We test the Audi Q8: the sporty, diesel and Mild-Hybrid SUV from Audi

We drive the new sporty SUV from Audi in the upper segment, the Audi Q8. And it has won us over in every respect. Here’s why.

We have thoroughly tested the new Audi Q8 during the national presentation, with the chance to drive it on the motorway, on very winding roads and even on sections of off-road track. And it has won us over in every respect.

We simply expected a Audi Q7 with a different look, and an interior that already takes advantage of the new control and operating system Audi introduced in the Audi A8, eliminating switches and giving prominence to touchscreens. But although it shares its basic mechanics with the base Q7, the new Audi Q8 makes the Q7 suddenly look like it has aged a whole lot. When you see them side by side, when you get behind the wheel… and when you set off.

By the way, to put it in context: it looks much more compact, but the Audi Q8 measures 5 metres long, 2 metres wide and 1.71 metres high. It is only 10 cm shorter than the Q7, but 3 cm wider and 3 cm lower. And I can tell you already that, despite its design and sportier approach, it is by no means any less practical a car.

Interior of the Audi Q8: Cabin and boot for five

Granted, for carrying three passengers in the back the Audi Q7 is better, mainly because of the shape of the middle seat. And anyone who needs, or wants to have, a third row of seats, which the Audi Q7 offers, should also forget about the Q8 and look at the Q7. But otherwise, the Audi Q8 is also perfectly valid as a family car.

There is no lack of headroom in the rear because, unlike its main rivals, such as the BMW X6 or the Mercedes GLC Coupé, the roofline does not drop sharply. What is interesting is choosing the option of sliding rear seats. It is a very practical feature, as it allows the seats to be moved 10 centimetres to gain legroom… or to carry more luggage, depending on the needs of the moment.

By the way, the 605-litre boot capacity may seem small for the size of the car, but it is larger than that offered by its rivals. In any case, it is a good boot. It has regular, very usable shapes, is impeccably finished and comes with plenty of features.

The tailgate has electric operation, and when it rises, the cover hiding the luggage is automatically retracted. As in the Audi Avant estates, there are hooks for securing cargo, nets, and the option of fitting aluminium rails with telescopic arms and eyelets to distribute and secure luggage better. If air suspension is fitted, the bodywork can be raised or lowered from a control in the boot itself, lowering the loading floor.

More screens, fewer buttons

This is something we still find a little hard to get used to, but Audi is progressively digitising its entire range. Personally I find the “classic” MMI touch with the rotary knob more comfortable and easier to use, which in the Audi Q8 says goodbye to make way for a system based entirely on touchscreens. At least when it comes to operating the system without taking your eyes off the road as much as possible.

There are two screens on the centre console. The upper one, 10.1 inches, controls the multimedia system. The lower one, 8.6 inches, handles the climate control and also allows text input. The operation is impeccable, thanks to the customisation options, the structure of the menus and the feedback when scrolling or pressing functions, with both tactile and audible confirmation. But it forces you to take your eyes off the road for longer than with the previous rotary knob. Of course you can always use voice control, which recognises natural language phrases without needing to learn fixed commands.

What is not hard to get used to is the digital instrumentation Audi Virtual Cockpit, which comes as standard on the Audi Q8. It is impressive for its customisation options and graphic quality, especially when you choose the “navigation” view, which lets you enjoy the full map right behind the steering wheel, barely having to turn your head to check the map on the central screen. Optionally there is a “plus” version of this system with a sport mode, and it is also possible to fit the Head-up display, which projects information directly onto the windscreen. But with the Virtual Cockpit, I find this option entirely dispensable.

A look at the technical features of the Audi Q8

Before we get down to “driving”, a look at the Audi Q8 from the inside. We have already said that it shares its platform with the Audi Q7, keeping the same wheelbase. This means the bodywork is made of steel and aluminium. The suspensions are multi-link on both axles, and all-wheel drive is standard.

It can have a suspension with conventional springs, or air suspension. In both cases the dampers feature electronic damping control; with air suspension you can optionally choose between a standard or a sport setup. The advantage of air suspension, besides the greater ride comfort it provides, is that it allows the height of the bodywork to be varied. Adjustment can be made across four levels, depending on the programme the driver selects in the Audi drive select, or on the speed at which the car is travelling.

