Audi Q8 review: a fashionable flagship SUV

​The Audi Q8 is luxurious, extravagant and stylish, and it’s an admirable executive SUV for owners who aren’t too worried about its rather obvious packaging compromises. It takes up about as much room on the road as a Q7 SUV, but has only five seats and a much less useful boot. In spite of its more dynamic and contemporary styling, it doesn’t offer significantly more involvement or engagement for the driver either, and is less sharp on the road than the BMW X6, a key rival.

But the Q8 offers good road manners and superb refinement, as well as a plush ride – if you avoid Dynamic mode – and fabulous interior ambience with its twin-touchscreen interior and lavish appointments. As such, it’s a thoroughly appealing choice for drivers who place style and comfort above sports car-like driving responses.

About the Audi Q8

The Audi Q8 is a large and luxurious SUV crossover that’s focused almost entirely on road use, and aims to seduce drivers who might otherwise consider other ‘sporty’ lifestyle SUVs for sale, such as the BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE Coupe. Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover Sport buyers might take a look too, although the Q8 is undoubtedly aimed primarily at the ‘coupe-style’ 4x4s from BMW and Mercedes.

The Q8 is Audi’s biggest coupe-SUV and, just like most of the cars in this class, it’s intended to be used as a comfortable and fashionable cruiser that will stay firmly on the tarmac. There’s a sense of form over function on the inside, too, as the Q8’s design makes it less practical than the Audi Q7, which uses same platform.

The Q8’s sleek body is lower, wider and shorter than its boxier stablemate, and also a bit more aggressively styled with the brand’s eight-sided grille, swoopy headlamps and wide wheelarches said to be inspired by old Quattro rally cars. At the back, there’s a full-width LED lighting strip, roof spoiler, and a rakish ‘fastback’ tailgate that seriously limits the practicality of the boot. Unlike the Q7 you can’t have a third row of seats either, so the Q8 is strictly a five-seater.

A facelift in 2024 saw some additional styling tweaks applied to the Q8, but these were fairly minor. New grille patterns, larger side intakes and redesigned exhausts are some of the few exterior features that distinguish the facelifted car.

Underneath, the standard Q8 is offered with the choice of a 3.0-litre TFSI 55 petrol or a 3.0-litre TDI 50 diesel engine. The diesel’s mild-hybrid technology can actually shut down the engine when coasting between 34 and 99mph, which helps to improve this heavy SUV’s efficiency. All Q8s feature quattro four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. 

Inside, along with plenty of plush materials, there’s a twin-touchscreen MMI dashboard featuring Audi’s Virtual Cockpit setup. Facelifted cars still have the same physical technology, but the software received an update which allows the system to display active safety information.

Two performance versions of the Q8 are also available. The mid-range SQ8 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre petrol V8 which produces a healthy 500bhp and 770Nm of torque. This is certainly far from slow, but the fully-hardcore RS Q8 ups the power again to 592bhp and 800Nm.

The regular Q8 is available in three trim levels, S line, Black Edition and Vorsprung. All three are well equipped, although the S line is less lavishly indulgent than the Vorsprung model. The range-topper comes with a seriously impressive amount of safety kit, including Audi’s latest autonomous systems – although the S Line isn’t exactly hard done by.

With its eye-catching styling and significant road presence, the Q8 is not a car for shrinking violets. As if to back that up, the options list includes bold body colours like Java green and Velvet purple. S line models ride as standard on 21-inch alloys, but the larger 22-inch wheels from the Vorsprung are a popular upgrade.

Engines, performance and drive

​The Audi Q8 feels a lot like its Q7 stablemate on the road, which is unsurprising given the fact the two share a platform and drivetrains. That’s great if you’re looking for a deft and reasonably sharp handling large SUV, but not so if you’re looking for something that’s more rewarding to drive. The BMW X6, Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover Sport are all more obviously sporty, but the Audi has more of an edge when it comes to comfort.

All Q8s sold in the UK sit on advanced adaptive air suspension, and on its softest setting the car is softly compliant while resisting roll admirably in corners. The Dynamic setting is less rewarding, as although the Q8 will tackle corners with little body roll and prodigious levels of grip, the ride quality becomes distinctly rough around the edges. Unless you’re on perfectly smooth tarmac, it’s hard to see the advantages and the compromises are considerable. We also found the larger 22-inch wheels to be a little skittish at lower speeds. The Q8 is supremely quiet at speed, though, with barely any wind or road noise and a very well muted engine bay.

Steering feel is like every other Audi, which means it offers no sense whatsoever of the road through the steering wheel rim, but is accurate and responsive to inputs anyway. The eight-speed automatic is not a dual clutch device but a torque converter gearbox, and can be a little hesitant off the line.

