Mild updates to flagship coupé SUV aim to keep it fresh against the Porsche Cayenne Coupé On sale Now Price from £73,165
Doug Revolta doug.revolta@haymarket.com
IF YOU WANT to see the difference between the updated Audi Q8 and the old one, you might be best off in the dark. In such conditions, you’ll better notice its new headlight design and how the daytime running light strip now runs along the top of the unit rather than the bottom.
A more diligent inspection will reveal the new digital OLED rear lights, which automatically light up when stationary to warn approaching cars if they don’t stop within two metres. And, when the sun rises, you might spot the tweaked grille and that three new paint options are available. Thing is, while making such gentle tweaks midway through a car’s life cycle can often be a real missed opportunity, in the case of the Q8, it doesn’t feel like it.
That’s because the car was already extremely competent. Audi’s flagship petrol-powered SUV was launched back in 2018, as what is essentially an Audi Q7 with a more streamlined roof. That means it shares many of the same brilliant qualities as the Q7, but with a little practicality sacrificed on the altar of style.
The updated Q8’s engine line-up is a simple one: there’s a 3.0-litre petrol V6 in the 55 TFSI and a 3.0-litre V6 diesel in the 50 TDI. There’s also a performance-focused SQ8, which has received the same cosmetic updates. The previous plug-in hybrid options were recently taken off sale to clear an order backlog but should return in the future with bigger batteries and longer ranges. An updated fire-breathing RS Q8 is expected during 2024, too.
Of the engines you can buy now, the formidable 50 TDI (with 282bhp) pulls effortlessly from low revs and always feels like it has some power in reserve. The 55 TFSI is more powerful and a smidge quicker, but you have to rev it harder in everyday use than the diesel, because it doesn’t have as much low and mid-range oomph. Still, both engines are peachy, as they were in the old model. It’s a shame the eight-speed automatic gearbox hasn’t been tweaked, though; it’s slick enough in normal driving, but it dithers when you need a lower gear for a burst of acceleration.
With adaptive air suspension as standard, all versions ride comfortably, even with massive wheels ranging in diameter fr
