 93 % for adult occupant protection, 87 % for child occupants, 71 % for vulnerable road users and 73 % for safety assist. Assistance systems include adaptive cruise control with traffic-jam assist, junction and turn assist, a 360-degree camera system, lane keeping and, as an option, remote-controlled parking.

Rivals: how the Q8 compares

The Q8 is the most practical of the coupé-styled group, with an upright enough roof for adults in the back. Figures for any pair can be checked in the 1cars comparison tool.