First Look Review: The 2024 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron is a masterclass in style

Update (September 4, 2024): ‘Production ending earlier than scheduled’ added.

The 2024 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron is the closest thing the German automaker has to the popular Tesla Model X. The large electric SUV coupe, imported from Belgium, is strictly a five-seater and places a strong emphasis on comfort and luxury. Recently, I saw the new electric SUV coupe in the Daytona Gray pearl paint and spent time soaking in its design and checking out its features in detail. Here are my first impressions of the all-electric German SUV:

Design

While I’m not typically a fan of the SUV coupe body style, I think the 2024 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron is one of its finest executions in the EV space. I like how it maintains the SUV look until the B-pillar, unlike the Tesla Model X. I think the wedge-shaped matrix LED headlamps and the wide Singleframe grille give the EV a strong presence. I like the muscular bodywork with powerful contours above the wheels as well. The electric SUV-Coupe rides on 21-inch wheels in a bi-color finish, wrapped in all-season tires.

When I inspected the build quality of the 2024 Q8 e-tron, I found that the panel gaps were consistent, and the paint finish was top-notch. If you were to ask me, the new EV looks the best in this Daytona Gray pearl color.

Interior

When I stepped into the 2024 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron, I liked the sleek and angular design of the dashboard and the natural wood inlays. I felt that the Pearl Beige gave the cabin a sense of sereneness. The 12.3-inch virtual instrument cluster, housed in a hexagonal binnacle that complements the angular design of the dashboard, and the 10.1-inch (top) and 8.6-inch (bottom) central touchscreens create a high-tech vibe.

I liked the customizable layouts of the 12.3-inch instrument cluster, especially the infotainment mode, which provides a detailed view of the navigation map. I smoothly surfed through its menus and made the desired selections using the physical buttons and scrollers in the steering wheel.

The upper touchscreen featured clean and sharp graphics. As for the lower touchscreen, I would’ve preferred regular, push-operated controls over this display, as they’d be simpler and less distractive. However, I do feel it’s worth mentioning that it was convenient to rest my wrist on the gear selector with integrated support while I used this touchscreen. I was relieved to know that Audi had equipped the EV with a normal volume knob. I felt that the various physical controls Audi has used in the Q8 Sportback e-tron gave tactile feedback.

As a six-foot-tall person, I found ingress and egress in the front of the cabin comfortable. Even in the back, the sloping roofline didn’t create any problems for me.

When I sat in the driver’s seat, I felt that the windshield could’ve been slightly larger, although I had no issues with visibility at any angle. The heated steering wheel was grippy, and I noticed that it had a power tilt and telescopic column, which made adjusting it more convenient. I had sufficient headroom, while under-thigh support felt alright, and the lumbar support was adequate.

Moving to the rear, my head wasn’t touching the headliner, and while the backrest was not reclinable, I found that its default angle was comfortable. The legroom and knee room were also good, but the under-thigh support felt sub-par. I think three adults wouldn’t be that comfortable here because of the rear AC unit and a slight hump on the floor.

The 2024 Q8 Sportback e-tron features a hands-free power tailgate and has a high load floor in the cargo area. There’s 27.2 cu. ft. of cargo space behind the rear seat, and folding it increases that figure to 54.5 cu. ft. It does include a spare tire.

Specifications

The 2024 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron has two asynchronous motors, one each to power the front and rear wheels. Normally, these motors produce 355 hp and 414 lb.-ft. of torque. An available boost mode allows increasing these to 402 hp and 490 lb.-ft. temporarily. A 0-60 mph sprint takes as little as 5.4 seconds, with a top speed of 124 mph.

Audi equips the 2024 Q8 e-tron with a 106 kWh battery pack consisting of prismatic lithium-ion cells. Using a Level 2 charger, the battery pack, capable of taking up to 19.2 kW, can be fully charged in 6.5 hours. With a DC charger, the battery pack supports charging at up to 170 kW. It can be fast-charged from 10 to 80% SoC in 31 minutes. On a full charge, it delivers an EPA-est. range of 296 or 300 miles, depending on the configuration.

Price

The prices of the 2024 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron range from USD 78,995 to USD 93,145, including a USD 1,195 destination charge. Audi makes the Q8 e-tron models at its Brussels plant in Belgium, the same facility where it was making the e-tron series starting in 2018.

Sales

In 2023, Audi sold 8,180 units of the Q8 e-tron and 2,907 units of the Q8 Sportback e-tron in the United States. The SUV registered a 9% year-over-year growth (2022: 7,503 units), while the SUV-coupe’s graph was flat (2022: 2,894 units).

2024 is looking better, with 3,425 units of the Q8 e-tron and 1,195 units of the Q8 Sportback e-tron delivered in the first half. These figures translate to year-over-year growth of 37% and 5%, respectively. For reference, the H1 2023 sales stood at 2,492 units for the SUV and 1,140 units for the SUV-coupe. In an absolute sense, though, the Q8 e-tron family doesn’t add a significant volume to the company’s sales.

Production ending earlier than scheduled

On July 9, 2024, Audi announced that it was considering ending production of the Q8 e-tron and Q8 Sportback e-tron earlier than scheduled because of poor demand.

A day later, ACV-CSC METEA, the Belgian trade union representing the workforce at the Audi Brussels plant, said Audi had decided to go ahead with the plan to advance the end of production. The German automaker will manufacture 20,000-25,000 units of the Q8 e-tron family in 2024, and in 2025, the final year of production, it will sharply reduce that number to 6,000 units.

TopElectricSUV says

The 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron features wholesale changes compared to the e-tron it replaces, which makes it more practical. In particular, the 2024 Q8 Sportback e-tron offers a good combination of style, performance, and range. While I wish it were as good as the Tesla Model X in terms of efficiency and range, I think it is the better alternative to buyers who prioritize luxury.

Also See: 2024 Audi e-tron GT: First Look Review

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