2024 Audi SQ8 E-Tron EV hustles in a hush

Huge, highly effective electrical luxurious SUVs with sub-5-second acceleration occasions and ranges of 300 miles or extra are actually ubiquitous. 

That actually wasn’t the case in 2019 when Audi E-Tron deliveries began, or in 2017, when Audi powertrain and chassis improvement chief Siegfried Pint promised me that the E-Tron’s tri-motor system would make it nook “like a searching canine chasing a rabbit.”

Whereas lots of the E-Tron’s first-mover vary and efficiency numbers fell behind with the arrival of all the opposite luxurious electrical SUVs, the 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron SUV and Sportback meet up with the Joneses—with a much bigger battery pack, friskier dealing with, and much more consideration paid to aerodynamics.

Happily, none of these optimizations acquired in the way in which of the tri-motor halo, and final week I lastly acquired to familiarize myself with what Pint had been referring to—on a demanding Southern California canyon-road route. 

It acquired even higher than that. As I headed out within the SQ8 E-Tron, the skies opened up in a torrential downpour, leaving the canyon routes a stage of slick that warrants warning irrespective of the automobile.

However I shortly discovered that the SQ8 E-Tron’s system was able to hustle—and keep fairly neat about it—with no matter traction the tires may get. 

The 2024 Audi SQ8 E-Tron packages one motor for the entrance wheels plus two motors collectively on the rear wheels. The rear wheels aren’t mechanically linked to one another. Altogether, the system makes 396 hp and 718 lb-ft of torque—94 hp and 228 lb-ft greater than the Q8 E-Tron.  

SQ8 E-Tron occasion trick: Extra dancing than dashing

Audi notes that the SQ8 can launch from 0-60 mph in simply 4.2 seconds—versus 5.1 seconds for the Q8 E-Tron. It’s fast, however in a world of two.5-second Mannequin X Plaid claims and brute-force torque, straight-line punch isn’t it’s occasion trick. A unique type of fast is although: It dances astonishingly fast within the corners. 

The association permits the 2 rear motors to successfully push-and-pull in corners, delivering as much as 162 lb-ft extra to the skin rear wheel than the within one, whereas making use of the friction brakes on the entrance inside wheel to help cornering. And it may possibly work to react in a couple of fifth the time of such a system with an inner combustion engine. Which means you continue to get uninterrupted ahead propulsion whereas the automobile will get a nudge within the path you’re dialing up with the steering wheel.

It’s past occasion trick. All mentioned, the system makes the E-Tron really feel unbelievably fast and but, virtually disconcertingly, with out drama. Maybe most noteworthy, it makes the E-Tron drive like a far lighter automobile than its 6,118-pound curb weight suggests. 

The SQ8 E-Tron makes use of the identical motor design because the Q8 E-Tron, and Audi emphasizes that its asynchronous (induction) motors are advantageous on this setup too, as when not wanted they successfully don’t have any drag. The SQ8 is rear-wheel-biased by default, however the motor configuration permits Audi to run the SQ8 as a front-drive automobile throughout some low-load circumstances, maximizing effectivity and saving the 2 rear motors for off-the-line launches, added traction, and efficiency conditions. 

Audi AQ8 E-Tron vary and effectivity

In about 70 miles of driving—aggressively and quickly, up and down, and testing traction limits at occasions—the SQ8 E-Tron claimed to common 1.7 miles per kwh. That will point out about 180 miles of real-world vary in such an excessive state of affairs. The SQ8 E-Tron is rated as much as 253 miles with 20-inch wheels, however with my take a look at automobile’s 22-inch 5-arm titanium-finish wheels, carrying sticky Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 rubber, its EPA ranking drops to 218 miles.

These figures are all with the Q8 E-Tron lineup’s roughly 20% increase in battery capability versus the E-Tron—to 106 kwh usable (114 kwh gross), from 84 kwh usable (95 kwh gross), due to the next cell vitality density and a brand new cell configuration inside modules. Consider some finessed aerodynamic effectivity all through and different tech tweaks, and these fashions ship at the least 20% extra vary than earlier than. 

