2024 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron First Look Review: More Range, Familiar Luxury
Meet the new Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron, an electric mid-size luxury EV with sportier styling than the normal e-tron and all the technology and opulence expected of an Audi. This is essentially a facelift of the outgoing Sportback e-tron, and with it comes the addition of the Q8 moniker to distinguish Audi's electric SUV from other e-tron models. As with most facelifts, the Q8 Sportback e-tron receives the usual smattering of small design updates, but more meaningfully, it can now go up to 30% further on a full charge thanks to a larger battery. This allows the Audi to better compete with the BMW iX, even if the base iX remains quicker and positioned at a higher price point. At just $5,000 more than the gas-powered Q8, the Q8 Sportback e-tron also highlights the diminishing gap in price between EVs and equivalent ICE cars in the luxury sector.
When Is The Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron Coming Out?
The release date for the Audi Q8 Sportback S line e-tron is scheduled for the summer of 2023, although the model can already be configured on the manufacturer's website. A more powerful SQ8 Sportback e-tron is expected to be coming out later in 2023.
2024 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron Price And Competition
The price of the 2024 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron begins at $77,800 for the Premium trim, making it almost $4,000 more expensive than the 2023 model it replaces. The base MSRP increases to $82,200 for the Premium Plus and $88,200 for the Prestige. There is also a Launch Edition that retails for $91,950 in the USA.
Rivals include the BMW iX which begins at a pricier $87,100 for the xDrive50, although with 516 horsepower and a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds, the base iX is both more powerful and quicker. The base Mercedes EQE SUV is a more comparable alternative to the cheapest Audi, as it starts at just $100 more; however, this EQE has only 288 hp so can't match the 402-hp Q8 Sportback e-tron off the mark.
Based on these two German rivals, the Audi makes a good case for itself as offering the best blend of price, power, and performance.
New Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron Exterior And Colors
In updating the exterior design of the Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron, the manufacturer emphasized aerodynamic efficiency, which has ultimately contributed to the EV's improved range. The new Sportback has a better drag coefficient value of 0.27, helped along by more aerodynamic standard wheels and new rear spoilers. An Audi first is the self-sealing aero system that has been added to the electric shutters that can close off the radiator automatically. Together with the redesigned front fascia, airflow is now more efficiently managed than before.
A new lighting design for the Singleframe grille is now available that activates when the parking lights or headlights are switched on, with projection lighting under the hood line. Laser-etched model badging on the B-pillar is another subtle update, especially for anyone struggling to remember Audi's often convoluted EV nomenclature.
The sloping roofline is a familiar Sportback touch, and is, obviously, the main differentiator between this and the regular Q8 e-tron.
As standard, the Q8 e-tron comes with 20-inch alloy wheels in a bi-color finish, along with full LED headlights and a panoramic sunroof. Matrix-design LED headlights replace the standard LEDs on the Premium Plus, and these are further upgraded to digital Matrix-design LEDs on the Prestige. For the Launch Edition, the grille is finished in body color, and there are 22-inch wheels in a unique design.
As usual, the colors for the Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron are quite moody. The only no-cost option is Magnet Gray, with all the metallics costing $595 each. These are Glacier White, Madeira Brown, Mythos Black, and Plasma Blue. Daytona Gray pearl is the final color, also at $595.
To achieve the maximum range, there is an optional, no-cost Ultra Package that adds low-resistance summer tires and special 19-inch aero wheels. These wheels don't look as snazzy as the 20s, but that's the price to pay for the superior range.
Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron Dimensions
As this isn't a brand-new model, the dimensions of the Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron are similar to those of the Sportback e-tron it replaces. It has a length of 193.5 inches, a height of 65.1 inches, a width of 86.2 inches from mirror to mirror, and a 115.1-inch wheelbase.
Audi supplies only a single curb weight figure of 5,798 pounds, although we'd be surprised if the fully loaded models weighed exactly as much as the base one.
Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron Engine And Performance
Two asynchronous motors power the Q8 Sportback e-tron, linked to a single-speed transmission. With one at the front and one at the back, this enables quattro all-wheel drive, although here, the system is rear-wheel biased under normal driving conditions.
Changes have been made to the rear electric motor, which now has 14 motor windings, up from 12, which Audi claims boosts efficiency since a more powerful magnetic field is generated, thereby leading to more torque. Despite the changes, peak horsepower remains the same as before. The Q8 Sportback e-tron develops 402 hp from its two motors when boost is engaged. As a result, the 0-60 mph time is 5.4 seconds, but the more efficiently-minded model with the Ultra Package is actually slightly quicker, getting to 60 in 5.3 seconds. All models have a top speed of 124 mph.
Audi has also made changes to the way the SUV performs through the curves, with a quicker, more direct steering ratio than before. Rigidity is up for the front-axle bearing, while the standard adaptive air suspension allows for a smooth ride. A newly calibrated electronic stability control program and more differentiation between the seven drive modes are another two changes that have been implemented.
Gas Mileage
Range was not a strength of the outgoing e-tron Sportback, which could only manage 225 miles when its battery was fully charged. Now, Audi says the Q8 Sportback e-tron is capable of going up to 300 miles on a full charge; this applies to the model equipped with the Ultra Package. But even without this package, the range of the other models is still much better at 296 miles.
With the Ultra Package, the Audi will achieve 84/89/86 MPGe city/highway/combined; that combined rating is up by 8 MPGe, demonstrating just how effective the aerodynamic updates have been. Without the Ultra Package, the Sportback attains 84/90/87 MPGe.
The improved range of the latest Q8 Sportback e-tron is largely down to the larger battery with much better specs, which now has a gross capacity of 114 kWh. The net capacity is 106 kWh, a 23% increase over the previous model's battery. Audi has also increased the maximum charging speed from 150 kW to 170 kW, and while this isn't class-leading, any improvement in this area is welcome.
With DC fast charging, the Audi's battery can now be replenished from 10% to 80% in around 31 minutes. With Level 2 charging at 19.2 kW - an option when purchasing the EV - the charging time is 6.5 hours. That increases to 13 hours at 9.6 kW.
Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron Interior And Cargo
This is an Audi, so you know it's going to be flawlessly constructed inside and also equipped with enough technology to frighten drivers coming from an older model. The interior of the Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron is once again not short of digital displays, including the standard Virtual Cockpit ahead of the driver. In the center of the dashboard, there is a 10.1-inch upper screen and another 8.6-inch screen lower down. Haptic touch technology helps to make the displays more intuitive, and from here, drivers can control everything from infotainment to climate control settings.
Heated and power-adjustable front seats are standard in every Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron model, and ventilated front seats are added from the Premium Plus trim. Leather upholstery is standard, with classy Valcona/Milano leather for upper trims. Special piping is used to set apart the upholstery in the expensive Launch Edition variant, which also receives mesh anthracite inlays.
All models have four-zone climate control, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, high beam assist, pre sense rear, and lane guidance as standard, and you get access to massaging seats and a top-view camera system on upper models.
Despite the sloping roofline, the cargo space in the Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron measures a decent 27.2 cubic feet (only 1.3 cubic feet less than in the non-Sportback model), and this expands to 54.5 cubes when the second-row seats are folded flat.