Cover Static photo, Colour: Chronos Gray metallic.
Static photo, Colour: Chronos Gray metallic.
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Audi’s new electric SUV flagship is a class act in an electric era
Sensible. Dependable. Premium. That’s the vibe you get when driving the Audi Q8 e-tron.
The German carmaker hasn’t gone too crazy with electro-everything on its new SUV flagship—sitting at the top of its eight-model electric portfolio—that comes four years after the launch of Audi’s first e-tron model.
“Stay classy” appears to be the design brief. There’s nothing gimmicky to signal the dawn of an electric era, and the transition is as smooth as the regenerative braking and recuperation (more on this later) on this model. Save for one element that makes its debut on the Q8 e-tron.
Ushering a new corporate identity for Audi’s electric era, its iconic four-ring chrome badge on the front grill has been replaced with a flatter, two-dimensional unit that can now illuminate. It’s more modern, yes, but regrettably swaps sophistication for rudimental.
Everywhere else, prestige takes precedence, and the Audi Q8 e-tron is a handsome package offering greater efficiency and range, housed in a sharpened design. It comes in two body styles: classic SUV and the more dynamic, coupé-style Sportback—and in two all-wheel drive powertrain variants, the Q8 50 e-tron and Q8 55 e-tron.
Above The interior of the new Audi Q8 e-tron
The interior of the new Audi Q8 e-tron
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The base model delivers a power output of 250kW (335bhp) with 664Nm of instant torque on tap in 'Boost' mode, while the Q8 55 e-tron boasts the same torque, but with a higher power output of 300kW (402bhp) that helps the car hit the century sprint 0.4 seconds faster in just 5.6 seconds—not overly torquey for an EV, and that’s a not a bad thing.
Its expanded battery capacity translates to increased range, so you can travel up to 491 km in the base model SUV, and up to 505 km in the Sportback version.
The higher-performing Q8 55 e-tron variant is fitted with a larger 114kWh battery pack which gives you more juice—up to 582 km and 600 km in the SUV and Sportback versions, respectively—on a single charge. Very decent and more than sufficient for city driving.
It takes about half an hour to charge the car up from 10 per cent to 80 per cent on the quicker DC charging, and you can get up to 123 km range in just 10 minutes of charging time.
According to Audi, its charging technology has been tuned for higher charging performance—now based on a charging curve, which the carmaker says is unique in the competitive environment, enabling the car to run at a high level for very good long-distance capability.
Now with an electric vehicle, you hold the power to “save” energy with your foot, and the Q8 e-tron offers three levels of regenerative braking, which converts the kinetic energy into electrical energy. We like that you can select the desired level easily on the go via the paddle shifters on the steering wheel; the more intense the deceleration, the higher the recuperation level and vice versa.
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Steering is sharp and highly responsive, and the car’s low centre of gravity (more similar to that of a sedan) makes for greater agility and sporty handling helped by improved aerodynamics. Make no mistake, this is a high-performance SUV in sensible guise.
Inside the cabin, expect to be pampered with an extensive array of comfort features including a delightful seating programme as well as ventilation and massage seats (optional).
Build quality reads luxury, with open-pore wood veneers (grained ash, sycamore wood) while sustainable materials feature prominently in the Q8 e-tron. Recyclates are used for seatbelt buckle covers and carpets and in the higher specced S line trim, seats are sheathed in Dinamica, a suede-like material made from polyester fibres fashioned from recycled PET bottles.
You also get a fair amount of tech wizardry in the cockpit, with two high-resolution MMI touch response displays—a 10.1-inch and an 8.6-inch—that just about replace all switches and controls thus reducing fiddly bits to the minimum.
Overall, it appears Audi has struck upon a sagacious strategy with a view and a foot to the future while fashioning the Q8 e-tron as an EV for grown-ups. And that’s not a bad thing, either.
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