One thing that gets lost in all the current noise about the Volkswagen Group's current troubles is just how much better its electric vehicles are getting with each subsequent generation. Like, quantum leap good. The updated Volkswagen ID.4 is better than it's ever been, the latest electric Porsches are world-class and, as they did in the gas car era, non-U.S. brands like Skoda and SEAT are making the kind of stuff you wish you could buy. (And maybe it can soon enough, in SEAT's case.)
That brings us to Audi. It's also easy to forget that Audi was kind of a pioneer in this space with the original Audi E-Tron crossover, which actually hit the road before even the Tesla Model Y did. It got a significant upgrade of its own last year to go with a name change that fits Audi's new "odd-numbered cars are internal combustion, even-numbered ones are EVs" naming scheme: the Q8 E-Tron and Q8 E-Tron Sportback.
But the EV world moves extremely fast. And unlike the all-new and slightly smaller Q6 E-Tron that rides on a fairly revolutionary all-electric platform, the Q8 E-Tron still uses one adapted from the gas cars. Moreover, demand for the SUV has dropped off pretty hard in recent months and its run may end early. So is the Q8 E-Tron, improved as it is, still relevant?
(Full Disclosure: Audi sent me a 2024 Q8 E-Tron for a week for testing.)
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron Specs
What Is It?
I first drove this updated generation in its more powerful SQ E-Tron form last fall, albeit only for a few hours. I liked that car's handling prowess in particular, although I wondered if handling was what EV consumers were really after here; above all, they seem to want range, fast charging times and decent prices. Then I got behind the wheel of the gray Q8 E-Tron you see here a few months later.
I have to admit I haven't thought about much since then, nor did I find it to be the most memorable EV around. That's a point against it at a time when it feels like only the strongest will survive the coming industry transition. But with the looming debut of the ostensibly more important Q6 E-Tron, I wanted to revisit its bigger, older brother.
The Q8 E-Tron comes in standard and Sportback forms, with faster SQ8 versions of both. This test car was the top Prestige model (not counting the higher Launch Edition) that took the base trim's price from $74,400 to $88,990 including a few other options. All Q8 E-Tron models get a 114 kWh battery pack (106 kWh usable) with all-wheel-drive, up to 285 miles of EPA-estimated range and fast charging of up to 170 kW.
Right away, we see some of the weaknesses of this older EV platform: that's a pretty big battery but certainly not the quickest DC charging around. A Tesla Model Y can do up to 210 kW DC fast charging. And the new Q6 E-Tron Quattro absolutely smokes both at 270 kW.
You get the idea; this stuff is moving fast. While the Q6 E-Tron models are slightly smaller but also $10,000 cheaper with more sophisticated tech, they may just be waiting for an electric Audi to be on your menu.
What's Good?
- The Q8 E-Tron still looks really sharp. I'm of the opinion that Audi's design game as of late isn't quite as fire as it was in the heyday of the TT and the second-generation A4 and A6, but it is handsome. From the side, it gives off Bentley Bentayga vibes, and no owner will be mad about that.
- Similarly, and in typical Audi fashion, the interior gives you what you paid for. It's a sleek, comfortable, thoroughly modern space with a good array of physical controls on the steering wheel especially.
- Even in non-SQ8 form, the handling is outstanding. Again, that may not be what matters most with an EV, but this is a beefy boy at nearly 6,000 pounds. It has no right to corner as well as it does.
- Audi's dual charging ports, which can serve AC chargers on the left or the right side, remain a fantastic idea. (No, you can't use both at once, however.) DC fast charging is solely on the left side. But this allows for a ton of flexibility and the ability to purchase an EV without potentially having to rearrange your home charger, so I'm glad it's also sticking around on the Q6 E-Tron.
- Even if the DC fast charging times aren't the best by modern standards, it still got the job done. At 42% (which is higher than I normally go for fast charging, but I had a long drive ahead of me and wanted to knock it out first) I got to 85% in 30 minutes on a 150 kW plug. The highest speed the Audi could muster was 99 kW, but it still passed my "gives you enough to get back on the road after a short errand" test.
What's Not So Good?
- As nice as that interior is, it does feel a bit "Version 1.0" compared to the upcoming Q6 E-Tron—which, again, is not a replacement or even in the same vehicle class. But that car's displays are bigger, the infotainment looks more sophisticated and the whole package looks more from this decade than the last.
- I also can't say I was impressed with Audi's voice control systems, which often lagged badly or just didn't recognize what I wanted at all. (One request to turn to NPR kept sending me to a New York Knicks satellite radio station, which was disappointing, even if things might be looking up for the Knicks this year. We'll see.)
- The bottom control screen features Audi's MMI Touch Response system, which offers haptic feedback so it kind of clicks like a mouse when you use it. Candidly, I didn't find this feature all that useful, nor the option to draw out shapes the car then interprets for address entry and the like. I'd be happy with just a faster, better voice control system, which seems to be the case on the Q6 E-Tron. Also, the Q6 E-Tron will use an Android Automotive OS-based system and those have really proven to be first-rate in our testing so far.
What's The Verdict?
There's a reason that you still see so many E-Trons and Q8 E-Trons at charging stations all over America. It executes its mission well: move the high-tech, luxurious Audi experience into the electric era while keeping the all-weather handling qualities that so many buyers love.
But updates or not, the Q8 E-Tron is starting to feel a bit long in the tooth. That's especially true when you factor in the nearly $90,000 price tag we see here. I think there are about to be better options out there and Audi's own Q6 E-Tron is one of them. At times, I wondered: what is this electric SUV the best at? And I never came up with a very compelling answer to that. Unless you're a die-hard fan of the Ingolstadt brand, your money may be better spent on the BMW iX, or a Rivian R1S. (And the Audi has it beat on cargo space, but the Polestar 3 may also be worth a look here.)
Is the Q8 E-Tron's mission about to be complete? That certainly isn't up to me. But I am sure that Audi has more and better up its sleeve soon, and you may want to consider that before pulling the trigger on one of these in 2024.
Gallery: 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron Review
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