However, the more powerful SQ8 goes some way to tackling the dynamic flaws of the standard car. It features an electric roll stabilisation system and rear wheel steering to help improve agility through corners, enabling the driver to not only turn into corners more keenly, but to also have the confidence to continue pushing through and back out again. The enormous tyres at each corner, in combination with the quattro four-wheel-drive system, also help in creating bags of extra grip.

If the SQ8 doesn't pack a big enough punch, Audi has the answer in the form of the 592bhp RS Q8. It uses a 4.0-litre V8 powerplant, and is packed with driving tech to help the supersized SUV go like a true Audi Sport model.

Adaptive sports air suspension, quattro all-wheel drive, electromechanical active roll stabilisation, RS carbon-ceramic brakes, all-wheel steering and a quattro sport differential are just a few highlights, although none do anything to reduce the RS Q8's biggest problem - it's 2.4 tonne kerb weight.

Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed

The core Audi Q8 range comes with a choice of two engines. First is a 3.0-litre V6 diesel called the 50 TDI. It’s an impressively smooth and refined unit that includes sophisticated mild-hybrid technology, and with 282bhp it offers pretty rapid acceleration, too. 0-62mph arrives in 6.1 seconds, and top speed is 150mph. The other option is a 335bhp 3.0 V6 55 TFSI petrol. This will propel the Q8 from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds.

The hotter SQ8 comes with a 4.0-litre petrol V8 which produces 500bhp and 770Nm of torque. This allows the bulky coupe-SUV to sprint from 0-62mph in 4.1 seconds, and then proceed onto a limited top speed of 155mph.

The slightly bonkers RS Q8, meanwhile, also uses a TFSI V8 petrol engine, only this time it’s been cranked up to return 592bhp and 800Nm of torque. This results in a supercar-esque 0-62mph sprint time of just 3.8 seconds. The RS Q8 also has a limited top speed of 155mph.

MPG, CO2 and running costs

​The two engine options in the standard Audi Q8 line-up give buyers the choice of petrol or diesel power – the latter with mild-hybrid electric assistance. As you’d expect the 50 TDI diesel is markedly more efficient, offering a best of 34.9mpg on the WLTP combined cycle with CO2 emissions of 213g/km.

The petrol powered 55 TFSI will be quicker but it’s also a fair bit thirstier, coming in at 27.2mpg. It’s also more polluting at a rate of 253g/km of CO2. As prices start from around £73,500, all versions of the Q8 cost £570 a year in VED road tax for years two to six of ownership. You won’t get off lightly on Benefit-in-Kind tax if you’re a company perk driver either – the Q8 is in the highest percentage tax bracket whether you choose petrol or diesel power.

Unsurprisingly, neither the SQ8 nor RS Q8 are exactly eco-friendly performers, with official economy and CO2-emission figures of 23mpg and 289g/km, and 21.2mpg and 307g/km, respectively.

Mild-hybrid tech comes as standard in the diesel-powered Q8. There’s a lithium-ion battery under the boot floor, which is regenerated under braking. When coasting between 34mph and 99mph, the diesel engine’s stop-start tech cuts fuel and progress is maintained using the belt drive starter motor.

Insurance groups

The high price and strong performance of the Audi Q8 ensures high insurance premiums, too. The entire lineup, including the SQ8 and RS Q8, sits in insurance group 50. Although it is very closely related, the Audi Q7 sits as low as group 44 in entry-level S-Line spec. 

Depreciation

Our expert data suggests that the lower-spec Q8s should fare reasonably well after three years and 36,000 miles, retaining around 50 per cent of their initial value. The range-topping Vorsprung performs worse, though, returning around 42-46 per cent. It’s important to remember that all Q8s have a high list price, so it could still cost quite a lot when the time comes to sell yours on.

To get an accurate valuation on a specific model check out our free car valuation tool...

Interior, design and technology

​The exterior of the Audi Q8 is quite a step on from the relatively restrained Q7. Features like the larger front grille, more aggressively styled bumpers, new LED headlamp designs and a full-width lighting strip across the boot lid – as well as frameless side windows – give the Q8 a more upmarket and opulent feel.

A minor refresh in 2024 saw Audi carry out some adjustments to the Q8’s styling. Newly-designed grilles, enlarged side intakes, altered tailpipes and an updated badge are the most notable exterior differences, but the overall appearance remains pretty much the same. 

