The Drive Report: 2023 Audi Q8

The Audi Q8 headlamps and taillamps also feature new LED animations

The Audi Q8 is truly a product of its era. As the range-topping flagship of one of the world’s most premium car brands, it must possess all the attributes that a do-it-all SUV must. Gone are the days when SUVs were purely utility-focused machines, they must now possess the raw muscle of a power cruiser, the aggressive styling of a sports coupé along with the towering presence, off-roading chops and comfort of a traditional ladder-frame SUV. It’s a concoction that is often attempted and rarely perfected. But the 2023 Audi Q8 seems to have figured out the formula, effortlessly pulling off a tightrope act of being stylish, flamboyant, sporty and yet oh-so-comfortable. The Q8 doesn’t bow at the altar of utility—instead, it alters its personality to suit the driver’s needs. And make no mistake; the Q8 is designed to be driven, as much as it is a car to be driven in.

All of this still falls under the realm of the expected. What wasn’t expected, however, was the amount of attention, rubbernecking and thumbs-ups the new Q8 prompted in Cape Town, where I found myself driving the car. Perhaps it’s the Q8’s new shade of Sakhir Gold, with its contrasting black grille, 21-inch alloys and diffuser that has a way of standing out, even when surrounded by some of the most stunning topography the planet has to offer.

STYLE AND SUBSTANCE

To the handful of uninitiated enthusiasts, the Audi Q8’s design is a confluence not only of its current design language but also of the sort of swashbuckling penmanship that endeared the likes of the RS5 and even the R8 to millions. Hence, in terms of sheer profile, the 2023 Q8 remains identical. What Audi has done is use minimalistic changes to achieve a maximalist effect. Gone are the 19-inch standard alloys, and instead you get 21-inch, 10-spoke alloys with an option of upgrading to 22- or even the SQ8’s 23-inch alloys should you wish to make a bolder statement.

The LED brow sitting atop each headlamp now sits slightly lower than in earlier iterations and has been widened to make the front appear wider and more aggressive. The headlamps continue to remain seamlessly integrated into a singular cavity connected to the aggressive, teeth-baring octagonal grille/air intake, which now sports a chunkier honeycomb lattice that allows for more effective airflow. While this has no effect on the performance, the visual impact is far from subtle, as evidenced by the people turning away from a picture-perfect sunset at the Cape of Good Hope only to throng towards the Q8. True story.

The rear section has also been redesigned to accommodate a cleaner bumper, with a lot of the excess black cladding removed to utilise the full effect of this smashing new colourway. In an admirable dismissal of conventionality, the brand has also highlighted the fact that there are no faux exhaust pipes to be found. Just two gaping cavities with four clean-cut pipes helping the Q8’s V6 reach a crescendo.

The Q8’s design remains remarkable for its ability to have its character completely altered by its paint scheme. In a dark Goodwood Green (available alas, on the TDI, which isn’t coming to India) it looks resplendent in an old-money, Edwardian sort of way. And in the shade of Sakhir Gold that is coming to domestic roads, it possesses a sort of contemporary allure that is neither ostentatious nor subtle. When contrasted with black, the Q8 looks considerably more proportionate and attractive than even its pricier cousins from the VW family, especially the Bentley Bentayga.

ON THE INSIDE

Audi’s following the don’t-fix-what-isn’t-broken school of thought, given that the cabin essentially remains unchanged. The same dual-screen setup, the same steering wheel design and overall dashboard layout. There’s now a lighter trim of brushed aluminium running across the dashboard. As someone who finds the presence of dashboard-length touchscreens a tad distracting, Audi’s adherence to a 10-inch screen sits perfectly well with me, but it won’t with a multitude of customers clamouring for larger touchscreen displays that can play Star Wars to theatrical effect on, while conquering a video game boss fight—or whatever it is people use gigantic touchscreens for.

For the driving enthusiast, the virtual cockpit—which continues to be the cockpit party piece—suffices in offering everything from a full satnav view to all essential driving data. The HUD does the rest. In the international edition, equipped with ADAS functionality, the car used adaptive cruise control to maintain speed and a safe distance from the vehicle in front. Slowing for a considerable period required throttle inputs from the driver, following which the car would pick up pace again, constantly mindful of its surroundings. Lane-keeping assist and automated emergency braking aren’t intrusive, which is more than can be said about some of its direct rivals which require you to promptly turn off these emergency braking functions before setting off. At the back, you get electrically operated blinds, although there’s no confirmation on whether that particular feature is coming to India. Rest assured, an electrically operated sunroof will be there.

DRIVING THE Q8

With no TDI and no V8-powered variants, save perhaps for the RSQ8 on the horizon, the Q8 most frequently spotted on Indian roads will continue to be powered by the 3.0-litre, TFSI V6. Making 340 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque, this buttery-smooth powertrain is truly flagship-appropriate. Much like before, the upcoming version will have a 48-volt starter generator, which apart from conveniently qualifying this as a hybrid, aids both fuel efficiency and performance by allowing the engine to coast off-throttle and assist in start-stop driving.

What may not but should ideally come to the Indian market is rear-wheel steering—something that nothing in the Q8’s range is equipped with. On the fast-flowing curves of Cape Town’s iconic Chapman’s Peak, rear-wheel steering had a way of shrinking the car’s proportions. The Q8’s ready delivery of torque across the power band allows it to belie its bulk with considerable ease. Cornering isn’t totally flat, owing to the air suspension, but when hunkered down, the Q8 delivers the goods with the 8-speed torque converter shifting down on cue to provide a surge of forced-induction power propelling the Q8 to triple-digit speeds. For outright thrilling performance, you’d have to RSQ8—currently the most powerful petrol-powered Audi in Audi India’s portfolio—and a more modestly priced, though equally dramatic, Lamborghini Urus, by all accounts.

VERDICT

With the sub-Rs 1.5-crore price tag that the current-gen Audi Q8 commands, it’s an unmistakably niche product. But it is undoubtedly a more significant product than most as the percolated essence of its DNA trickles down to lower-segment SUVs in the Audi stables. The new Q8 is a curtain-raiser to follow up acts carried out by Audi’s ICE range of SUVs. You can see its influence, clear as day, on the styling and the sheer dynamism of cars like the Q3 and the Q5. As with all things, both past and present, carrying the “8” badge, the Q8 showcases Audi’s idea of the superlative with its flamboyant styling, fortress-like insulation, stupendous attention to detail, torque-heavy powertrain and, of course, Quattro-backed off-roading chops. The Q8 is the new-age ambassador of roaring, fossil-fuel-powered Audis. And it's better looking than ever before.