The Audi Q8 E-Tron is the perfect embodiment of Audi’s approach to EV development. It’s a gentle evolution of its original electric SUV – the E-Tron – now positioned convicingly at the top of the firm’s battery-powered crossover line-up. That means light cosmetic updates and a better range and charging capability with a view to improving the car’s usability.
So, a little more than four years since the original E-Tron was launched, the Q8-badged variety, and as a great indication of the pace of change, it’s gaining a much-improved range, better steering and handling and yet more technology.
The timing of the facelift couldn’t be better, because younger rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and BMW iX were running rings around the Audi, most notably in terms of range and charging. In fact, the smaller Q4 E-Tron with its bespoke EV architecture was also making its bigger brother look irrelevant.
What’s changed on the outside?
Interestingly, although there have been relatively few changes, the Q8 E-Tron manages to look quite different to the old E-Tron. The reprofiled front and rear bumpers and surrounds look a little more aggressive, while the LED light bar between the headlights highlights is another point of difference. Whether that looks good is down to you – as is the optional fully-illuminated grille.
That features a self-sealing system to lower the drag coefficient, as do the air curtains underneath the headlights, fins ahead of the front and rear wheelarches, flush underfloor and underbody spoilers. New alloy wheel designs also feature as does model designations on the B-pillar. It’s going to be needed as the Q8 E-Tron’s EV drivetrain isn’t the most efficient.
The optional Digital Matrix LEDs, first seen in the A8 are worth a mention. They contain 1.3 million pixels that can change direction up to 5000 times a second. On the road, that means useful features such as a lane orientation light that helps the driver place, as well as not dazzling other drivers.
What’s new under the skin?
The biggest uplift to Q8 E-Tron spec if the improved battery range. And it needed it – the old model’s claimed 249-mile WLTP range would have just about been acceptable in 2018, but against today’s 350-plus mile rivals, it was well off the pace. And that was the claimed range – in testing, we were averaging 170 miles in the old E-Tron.
To improve the situation, Audi has crammed in more battery capacity. The entry-level 50 model gets an 89kWh battery capacity while the 55 and SQ8 get 106kWh. Maximum claimed range is up to 281 miles for the smaller battery and 343 miles for the larger set-up. Sounds good.
Charging hardware has also been uprated, with the 50 getting 150kW fast charging capability and the 55/SQ8 170kW. For both, that means a 10-80% charge in around 30 minutes on costly ultra-rapid chargers and the potential to gain around 76 miles in just 10 minutes. This is needed – these are big batteries.
What’s it like to drive?
The good news is that there have been tweaks made to the ESC system, air-suspension calibration and steering rack in an attempt to make it feel more alert on the road. Having driven the Q8 E-Tron in the UK as well as the SQ8 E-Tron overseas, these changes have been successful.
We go into more detail in the Audi SQ8 E-Tron in its own review, so won’t go too much into that, suffice to say it feels quick without being ballistic, and handles adroitly without troubling a Jaguar I-Pace, which is still such a good drive all those years after its launch.
The standard 55 Quattro doesn’t feel vastly different. It’s still a quick car, with a 0-62mph time of 5.6 seconds and a maximum speed limited to 130mph. Those are just numbers and don’t really convey the effortless way in which the Q8 E-Tron conducts itself – it launches off the line convincingly and mid-range overtaking manoeuvres are stress-free and swiftly dispatches.
It’s worth saying here that in some gentle urban and rural driving, the Q8 E-Tron delivered so-so levels of efficiency. According to the trip computer, it was averaging 2.5-2.7 miles per kWh, which by our reckoning would mean the larger-battery Q8 E-Tron’s range would be well shy of 300 miles. Not impressive for a 106kWh battery pack.
The handling is capable, and feels more responsive than before, with little in the way of vices on public roads – the main obstacle to swift B-road progress is the car’s sheer size and weight. While you won’t get up early in the morning to drive the long way to work, it won’t get you into trouble – and rewards the driver with tidy turn-in, little in the way of understeer and absolutely no feedback.
Where the Q8 E-Tron truly shines is in its comfort and refinement. All models get air suspension, and that’s a good thing, as the ride quality is excellent and rarely gets upset by imperfections in the road surface. On the standard 20-inch wheels, road noise is well contained, and wind noise is supremely low.
The Virtual mirrors play a part in this, we are sure, but as they’re about as much use as a chocolate teapot, being sited out of the way and offering a limited view, we’d happily make the trade-off and not have them.
What’s it like inside?
Being an Audi, the interior quality is excellent. It’s also roomy and nicely trimmed, with a wide choice of cabin materials including walnut, grained ash and carbon. We like how this car, built in a CO2-neutral factory powered by 100% green energy uses recycled plastics from old Audis.
The infotainment set-up and major controls are handles by a double-decker central touch screen set-up first seen in the Audi A8. Ergonomically, they’re a reasonable success, as they’re better than rivals’ touchscreens, but we’d like more in the way of physical controls, such as Jaguar’s excellent I-Pace heater controls. The Virtual Cockpit digital dash is present and correct, and works as well as it ever did.
The driving position is good, the visibility okay, and the room in the rear is impressive. The boot has up to 1755 litres of space, but there’s also a reasonably-sized ‘frunk’ up front. Overall, the Q8 E-Tron will accommodate you and your family effortlessly, but then it should at almost 5m in length.
Verdict
Don’t let the name change give you false expectations. This is a useful update of the E-Tron that’s delivered what it set out to do – to bring it back up to class standards.
It now offers a competitive claimed range from its enormous battery packs, and the comfort and tech are up there with the best. It’s a lovely place to sit and drive around in, and now handles more sharply – something we’d welcome.
On the downside, it’s big, heavy and inefficient, and outdriven by the Jaguar I-Pace and BMW iX. The Q8 E-Tron, though, is a safe bet, and perfectly judged for those who want a luxury electric SUV without shouting about it.