It’s value protecting in thoughts that efficiency fashions by no means return the vary of different variations within the lineup, and that is proper within the neighborhood of the Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV (235 miles) and BMW iX M60 (274 miles)—though the tri-motor Tesla Model X does earn a 311-mile ranking. 

You’ll be able to go for a dual-port charger setup on the E-Tron, upgrading the onboard charger to 19.2 kw for a simple in a single day full cost if you happen to occur to have entry to an 80-amp charger at dwelling or at work. A cellular charger is included with all SQ8 E-Trons. And as for road-trip fast-charging, the E-Tron will peak round 170 kw and get from 10-80% in about 31 minutes—with two years of Electrify America charging and Plug & Cost performance.

Steering, braking, dynamics: All as they need to be

The SQ8 E-Tron additionally carries over the Q8 E-Tron’s glorious braking system that accesses all of 0.3g of regen with the motor system, transitioning solely to the brake pads for stronger braking or the previous couple of inches of a cease.

With a faster steering ratio in addition to some modifications to entrance suspension tuning particularly, the entire Q8 E-Tron fashions already really feel extra full of life than their Q8 E-Tron predecessors in on a regular basis driving—together with all the pieces from heading via the car parking zone to the weekend drive on nation roads. 

The SQ8 E-Tron provides up effectivity, consolation, auto, dynamic, and particular person modes, and I spent most of my time within the dynamic setting, which permits the total 496 hp and permits a bit extra flexibility for traction and rotation from these rear motors—albeit with help from the soundness management system nonetheless totally on. 

What the Q8 E-Tron nonetheless misses is communication again to the motive force. Every thing is damped so effectively that pushing the Q8 very onerous is a little bit of an expertise in religion. It all the time delivered grip and poise to an absurdly excessive stage, but it surely was actually onerous to inform when the boundaries have been approaching in the way in which you may many different high-performance automobiles.

And actually, what looks as if a hurdle at first proved to be an asset after some extra time behind the wheel on something however the canyon roads. Its super-hushed inside, with dual-pane acoustic aspect glass, is by Audi’s inner measurements quieter than its A8 flagship sedan—and sure, that is for a efficiency mannequin. 

Cabin consolation is nice throughout, too. SQ8 E-Tron fashions get upgraded quilted-leather upholstery and carbon-square sprint trim, but it surely’s the very good seat bolstering itself that sinks in after a while within the driver’s seat. Backseat area is adult-sized, too, and there’s a flat cargo flooring with loads of cargo area for small furnishings gadgets if you happen to flip the rear seatbacks down. Simply beware that the Sportback’s roofline, sexier because it may be, sacrifices some cargo top and tapers a bit on the again doorways for entry/exit headroom. And if we will speak particulars, the shifter nonetheless seems like a design-studio outtake.

Amongst E-Trons, the SQ8 seems to be quite a bit just like the Q8 on the skin, simply dialed up a bit bit, with a 1.5-inch wider observe width, a bit extra corresponding physique width, greater grille openings, and a matte-metallic materials for accents that has the best trace of shiny. 

Good with SQ8 E-Tron value and vary? Then it’s simple

The 2024 Audi SQ8 E-Tron is because of arrive very quickly, and it begins at $90,995 for the SUV or $93,795 for the Sportback, each in Premium Plus trim. Step as much as the Status model and also you get LED matrix headlamps, soft-closing doorways, and a head-up show, amongst different extras. My take a look at SQ8 E-Tron Status SUV added as much as $102,345. 

If a triple-digit price ticket or the decrease vary scores don’t flip you round, the SQ8 E-Tron is a gem that received’t disappoint. It’s a reminder that the one with the best numbers isn’t all the time the perfect, and typically it’s about how briskly you may hustle via all of the curves alongside the way in which. 

Audi’s remark from approach again, earlier than all of the Ludicrous and long-running electrical SUVs, now appears prescient. There could also be rabbits up forward, however Audi has an excellent searching canine.