Audi has announced the pricing and specifications of its new Q8 55 e-tron luxury electric SUV in the Australian market, set firmly in the top end of the market.
The new model will be available in two variants along with a special Launch Edition. Audi Q8 variants and prices at launch will be:
- Audi Q8 55 e-tron – $153,900 before on-roads
- Audi Q8 Sportback 55 e-tron – $165,900 before on-roads
- Audi Q8 55 e-tron Launch Edition – $165,900 before on-roads
The launch edition will include various sporty and interior features which are added on top of the standard Q8 55 e-tron, which was first debuted by the German brand back in 2018.
This special variant has 21-inch Audi sport alloy wheels in metallic black, black styling of the Audi logo rings, mirror caps and roof rails. On the inside, special leather is used on the steering wheel, unique upholstery stitching and stainless steel pedals.
“As the top of the electric SUV range for Audi, we are thrilled to welcome the Q8 e-tron to Australia,” said Jeff Mannering, director of Audi Australia.
“With optimised drive, improved charging performance, a fresh design, and bigger battery capacity, I am confident this is the perfect fit for Australians looking for the ideal combination of uncompromised luxury and high everyday usability.”
Speaking of luxury, the interior of the Q8 e-tron has a pre-air condition system with dual-zone climate control. This is upped to four-zone in the Sportback variant.
Staying inside, the Audi Q8 e-tron has a 10.1-inch infotainment screen, an 8.6-inch virtual cockpit screen behind the steering wheel and a 12.3-inch screen for navigation, infotainment, and driver feedback. Apple Carplay and Android Auto are also standard along with a wireless charger.
There is also ambient interior lighting, and leather upholstery which also various interior elements of the car.
Dimension-wise, the new Q8 has quite a bit of space on the inside thanks to the exterior coming in at:
- 4,915 mm in length
- 1,937mm in width
- 1,619mm (Sportback) or 1,633mm (SUV) in height
Boot space of 569 litres in the standard vehicle and 528 litres in the Sportback variant provides good space for luggage storage. There is also a 62-litre frunk available on the model.
Given the sportiness of the new upgraded models, the co-efficient of drag has been reduced for both models. The standard Q8 e-tron has been reduced from 0.28 to 0.27 while the Sportback variant is down from 0.26 to 0.24. This should help with improving the real-world efficiency of the vehicle.
Moving onto the driving and ride of the Q8 e-tron, air suspension is included as standard which adjusts the damping on various road conditions.
The new Audi Q8 55 e-tron’s motors deliver 300kW of power and 664 Nm of torque. This powertrain helps the SUV do the 0-100 km/h sprint in 5.6 seconds.
This power and acceleration comes from a 114 kWh battery with charging speeds of up to 170 kW. According to Audi, it can be charged from 10-80% in 31 minutes and provides up to 454 km of WLTP range.
To help with charging, Audi is offering all e-tron customers a six-year public charging subscription via Chargefox. This provides owners unlimited charging at all ultra-rapid chargers along with selected fast and standard chargers in the Chargefox network.
When on the road, there are also seven drive modes that come standard depending on the type of driving task at hand. These include:
- Offroad
- Allroad
- Auto
- Efficiency
- Dynamic
- Individual
- Comfort
On the safety front, the Q8 55 e-tron is packed with features including:
- Parking sensors
- 360-degree camera including kerb view function
- Adaptive cruise control and traffic jam assist
- Head-up display
- Lane departure warning
- Lane change warning (side assist)
- Rear cross-traffic assist
- Intersection assist
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) including pedestrian and cyclist detection
- Collision avoidance assist
- Turn assist
- Exit warning
- Hold assist
- Tyre pressure loss indicator
- Audi drive select
The Audi Q8 e-tron comes with six-year scheduled servicing and roadside assistance. Along with that, a five-year warranty on the car and an eight-year warranty on the battery are also included.
The new Audi Q8 55 e-tron and the Q8 55 Sportback e-tron will arrive locally in Q4 2023. Other models in the Q8 e-tron range will be launched locally in 2024.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.