Audi Q8 e-tron

LOOKS

Audi has given the new models updated frontend styling that will fit in with the rest of its EV range TWO BODYSTYLES

Q8 e-tron is available as a more conventionally styled SUV or as a sleeker Sportback model, which offers slightly less space but a greater battery range

OFFICIAL

RANGE REVISIONS

Audi’s fossil-fuelled models will have oddnumbered model names, while electrically powered vehicles will get even numbers

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nge revamp

0-62mph time to 5.6 seconds. The hotter S variants feature a three-motor set-up that delivers 496bhp and 973Nm of torque, with 0-62mph taking 4.5 seconds.

The smaller-battery 50 model can charge at a maximum rate of 150kW, while the bigger-battery cars push this up to 170kW. As a result, a 10 to 80 per cent charge takes 28 or 31 minutes respectively. All Q8 e-tron models feature standard 11kW AC charging (nine hours and 15 minutes for a full charge on the 50).

Audi Board Member for Technical Development Oliver Hoffmann said: “We were able to increase battery capacity and charging performance. This allowed us to achieve an optimal balance between energy density and charging capacity. We also improved the motors and the dynamic characteristics that are typical of Audi in all versions of the Q8 e-tron. ”

Modified air suspension, a new ESC calibration and tweaks to the progressive of recycled materials in its construction. There’s also a new 2D four-ring Audi logo on the grille, while the lettering and Audi badge on the B-pillars are new touches.

The Q8 e-tron updates are part of an Audi range revamp. The next A4 saloon will be renamed the A5, while the A6 model will become the A7 as the A6 e-tron all-electric saloon takes its place in the line-up. Indeed,

steering are said to boost the car’s agility and responses, combined with more rigid suspension bearings in the front axle.

For the Q8 e-tron, Audi’s designers have tweaked the front-end styling to redefine its look as part of the brand’s e-tron electric range. There’s a new e-tron GT-inspired grille, with a gloss black panel surrounding the main air inlet, while the revised LED clusters (digital matrix LEDs are standard on top-spec cars) are joined by an LED strip at the top of the grille. Audi says aerodynamics played a significant part in the new car’s styling, with the SUV’s drag coefficient dropping from 0.26 to 0.24Cd, and the Sportback improving from 0.28 to 0.27.

The cabin isn’t too far removed from that of the model it replaces. Boot space stands at 569 litres for the SUV and 528 litres for the Sportback, while both cars feature a 62-litre front storage area.

With an increasing focus on sustainability, the Q8 e-tron features a significant number

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the brand has already revealed a sleek A6 e-tron concept, which will become a production reality next year, based on the firm’s PPE platform for pure EVs and sharing technology with the 2023 Q6 e-tron.

Expect an A4 e-tron model in time, with the A7 and A5 to be sold alongside the A6 e-tron and A4 e-tron models, giving Audi buyers a choice of powertrains.