2019 Audi Q8: Far more than just a Q7 in sportswear

By Martin Pretorius

 

First Drive Impression

If we ignore the brooding presence of the R8, the brand-new Q8 signifies an entirely different approach to Audi’s new local flagship model, at least for the time being. In a market which is rapidly abandoning the traditional luxury saloon in favour of equally opulent SUVs, letting their four-door A8 range-topper disappear (for a while, at least) to focus on their swankiest new SUV-crossover may just turn out to be a brilliant idea. We drove the new Audi, and came away quite impressed.

Seeing as people aren’t buying sedans the way they used to, thanks to the SUV-pocalyse of recent years, it makes sense for Audi to cap their local range with an SUV instead of the traditional A8 sedan. These days, sales volumes come with 5 doors and a blocky profile, so Audi decided to get in on this game with their own interpretation of the theme. Essentially, the new Audi Q8 is what the A8 would be, if it were re-imagined as an SUV – right down to its ASF construction and available technology.

 

What is it?

The Q8 takes Audi into the “large four-door coupé-SUV” realm currently occupied by the BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE Coupé, but does it with a rather unique style. For starters, it looks like no other Audi out there at the moment, and débuts a new styling language. 

While the Q8 rides on the same MLBEvo platform as the Q7, its proportions have been completely overhauled. Retaining the same long wheelbase, but trimmed to be lower, wider and shorter overall, the Q8 exchanges the Q7’s restrained looks for a squatter, chunkier appearance. 

 

Audi Q8 styling

Way out front, the long bonnet caps a new interpretation of Audi’s single-frame grille, now with 8 sides instead of 6, as well as a re-worked headlamp design (more on those later) and gaping air intakes. The grille itself has a surround in either body colour, a curious dark matte grey, or glossy black. The first and last options probably look best in the flesh, but it’s nice of Audi to offer buyers a choice in this matter.

It’s behind the grille that things get really interesting, however. The bonnet and front fenders all feature deep creases and an interesting combination of bulges and concave sections. Seen in combination with the angular lines of the front bumper/grille assembly and the prominently flared fenders, it makes for arresting visuals. There are enough intricate details to keep a car enthusiast staring for hours, and projects a menacing-enough appearance to clear the overtaking lane in no time at all.

The side profile is perhaps the most conventional aspect of the Q8’s appearance, with an elongated side window shape and a sloping roofline, to go with the sharply-defined but gently-rising creases down its flanks and steep tailgate angle. There’s a pleasing ratio of metal to glass, however, successfully avoiding any trace of slab-sidedness in what is still a large and tall car.

The Q8’s rear wheelarches mark the turning point in its styling, where the squared-off rear fender flares meet with a steeply-sloping D-pillar, before folding around into one of the car world’s most-intricate tail light assemblies. These are in turn linked by an LED strip. 

There’s a lot happening at the back, that’s for sure, but it looks dramatic, and, most importantly of all, suitably futuristic. It’s a riot of angular LED lighting elements, hollowed-out lenses carved with a whittling knife, and a mesmerising light show. In fact, the Q8’s lighting tricks perfectly explain the Q8’s appeal, so let’s start there.

 

So many lights...

There are no fewer than 24 LEDs used for each high beam unit, and each one is individually controlled to give an ideal forward beam aim under all conditions. We’ll have to wait to test those claims until we get to drive the car at night when it comes in for a full road test, but it sure looks impressive enough to win the heart of any gadget fundi. 

Meanwhile, the pulsating tail lights, each with 12 individual segments, far out-gadget those cool sequential indicators which previously flew the Audi flag.

This is a very techy kind of car, and it’s tailored to appeal to the PlayStation Generation. The Q8’s entire persona revolves around the tech-savvy (and obviously successful) individual, the kind of person who manages business and personal life around their smartphones. 

 

Touchscreens galore

Never content with enough, Audi has now upped the display screen count for a car’s dashboard to three, with two of them being touchscreens. First off, there’s a beautiful digital instrument cluster with smooth animations and an uncluttered appearance. 

Next up is the main (top) centre screen, which handles infotainment and navigation functions, as well as main car setup functions. This one can pinch-and-zoom and swipe and re-arrange just like on a smartphone, and even features haptic feedback, which make the screen vibrate lightly under your touch.

With the top centre screen working like a smartphone for car setup-, connectivity and other MMI duties, the climate controls and detailed seat adjusters are operated by another touchscreen mounted directly below. Again, haptic feedback is present and buzzing. 