Inside things step up a gear again from the Q7, with a truly impressive feel that’s inspired largely by the A8 limo. There’s lots of piano black trim and brushed metal finishes on display, and the whole fascia is configured around the MMI Touch dual-screen infotainment set-up we know from elsewhere in the Audi range.

As with other models, the top 10.1-inch screen delivers the infotainment, while the lower 8.6-inch screen takes care of more fundamental systems like the climate control and car set-up options. It also features handwriting recognition, but this may be a step too far for many right-handed drivers – it makes a lot more sense when the steering wheel is on the left as per other European markets.

The Q8 also features Audi’s Virtual Cockpit as standard, which replaces the traditional instrument pack with a wide full-colour display that can be configured with high-resolution navigation maps or instrument graphics.

It’s not a sporty environment, but it is luxurious, contemporary and very upmarket. That said, when we prodded some of the plastics there was a bit of creak and flex which was a little unexpected. All the electronics and technology systems are made possible because the Q8 is built on the Volkswagen Group’s shared MLB Evo platform.

Although the muscular SQ8 and RS Q8 provide more power and grunt than standard versions, there isn't much to tell the cabins apart. In fact, the interiors are largely identical. It's certainly not a step-up in interior quality, so you're essentially paying the extra premium for added performance.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

As you would expect, the Q8’s infotainment system is impressively configured. There’s full smartphone connectivity with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a highly specified audio system, and of course voice control, DAB audio and internet connectivity are all part of the available tech.

Practicality, comfort and boot space

​The Audi Q8 only comes in the one body style, and only as a five-seater. That rakish rear hatch rules out the possibility of an extra third row of seats, even for kids.

You have to climb up into the Q8 which can be a bit of a stretch, and although you ride marginally lower than in the Q7, the view out of the front is pretty much as good. Rear visibility is a little less impressive, but there are lots of parking assistance sensors and systems available to help with that.

A vast range of driver sizes can be accommodated thanks to lots of adjustment in the seats and steering column, and there’s loads of storage around the cabin thanks to a big centre console bin, large glovebox and door bins.

Dimensions and size

The Q8 measures up at 4,986mm long, 1,705mm tall and 1,995mm wide, so it takes up a chunk of space on the road. The Q7 is a little bit longer at 5,052mm, narrower at 1,968mm and taller at 1,740mm, but there’s not really much in it as you can see. The BMW X6 is 4,909mm long, 1,989mm wide and 1,702 tall. 

Leg room, head room & passenger space

Fortunately, the swoopy roofline doesn’t impinge much on passenger space, as it only dives significantly downwards aft of the rear seats. That means there’s a decent amount of headroom, and the broad width of the car means there’s lots of elbow and shoulder room too. The Q8’s long wheelbase ensures that rear seat passengers aren’t hard done by for legroom either, even if there are tall passengers up front with the seats pushed right back.

Boot space

There’s a big boot lurking beneath the Q8’s tailgate, and at 605 litres its volume is a little larger than the boot in the rival BMW X6. It can’t match the luggage capacity of its seven-seater stablemate the Audi Q7 though – it’s way ahead with 770 litres of space.

The Q8’s aggressively sloping tailgate does have quite an impact on the practicality, too, as it means you may struggle to fit large boxy items such as washing machines or furniture. Even bicycles might be a problem, and it’s a long way up to the roof if you need to put them on a rack.

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Reliability and safety

​As you’d expect of an Audi flagship, there’s absolutely loads of safety kit wrapped up in the Q8’s big SUV body. Audi bundles its safety kit into packages, with the top spec Tour package offering adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, collision avoidance from the front and sides, and the ability to match speed limits via road sign recognition.

There are five systems at play in the city, monitoring cross-traffic front and rear, vehicles approaching from the side, plus exit and lane change warnings. A Park Plus Assist package prevents bumps during low-speed manoeuvres, and will also park the car autonomously.

Like the Q7, with which it shares a platform, the Q8 achieved a full, five-star rating in Euro NCAP’s crash tests, scoring an impressive 93 per cent for adult occupant protection and 87 per cent for child protection. The Audi Q8 didn’t appear in our most recent Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, but the brand finished in a disappointing 30th place out of 32 in our best car manufacturer rankings. This is a pretty poor performance for any brand, let alone a premium one.

Warranty

The Audi Q8 gets the same warranty as everything else in the line-up, which means you’re covered for three-years but only 60,000 miles. BMW’s standard warranty is also three years, but you’re covered for unlimited mileage.

Servicing

You can opt for annual services for your Q8 if you’re the kind of driver who does relatively low mileage with lots of short journeys. The alternative is a variable schedule determined by the car’s onboard sensors. This could see service stops extended as far as two years, but not further.