Audi SQ8 Sportback e-tron

FIRST DRIVE Flagship of revised electric SUV line-up goes further on a charge

Ingram Richard Ingram@autovia co uk @rsp ingram

WE drove the new Audi Q8 e-tron late last year, and were won over by the renamed model’s bigger battery, longer range and improved kit count Extensive changes once again made it competitive against an increasingly long list of rivals

But as before, the 50 e-tron and 55 e-tron will be joined by a range-topping S variant – now badged SQ8 e-tron It’s not available to order just yet, but we’ve been given an early taste of the flagship Vorsprung model in sleek Sportback guise

The core ingredients are unchanged It’s fitted with three electric motors that produce a combined 496bhp and 973Nm of torque, giving the SQ8 a 0-62mph time of 4 5 seconds, while top speed stays capped at 130mph

As with the standard e-tron, however, the biggest difference lies beneath the floor, where the old SQ8’s 95kWh battery has been boosted to 114kWh. The result is a healthy range increase; the new car can cover 290 miles on a charge, up from 223 miles

Not only will the SQ8 go further than before, when the time does come to stop it’ll charge faster too. Now with a 170kW peak, it’ll go from 10 to 80 per cent in 31 minutes, despite the bigger battery

Inside, it doesn’t feel all that different to the standard Q8, aside from the lavish Valcona leather ‘super’ sports seats and extended LED lighting package There’s a Bang & Olufsen stereo, a head-up display and Audi’s Virtual Cockpit Plus, too.

Quality is flawless, as you’d expect for the price, and most of the technology feels well integrated We could forego the lower of the two central screens – a conventional climate control panel with buttons would suffice – but at least the software within is powerful, making it easy to navigate

Our car was the even-better equipped SQ8 Vorsprung (an additional £17,000), which swaps the Black Edition’s 21-inch wheels for 22-inch alloys, while adding Digital Matrix LED lights, a panoramic roof, heated seats front and rear, and cameras for door mirrors Our opinion on the latter isn’t particularly favourable; avoid them if you can.

It’s on the move where the SQ8 shows its true talents In normal driving, only the two rear motors send power to the wheels, with the single motor on the front axle waking up on demand The standard Q8 is no slouch, but this range-topper is little short of a rocketship; floor the throttle and all four wheels lock to the tarmac while the near1,000Nm of torque launches the car towards the horizon There are few SUVs (bar a Tesla Model X Plaid) that can compete.

At more than 2 6 tonnes, you might assume the SQ8 would struggle with faster direction changes, and at times it can feel like a bit of a blunt instrument. Yet that prodigious power and plentiful grip mean the driving experience isn’t devoid of enjoyment The regenerative brakes scrub just enough speed in most situations, allowing the car to regain composure before being hustled through the next tight bend

As with the conventional Q8 though, the SQ8 is its best when cruising. The e-tron has always been a quiet luxury SUV, and the new car is no different Audi claims the smoother Sportback is even more efficient, too

There’s little compromise to be made when it comes to practicality, either Audi is one of the few manufacturers that offers a lower coupé-style roofline while retaining reasonable cabin space. You get the same near-flat floor as the normal SUV, and the 528-litre boot trumps a Mercedes EQC, too

Alastair Crooks Alastair Crooks@autovia co uk @AllieCrooks

IT’S no secret that the popularity of diesel has been dented in the UK – sales of cars that use the black pump dropped by 38 9 per cent in 2022 However, Peugeot still believes there’s enough demand to offer its latest 308 with a diesel option

The third-generation 308 symbolises Peugeot’s ‘Power of Choice’ stance, with a variety of powertrains, including two plug-in hybrids, a petrol and, soon, the all-electric e-308 This diesel is certainly not as modern as its siblings, in fact, it’s broadly the same BlueHDi unit found in the old car.

With that in mind, the 308 diesel doesn’t offer any more power than its predecessor (or indeed the petrol model) The 1 5-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged unit produces 128bhp and 300Nm, but the new car has also gained an extra 42kg, so it accelerates from 0-62mph in 10 6 seconds, which is 1.2 seconds slower than the previous generation What is new is the eightspeed automatic transmission – now a standard feature on every new 308

Given that diesel is rather unfashionable right now, the fact that there are no exterior details hinting at this car’s fuel might well be a good thing But as soon as you push the starter button, the BlueHDi rattles into life, giving the game away.

There are three drive modes available: Normal, Eco and Sport As you’d expect, the default setting is Normal and here the 308 offers up fairly light steering from a dinky steering wheel that is core to Peugeot’s i-Cockpit layout (more on this later) You can add some extra steering weight in Sport, and overall the rack is quick enough but not particularly engaging

Activating Sport mode also delivers sharper response to accelerator inputs, which is especially helpful around town where the slightly laboured power delivery

DASHBOARD Peugeot has persisted with its i-Cockpit layout, but the high-set dials and small wheel don’t offer the best ergonomic set-up New infotainment is a welcome step on, however