Meanwhile, Audi seems convinced that voice control (of which this car has the latest adaptive and self-learning version) is the way to go. It remains to be seen how long it will take for the car to pick up the South African English accent, though. Still, it’s nice, living in the future...

 

Driving the Q8

Anyone who remembers what fast Audis used to be like, in the days before the Germans started chasing stopwatch times and drag war wins, will immediately understand what the Q8’s driving experience is all about. It simply covers ground at a tremendous rate, over whatever the terrain can throw at it, without demanding any micro-management from the driver. 

That is not at all a bad thing, mind you. Nothing this big and heavy will ever be truly sporty, no matter how big the wheels (our test car ran on 22-inch alloys) or how firm the suspension. So, instead of chasing driver’s involvement (itself a pointless endeavor in a car like this) by making it track-tuned stiff, Audi took the wise decision to rather focus on making its performance easy to access.

With quattro all-wheel drive providing traction for days, the optional adaptive air suspension doing its bit to keep proceedings tied down, and the (equally optional) rear-wheel steering lending a hand, the Q8 corners accurately and athletically, and hides its heft under a blanket of sophisticated traction- and suspension management systems.

Meanwhile, even on those 22-inch wheels, the ride quality was largely unflustered, and noise levels supremely hushed. Bumpy roads are handled with the same aplomb as a freeway cruise, and there’s a reassuring stability to its behaviour under all conditions. But, under no circumstance are the car’s driver or occupants made aware of just how hard that clever engineering is working to make it all happen. 

 

Audi Q8 engines and performance

Only one engine is available at launch: a 3.0-litre turbo petrol V6, sending its 250 kW and 500 Nm into an 8-speed automatic gearbox. This one is called “55 TFSI” in Audi-speak, and will be joined from mid-year by a “45 TDI” turbo diesel V6 variant with 183 kW and 600 Nm.

The 55 TFSI test car was pretty quick on the road, even if it can’t match the latest crop of turbo V8-engined SUVs in straight-line speed. Smooth, effortless and civilised performance is the name of the game here, not giggle-inducing thrust.

Refinement is of course top-notch, and the sound insulation is of such a standard that virtually no sound comes through from the engine room. This helps the Q8 55 TFSI to remain dead quiet while running a brisk 5.9-second 0 – 100 km/h sprint. Hotter versions will undoubtedly appear, with rumours of an RS Q8 with 900 Nm currently doing the rounds. Expect the forthcoming 45 TDI to sprint from 0 – 100 km/h in around 7 seconds, while using rather a lot less fuel in the process.

 

Loaded to the gunwales

Standard equipment is comprehensive across the range, with the wonder-LED lighting system, four-zone climate control (with rear touch screen controls), Navigation Plus connected to a Bang & Olufsen Advanced audio system with 23 (!) speakers, wireless smartphone interface connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 20-inch wheels, adaptive dampers, Parking Aid Plus (with a 360-degree hi-res camera system), heated and electrically adjusted front seats, and a panoramic sunroof all coming as part of the base package. 

Then you can add options, which include (among many others) two variants of air suspension with automatic ride height adjustment, night vision, two larger wheel designs, clever adaptive cruise control (right down to following lanes and adhering to changing speed limits), lane keeping assistance, and rear-wheel steering. 

Two further exterior option packages are available: “S line Black package”, which receives S line styling pieces and glossy blacked-out trim, 22-inch wheels, and adaptive air suspension. There’s also an “S line Platinum package”, with the grey grille instead of the blacked-out one, but otherwise similar to the Black package.

Inside, the “S line Sports interior package” adds 4-way lumbar support adjustment for the front seats, sportier (firmer) adaptive air suspension calibration, decorative cabin inserts in matte brushed aluminium, a black roof lining, stainless steel pedals and footrest, scuff plates with aluminium inserts (illuminated with the “S” logo), front sport seats, and stainless steel load edge protection.

Audi Q8 Price

Be aware that these options and packages can make for a very expensive Q8, very quickly. The Q8 55 TFSI quattro starts out at R1 388 000, but it’s easy to add R 250 000 or more by delving into the options list. With that said, it already comes with a lot of very nice standard features at the base price, and it’s entirely possible to specify a Q8 with all the most-usable options for less than R1.5-million. 

 

But that’s hardly the point, is it? Adding a few hundred thousand in options to a car like this is small fry for those who can afford to drive it in the first place, and that steep pricetag merely adds to its allure. 

This is a car for showing off: from the light show when you unlock it, to the touchscreens and high-gloss trim, it’s meant to make a statement of wealth and modernity. It’s a good thing that the Q8 is also more than good enough at actual car duties to be worth all that money, then...