Test bench | Audi Q8 e-tron: making new out of old

(Lanzarote, Spain) The new name could make believe that it is about a new model, but it is not so. The Q8 e-tron is just an evolution of the e-tron launched in 2018.

Eric LeFrancois

special collaboration

The clean copy

The name is familiar. So is the vehicle. To overshadow the lackluster success of the e-tron and counter the rapid advances of the competition, the manufacturer Audi could not do otherwise. He had to review his copy and mark the spirits to stay in the race.

Audi is cautiously pushing its pawns on the all-electric chessboard. The e-tron GT and Q4 e-tron were respectively developed in partnership with Porsche (Taycan) and Volkswagen (ID.4). The Q8 e-tron stands apart. It is a creation of the brand with intertwined rings made from an architecture (code name MLB Evo) whose origins date back to a time when automotive electrification seemed very distant. At Audi, it is no longer quite a mystery that new platforms intended exclusively for electric thrusters are in the works. These, from the Artemis project, will see the light of day in 2025. Therefore, we can assume that, in its current form, the Q8 e-tron is only an interim model.

Gentle transition

Even more than the e-tron it replaces, the Q8 e-tron integrates better with the rest of the range while improving its aerodynamic drag coefficient. The bulk of the work involved redesigning the front and rear fascias. It will probably be easier to recognize the grille now tattooed – a first – with the brand logo in 2D. A technique also known as “flat design”. Faced with such discreet retouching, we will not cry out for novelty or breach of trust. The designers of this Audi have only waited four years – ritual deadline of the essential restyling to which any car model must submit – to review their copy.

Unlike that of many of its rivals, the handling of a Q8 e-tron will not really disorient anyone. Audi’s objective here is to support customers in this transition and not to rush it by creating an unusual environment. The “electromobilists” of the first hour will undoubtedly regret the classicism of this Audi in this area. New converts, on the contrary, will rejoice.

Studied ergonomics, rewarding presentation, the Q8 e-tron escapes (for how much longer?) this tendency to want to decorate the cabin like a Christmas tree and the dashboard like a television control room. Only eccentricity (visible on our video), the virtual exterior mirrors, but these will not appear on the list of characteristics offered on the models sold on this side of the Atlantic. There is no need to feel frustrated by the absence from the catalog of these mirrors (cameras in fact) which project onto screens installed on either side of the dashboard. It’s a little destabilizing and it’s easy to imagine, given their apparent fragility, the cost of replacement in the event of breakage.

Advances that are not obvious

Unlike the European market, North American customers only have access to the strongest battery (106 kWh) to move the Q8 e-tron. Only the power and the autonomy vary according to the declination chosen. Thus, the Q8 e-tron has two electric units (one on each axle) compared to three for the S Q8 (one at the front, two at the rear). The latter benefits from more efficient tires and a sophisticated torque vector.

It remained to be seen whether the Q8 e-tron, weighing more than 2.5 tons, would justify on the road the dynamism attributed to it by its designers.

Compared to the model it replaces – rather bland, it must be remembered – the Q8 e-tron appears much more lively and agile. In fact, let’s go so far as to say that its behavior is generally even smoother than that of its thermal engine namesake.

As for autonomy, caution is in order. For the time being, the German manufacturer reproduces the European data (WLTP standard) which shows some 600 km (100 km less for the S Q8 e-tron) on a full charge. These figures are, it should be remembered, exaggeratedly optimistic. For more realism, it is better to turn to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Alas, it will not communicate the results of its tests until a few weeks before the market launch of this Audi. That said, in veiled terms, some brand specialists believe that the Q8 e-tron will cross the 400 km mark. For the record, the best performance recorded by the previous model (according to the EPA still) was 357.2 km. In addition, the charging power increases a little, from 150 kW to 170 kW.

Clean behavior

Benefiting from an almost ideal distribution of its masses and a low center of gravity, this Audi still had to take drastic measures to hide its weight. Not really twirling, but incredibly stable and free from the slightest body roll in curves, this juggernaut behaves on the road like a locomotive resting on rails, which is equivalent to a real tour de force.

Still compared to the previous model, the changes made to the steering are certainly among the most notable elements of this redesign. More precise and more receptive to impulses than it was, this steering also benefits from a faster gear ratio which makes it more alert when changing trajectory. Finally, the German engineers camped on their positions and refused to offer the privilege of driving without practically using the brake pedal. On the other hand, modifications have been made to reduce braking distances by 20% and prevent the formation of rust on the (steel) discs.

In closing, all Q8 e-trons will be certified “carbon neutral” as soon as they leave the factory (in Belgium). A first in this segment, as is the use of recycled materials in the manufacture of the covers that cover the buckle of the seat belts. It’s thin, but all the attention counts.

Travel expenses related to this story were paid for by Audi Canada.

technical sheetethnic

Motor

• Permanent magnet synchronous motor
• Maximum power: 402 hp (Q8 55); 496 hp (S Q8 55)*
• Torque: 490 lb-ft (Q8 55); 718 (S Q8 55)
• Battery capacity: 114 kWh (useful: 106 kWh)

* Sports mode

Performance

• Minimum empty weight: 2510 kg (Q8 55 e-tron); 2650 kg (S Q8 55 e-tron)
• Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 5.6s (Q8 55); 4.5s (S Q8 55)
• Top speed: 200 km/h (Q8 e-tron); 210 km/h (S Q8 e-tron)

Gearbox

• Standard: 1-speed automatic
• Optional: none
• Drive mode: all-wheel drive

Tires

• 255/55R19 (Q8 55 e-tron)
• 285/45R20 (S Q8 e-tron)

Charging time

• Level 2: between 9 and 11 a.m.
• Level 3: 28 minutes (10%-80%)

Consumption and autonomy

• 23.4kWh/100km (Q8 55); 25.6kWh/100km (S Q8 55)
• Range (assumed): 453 km (Q8); 414 km (S Q8 55)

Dimensions

• Wheelbase: 2764mm
• Length: 4915mm
• Height: 1631mm¹
• Width: 1937mm²

¹ Sportback trim: 1617mm
² Exterior mirrors excluded S version Q8 55: 1976 mm

Family photo

Like the UR-Quattro a little over 40 years ago, the e-tron has until now occupied a special place within the range of intertwined rings. The time has come for this all-electric model to incorporate the German manufacturer’s nomenclature, although this may cause some confusion among buyers. Indeed, the Q8 equipped with a heat engine remain in the catalog. The Q8 e-tron will offer, just like the original e-tron, the choice between two bodies (classic or Sportback).

Power up

The name differs, the technique too. Compared to the original model (the e-tron), this Q8 e-tron basically promises longer range, faster refueling. The chassis, still the same, now houses a more powerful battery (106 kWh compared to 86 kWh) and allows charging up to 170 kW compared to 150 previously. Beyond these improvements, note that the electronic management and cooling have also been optimized to cover more kilometers on a single charge.