Thus, the bodywork of the Audi Q8 can rise from 220 mm to 245 mm of ground clearance in its highest position, or drop down to 164 mm in order to reduce aerodynamic drag and lower the centre of gravity when driving on the motorway.

For now, sales of the Audi Q8 start with a single engine, the 50 TDI quattro version with the 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 producing 286 CV. Next year the range will add the 45 TDI quattro, with this same engine in its 231 CV variant, and the 55 TFSI, with the 340 CV petrol V6. All of them include Mild-Hybrid technology with a 48-volt electrical system, featuring an electric motor that acts as a starter, assists the combustion engine in certain situations and allows coasting. This technology reduces consumption and, in Spain, allows the Audi Q8 to carry the DGT ECO label, at least for the time being.

Other interesting systems available on the Audi Q8 are four-wheel steering and hill descent control. Worth mentioning is the spectacular range of wheels, starting from 19 inches as standard but going up to 22 inches in diameter as an option. With them, the Audi Q8 looks truly imposing.

On the road with the new Audi Q8

With only one version available, we could focus during the test on driving different units of the Audi Q8, to check their reactions with different wheel sizes, or with four-wheel steering. We have not yet been able to drive any Audi Q8 with a suspension other than air, nor any unit off-road with tyres that are not road-specific, although there is the option of fitting the Q8 with All Season tyres.

The first impression is that the engine pushes hard and well, and that it makes very little noise. This is no surprise. Having put the “Dieselgate” scandal behind us, which left many scars, I think it is a mistake to set aside the advantages this fuel offers when it has been proven that a diesel engine can be built to run cleanly. Even if it has to rely on particulate filters and AdBlue. Being picky, it would be welcome if the automatic torque-converter gearbox were as quick as the brand’s dual-clutch units when driving on winding roads.

The fact is the Audi Q8 is a motorway mile-eater thanks to its ride comfort, excellent insulation from wind and road noise (even with the largest tyres) and the power of its engine. But it also makes for great fun on winding roads, where it even surprises with its agility of response and the precision of its steering. It does not reach the level of sportiness achieved by Porsche in its SUVs (Macan or Cayenne). However, using the Audi drive select and its different programmes (comfort, sport, individual, offroad) it does show a better balance than, for example, an BMW X6. Whether travelling in maximum comfort, or linking bends… or leaving the tarmac, where the Audi Q8 also permits certain liberties thanks to the ground clearance achieved with air suspension, how well the quattro traction works, and aids such as hill descent control.

Here, the limit will be set by the tyres… and by the owner’s tolerance when they feel stones hitting the underbody, or tree branches brushing the bodywork on narrow tracks. On the road the limit is more a matter of legal constraints, since you will hardly miss more power (not even when travelling loaded or towing a trailer), the brakes do their job well, and between the diesel engine and the mild-hybrid system, consumption can stay at a very reasonable 10 l/100 km on average.

Price: Is the new Audi Q8 worth what it costs?

The only option currently available, the Audi Q8 50 3.0 TDI quattro Tiptronic with 286 CV, is priced at 84,840 euros. Standard equipment includes 19-inch wheels, LED headlights, the high-end MMI Navigation Plus system, the Audi parking system plus parking assistant and digital instrumentation, among many other features.

And, as always, the best way to know whether a car is fairly priced is to compare it with its rivals. As it has few, this is easy. The price of the Audi Q8 50 TDI is practically equivalent to that of the Mercedes GLC Coupé with identical power, and around 3,500 euros more expensive – list prices, without comparing equipment – than an BMW X6 xDrive30d, also with 258 CV. Other possible references among high-end sporty SUVs would be the Maserati Levante Diesel, which costs the same and has a 275 CV engine. When the Q8 55 TFSI arrives it can be compared with the new Porsche Cayenne, which costs 87,600 euros with the same 340 CV engine (albeit with the Porsche “updates”) as the Audi, since Porsche has definitively abandoned diesel engines.

Audi Q8 image gallery

Technical specifications of this car

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