Audi has plans for another fully electric SUV. The German car maker debuted the Q8 e-tron, which will take its place as Audi’s flagship SUV. Audi is planning to release the Q8 e-tron to Germany and some European markets first, but will later release it in the U.S.
Audi’s naming convention for its EVs is still confusing, but the company said that the Q8 e-tron builds off the company’s first EV, the e-tron. Now, the Q8 e-tron will sit at the top of Audi’s offerings, above the Q4 e-tron electric SUV that’s already available and the Q6 e-tron that was spotted in the wild recently.
Unmatched range — Audi will let you configure the Q8 e-tron in a number of models and versions. There will be two models, the base model or Sportback, but both will come in three different drivetrain options: the Q8 50 e-tron, the Q8 55 e-tron, and the performance-based SQ8 e-tron. The base model Q8 50 e-tron will be built with two motors that can get up to 335 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque. This base model can get 305 miles, but the Sportback model of the Q8 50 e-tron gets 313 miles on a full charge.
If you want the highest performance, the SQ8 bumps it up to three motors for 496 horsepower and 717 lb-ft of torque. The SQ8 sacrifices a little bit of range for performance though, since the base model SQ8 gets 307 miles on a full charge, while the Sportback version gets 319 miles. If you’re looking for the longest range available, the Q8 55 e-tron Sportback model can get nearly 373 miles of range.
The range improvements comes from the two battery options, an 89 kWh or 106 kWh battery. The battery charges from 10 to 80 percent in about a half hour, which should get you roughly 260 miles of range. Audi also redesigned the aerodynamics for the Q8 e-tron, bringing the Sportback e-tron’s drag coefficient from 0.26 to 0.24 and the base Q8 e-tron’s down from 0.28 to 0.27.
Of course, Audi loaded the interiors with plenty of features like 40 driver assistance systems that are supported by five radar sensors, five cameras, and 12 ultrasonic sensors. There’s even a new remote park assist plus feature that allows the SUV to park itself and get out of the parking space, which will be available starting in 2023.
The Q8 e-tron’s spacious interiors will feature a glass panorama roof, a two-zone climate control, blackout sunshades, and a double display that serves as the car’s infotainment system.
European arrival first — Audi is officially launching the Q8 e-tron and the Sportback version in Germany and select European markets at the end of February, but they’ll be available to order later this month. Audi set the starting price at €74,400, which is roughly the same price in U.S. dollars. Audi is planning to bring the Q8 models to U.S. markets at the end of April, but we’ll only get the Q8 55 and SQ8 models.
