After four years, Audi has given its electric pioneer e-tron a major update and a model name known from the world of combustion engines: Q8. However, the Q8 e-tron does not have much more in common with the Ingolstadt combustion engine flagship than the name.
Four years ago, an SUV in the typical form of successful Audi high-legged friends prepared to lure customers away from the upstart Tesla. The Audi e-tron – like the Mercedes EQC or the Jaguar i-Pace – was presented for the first time in 2018 and hit the streets the following year. The Europeans had finally woken up, after years of announcements they were finally able to deliver. A good 150,000 of the Stromer, which cost at least 70,000 euros, are now on the road and Audi now thinks the time has come to launch a major update. The model designation was also changed. If the current e-tron strayed somewhat lost in the Audi world of numbers between the A1 and A8 and their Q variants, it now makes a clear statement: the Q8 e-tron is at the rear and at the B-pillar. The top model with an electric motor is only a few centimeters shorter than its combustion engine counterpart, but is in no way inferior to it with its powerful, elegant appearance. A luxury SUV for a new era. Around 100 kilometers more range Of course, the fitness program is primarily about eliminating recognized weak points. Since the range and charging speed of the e-tron only deserve the rating “average”, that’s exactly where the engineers started. The 71 kWh battery of the previous entry-level model, which was too small, was dropped from the range. The 95 kWh battery is now standard. Thanks to fine-tuning of the aerodynamics and engine electronics, the Q8 e-tron now has a range of 491 kilometers according to the WLTP, i.e. 54 kilometers more than before. The Sportback with a sloping rear even breaks the 500-kilometer mark. This also applies in particular to the new top models. With its 114 kWh battery, you can draw on unlimited resources and travel up to 582 kilometers (Sportback up to 600 kilometers). The new electric Lord of the Rings is the SQ8 e-tron, which comes with three electric motors, one at the front and one for each wheel on the rear axle. Its 370 kW/504 hp are almost at the level of the SQ8 TFSI combustion engine model of the same name with a 4-liter eight-cylinder (373 kW/507 hp). When it comes to pulling power, the Stromer shows the rear of its classic sister. 973 Newton meters compared to 770 for the petrol engine. Significantly more aerodynamic The look of the Q8 e-tron has been modernized rather subtly. The most striking are the new Audi rings, which now reveal the origin in two dimensions at the top of the chrome-plated grille. Underneath are automatically closing radiator shutters, which guide the airflow around the car better than before. Small spoilers on the underbody ensure less turbulence in the area of the wheels, also a tribute to the aerodynamics. In this way, it was possible to reduce the important value for air resistance in the Sportback by two tenths to 0.24. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a world for a car of this size. Of course, expectations are high for a car in this price range. The Q8 e-tron always has air suspension. Like all luxury-class Audis, two high-resolution displays provide the necessary information and functions. Almost all conventional switches and controls became redundant. There are also around 40 assistance systems with up to five radar sensors, as many cameras and twelve ultrasonic sensors. The parking assistant is new, with which the car can be maneuvered into tight parking spaces without a driver – controlled via an app. One point of criticism could not be turned off by the technicians. The two (optional) small monitors, which, instead of a classic mirror, have a view of what’s happening behind the car via a camera image, are still in an unfavorable position for the driver’s viewing angle. As before, a long period of getting used to is necessary. Audi has not yet spoken about the details of the price list, which is sure to be long again, but it is certain that the basic model will continue to cost 59,990 euros – despite the nomenclatural rise in class. The first new models are to be delivered in the spring. (SPX)
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