The Q8 Sportback 55 S-Line e-tron Quattro might just have the longest name in history, but it also brings together Audi’s signature luxury and cutting-edge electric tech. As its flagship SUV/coupe, it’s a head-turner that promises sustainability without compromise.
From the get-go, our Daytona Grey example looks every bit the sophisticated machine. Its sleek design is complemented by sporty touches, including bigger air intakes, custom bumpers, and exclusive badging.
The Matrix LED headlights are stylish and effective, while the grille with illuminated Audi logo adds a futuristic vibe. Inside you’re greeted by a cabin dripping in class. Soft-touch materials, a panoramic sunroof, and Audi’s dual MMI touchscreens and Virtual Cockpit.
Under the bonnet (or rather, where it would be), the Q8 Sportback e-tron runs a dual-motor setup powered by a hefty 106kWh battery pack. While it’s capable of off-roading, most Aussies will stick to city streets and highways, as we did for this review.
The Quattro all-wheel-drive system, paired with adaptive air suspension, provides plenty of grip and a smooth ride. It handles well for a heavy SUV, but you can’t completely ignore the weight, especially when you push it hard through corners or brake aggressively.
Despite carrying 2500kg plus passengers, the suspension finds a sweet spot between sporty stiffness (for a big SUV) and luxury comfort, but don’t expect to set any lap times at your local track day, and vague, yet light, steering feedback doesn’t help.
Acceleration is strong, with multiple power modes to choose from, although pedal-to-the-metal will drain the battery, fast. That said, the package delivers 300kW and 660Nm, as well as a sprint to 100km/h in 5.6 seconds.
Audi reckons it’ll do more than 450km on a single charge (NEDC tested) at 25.6kWh/100km, but real-world use over a 1075km week returned a 26.4kwh/100km average. That gave us an average range of 426km.
That’s pretty impressive when some of its rivals have a much larger gap between reality and claims. Our driving of a 40km return urban school run twice a day, plus 80km of 110km/h highway per day, and then extra freeway and city weekend runs.
Charging wasn’t cheap; fast chargers set us back $50-plus a pop, which felt a bit like running a small internal combustion car that makes you stand around for 45-minutes. Clearly you’d opt to have an 11kW or 22kW charger at home if you purchased one.
Having access to a working public charger and better associated infrastructure would go a long way to offsetting that for the non-owner and those who do a lot of driving, because we’re sadly at the mercy of a somewhat broken system at present.
We got caught out by the legitimate poor status of the public charging network too (which is particularly bad on the NSW Central Coast), and had to crawl home in limp mode, arriving with 2 per cent and 0km range. It was an absolute nightmare.
One trickle charge overnight on a standard power outlet gave us enough battery to get to a fast charger that’s 16km from home. It supports 170kW, so we were able to run it up to 80 per cent in just 34 minutes.
Tech-wise, the Q8 Sportback e-tron is packed with features, though not all of them hit the mark. The virtual mirrors, for instance, are a head-scratcher. They were particularly annoying when changing lanes in heavy traffic, when a real mirror is far more useful.
The small display screens require you to adjust your focus and can be distracting, making an already stressful driving situation even more challenging. Replacing traditional mirrors with cameras and small display screens seems crazy to this reviewer. I hated them.
On the flip side, the infotainment is top-notch. Dual touchscreens with haptic feedback, Virtual Cockpit Plus, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system are all on offer. The touchscreen climate controls are tricky to use though.
Safety is well-covered, with adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, a 360-degree camera system with a 3D view, and a suite of Audi Pre-Sense functions that are designed to keep you and your family safe.
At around $165,900 plus on-roads ($173,600 plus on-roads as tested), the 2024 Audi Q8 Sportback 55 S-Line e-tron Quattro sits firmly in premium territory. When stacked against competitors like BMW’s iX and the Mercedes-Benz EQE, it holds its own.
Delivering luxury and performance as promised, its range and charging challenges make it a tough sell for families living outside city hubs. For us, the Q5 55 TFSI e S-Line hybrid turned out to be a more practical and cost-effective choice.
Still, when it comes to comfort, the Q8 is hard to beat. The cabin is adorned with premium materials like faux leather upholstery and brushed aluminium trims. The seats are plush and supportive, and perfect for long drives, with heating up front.
It’s backed by a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty and an 8-year or 160,000km battery warranty. You also get 6-years of servicing and 6-years roadside assist thrown in, as well as a Chargefox subscription for the same period.
You can find out more on the Audi Australia website, or by talking to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test car was provided by Audi Australia for independent review purposes.
