It’s the Audi e-tron. Q8, if you’re nasty. Apart from other upgrades, Audi changed the designation from just ‘e-tron’ since it’s no longer the only full BEV in the portfolio. Whatever you call it, it’s Audi’s full-sized five-door SUV that happens to be all electric.
Audi just slapped on a new badge and called it a day?
Oh no, it’s also a proper refresh from inside out. Apart from aesthetics, the exterior is slipperier - particularly the Sportback version - and there are improvements to the drivetrain for more confident handling.
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Ahh, gotcha. So is the Q8 just electric now?
No, the brand’s flagship still comes in its combustion format, the e-tron just officially earns its full-size SUV badge. That’s the case for now, anyway. Audi’s made it clear it plans to be fully electric by 2030, so consider this a preview of what the standard line-up will be in a few short years.
What’s special about it?
This might not sound like high praise, but we mean it in the best way possible: it’s super normal. EVs are fairly mainstream by now, but there are those still weary of them for a number of reasons, one of them being how they feel to drive compared to a conventional gas-powered ride.
What the Q8 e-tron does well is it behaves in a similar way. So there’s not much to get used to, you just hop behind the wheel and go about your business.
What do you mean by ‘conventional’?
Much of it has to do with its regen levels when lifting off the pedal. No one-pedal driving here, just lift off and the Q8 will coast forward naturally, even with the stiffer regen levels engaged. It feels like Audi spent a great deal of time sorting things out in this department, and the SUV is all the better for it.
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Surely this EV still does all its EV stuff, though, right?
Oh, totally. The front and rear motors are connected to a 106kWh battery that’s more efficient than it was in its ‘just e-tron’ days and the SUV has between 285 to 300 miles of estimated range. At a DC fast charger, it can top up from 10 to 80 per cent in 31 minutes. New owners of the Q8 e-tron get two years of spending those half hours at VW-owned Electrify America stations thrown in with no additional cost.
Sounds nice, but hardly exciting. Is it fun to drive?
It can be, so long as your expectations are in check. Audi has certainly made efforts to give the electric SUV more dynamic handling, but the needle between luxury-and-performance-o-meter certainly bends more towards the former.
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The motors for this hefty SUV can only churn out 402hp, which isn’t nothing, but that power’s there to move nearly 6,000 lbs of unladen EV around, let alone you and all your stuff. As such, the Q8 e-tron gets up to speed from 0 to 60 in a modest 5.4 seconds, topping out at 124mph.
So it’s not a barnstormer, but features like an updated steering system, tweaks to the suspension and adjustments to the software behind the adaptive air suspension and drive modes result in some palpable differences. The drive modes, for instance, have more distinct character between them and the added rigidity provides more road-feel that doesn’t come at the cost of comfort.
What's the verdict?
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It’ll sound strange, but like the white-gloved hand of service, the Q8 e-tron is at its best when it leaves no impression at all
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Sort of like mixing your dog’s medicine in its food, the Audi Q8 e-tron sneaks electrification into its tried and true full-size SUV. The Audi’s slick presentation and ease of use stands out over many of the usual EV quirks that skeptics find off-putting. Its strong, sharp looks do justice to its ride, which is as dynamic as a daily utility vehicle needs to be. The Q8 e-tron’s tech is equally a mix of swish-looking practicality.
It’ll sound strange, but like the white-gloved hand of service, the Q8 e-tron is at its best when it leaves no impression at all. It’s still a luxury vehicle, after all, even if you’re using it mainly to shuttle kids to football practice.
At $75,000 and up, it’s competitively priced against rivals like the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV and the BMW iX, both cars with their own takes on quirkiness. Due to the pressure on brands to satisfy this lucrative demographic, few offerings will differ wildly on the fundamentals, so much of the cross-shopping will boil down to personal preference. With that said, the Q8 e-tron’s streamlined line-up and ease of use makes it an easy recommendation.
