Audi: laser light and real round tubes for the Q8 🎥
CARE IN DETAIL The Q8 is the flagship SUV from Ingolstadt. After five years on the market, the model is now being modernized, especially in terms of lighting technology. AutoSprintCH was on the road.
With more than 200,000 units sold, the Audi Q8 has been an important pillar in the Bavarian company's portfolio since 2018. The SUV coupé is the flagship of the Q models, the leading Q in the stable, so to speak. To keep it that way, the Ingolstadt-based company is now upgrading the model once again before it has to make way for the all-electric Q8 e-tron in a few years' time.
Sporty RSQ8 coming next year
However, the Q8 is still rolling out with combustion engines. There are hardly any changes: two six-cylinder diesel engines with 231 hp and 286 hp as well as a six-cylinder petrol engine with 340 hp continue to form the basis of the model series - they all have a 48-volt mild hybrid system. Above this is the SQ8, which is powered by a 4-liter V8 turbocharged petrol engine with 507 hp: It is the sporty top model in the series, before the revised RSQ8 follows next year. The two plug-in hybrid variants will also follow in 2024, which should now have an electric range of around 100 kilometers thanks to a larger battery.
New light signatures at the front and rear
The exterior of the Q8 has been somewhat sharpened and adapted to the current design language, as far as this is possible with a facelift. The greatest effect is created by the new LED light signatures at the front and rear: these can now be set in four variants each, allowing the look to be personalized. The headlights are now available in HD matrix technology with laser light, while the OLED tail lights offer a new proximity detection function: if a car approaches the stationary Q8 from behind to within two meters, all OLED segments are activated for a warning light effect.
New wheel design and exterior colors
Otherwise, the inserts in the radiator grille and the front and rear aprons have been slightly modified, there are five new wheel designs and three new exterior colors. In addition, Audi has finally done away with the plastic covers for the tailpipes - here they have listened to the customers. There are hardly any changes to be seen in the interior, there are new trim strips, the display of the instrument cluster has a higher resolution and the infotainment system has been extended by a few features - that's it.
Rear-wheel steering and roll stabilization
On the road, the Q8 feels just like before: sublime, very comfortable, sporty at the touch of a button and always in command. The SQ8 with rear-wheel steering and roll stabilization is particularly impressive with its surprisingly agile handling and thrilling cornering. Prices start at 96,300 Swiss francs for the Q8 45 TDI quattro, while the SQ8 is available from 136,200 Swiss francs.
