Audi Q8

Audi has retained several of the interior components from its other SUVs for the Q8, though the flagship SUV impresses with its higher-quality elements and layers with more attention to detail. With this facelift, Audi has introduced revised inlays in the materials wood, aluminium, and carbon for the Q8, which has a generously spacious interior with loads of space at the front and rear. However, due to the slightly sloping roofline, the rear headroom can be an issue for the rear seat occupants.

The Audi Q8 has sport seats as standard, which come embossed with S badges and feature contrasting stitching in rock grey to exhibit the dynamism of the SUV. These seats can also be customized with contour seats with massage and ventilation functions. The cabin also has a high-tech vibe with the virtual cockpit, plus a full-TFT instrument console and leather-wrapped multi-functional steering wheel with paddle shifters in its driver’s cockpit.

Adding more tech-laden appeal to the cabin of the Audi Q8 are the dual-slanted touchscreens. The one in the upper centre console, which has a heavy gloss black surround, serves as the main screen for the infotainment system. On the other hand, the one in the lower center console above the transmission lever has controls to adjust the climate control, drive, and suspension settings. The cabin of the Audi Q8 has no lack of top-class comfort and convenience features, with the stars of the show being a panoramic sunroof, 23-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, and powered front and rear seats.

The Audi Q8 rightfully justifies its premium flagship positioning in Audi’s SUV lineup, with this stylish SUV having an authoritative road presence. The SUV has become even more sophisticated and up-to-date with the recent facelift it has received, which has introduced a few minor tweaks to the front and rear profiles of the Audi Q8. Adding some more sportiness to the visual appeal of the Q8 is the standard S Line black exterior package, with several of its exterior elements finished in a theme gloss black.

At the front, the Audi Q8 now features a revised grille design, which has the same octagonal framework as before but now gets new larger-shaped inserts. The surrounds and inserts of this single-frame grille are finished in the theme of titanium black, with the surrounds stretching towards the inverted L-shaped headlamps. While the housings for the headlamps remain the same, the Audi Q8 now features revised daytime running LEDs and new LED Matrix headlights within them. The Audi Q8 also has an S Line front bumper with aggressive-looking air inlets that also get titanium black surrounds.

The side profile is where the real visual identity of the Audi Q8 lies, with this luxury SUV having a powerful shoulder line and the classic coupe silhouette with a mildly sloping roofline. These design elements give the Audi Q8 a flatter and more dynamic presence when compared to other Audi SUVs. The other elements of the Audi Q8 that are worth mentioning are engine type laser-engraved on the blacked-out B-pillar and titanium black roof rails and door garnish strip. Audi offers multiple choices of 20 to 23-inch alloy wheels.

Moving towards the rear, the Audi Q8 showcases more visual drama with its raked roofline and strong character lines across the boot lid. Like the front, the rear profile also gets Audi’s 2D black logo, with the SUV also having digital OLED tail lamps with an LED-connected light bar between them. One can choose from four light signature pairs with expressive light animation for the tail lamps, just like how it is possible to choose from four different animations for the front LED Matrix headlamps.

The Audi Q8 has Quattro permanent all-wheel drive with a self-locking centre differential and damper controls for its front and rear five-link suspension setup with anti-roll bars as standard, with one even having the choice to opt for the adaptive air suspension with controlled damping. This mammoth SUV from Audi has up to seven distinctive drive modes on offer – Comfort, Dynamic, Efficiency, Auto, Individual, Off-Road, and All-Road, with these modes selectable from the touchscreen in the center console.

Audi offers a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine as the standard powertrain in the UAE-spec Q8. Dubbed 55 TFSI, this twin-turbo V6 engine is paired with an 8-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission and delivers a maximum power output of 340 PS and a maximum torque output of 500 Nm. With this engine under its hood, the Audi Q8 can make the 0-100 mph sprint in 5.9 seconds and has an electronically restricted top speed of 250 mph.

The Audi Q8 has plenty of safety features on offer, with the list including dual front, side, and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors, 360-degree parking camera, vehicle stability control, traction control, hill start assist, hill descent control and Audi pre-sense suite of ADAS features. The Audi pre-sense for the Q8 includes high beam assist, forward collision warning, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, and more. 

While the Audi Q8 might not be setting new benchmarks in performance and technology in its category, it possesses the appeal of a flagship SUV with a great road presence, a comfortable, luxurious, and tech-laden cabin, and a decent punch from the twin-turbo V6 engine.