Audi Q8 Breaks Cover; Looks Like A German Urus

If you’ve ever wondered what would the Urus look like if Audi made it, here’s your answer. Audi has taken the wraps off of their new flagship SUV, the Q8. As you might’ve figured out, the Q8 will sit above the Q7 in Audi’s range and take on the likes of the BMW X6 and Range Rover Sport.

What is it?

A statement maker, that’s what. Under that flashy exterior lies Audi sensibility. But let's focus on the flash first. Clearly, this one is more about saying “Look at me!” than “I hope they know who I am”. It’s still typically Audi with that oversized radiator grille, flared wheel arches and crisp character lines. Since regular headlamps are so 2004, Audi has thrown in “HD Matrix” lighting into the mix as an option as well. Our favourite element of the design has to be the connected taillamps, with a gloss black strip serving as an underline. These hark back to the original Audi Quattro. And yes, because this is a “coupe”, the roofline is a whole lot tighter compared to the Q7, swooping aggressively as it dives past the B-pillar.

Luxurious?

It’d be foolish to expect anything else, no? Step inside the Q8, and its the leap in design and tech you’d expect to see. It adopts the same philosophy as the newer Audis like the A8 and A6, and opts for a minimalistic design. Again, there’s no big departure from what’s expected here. The dash is dominated by three screens, one each for the instrument cluster, infotainment and air-con controls respectively. These turn to pitch black when switched off, and (obviously) look super cool. Design highlights include the faux AC vents that run from doorpad to doorpad, and the single-piece gloss black trim that separates the top half of the dash from the lower portion.

What about ze tech?

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

The tech geeks should be happy as well. There’s Audi’s virtual cockpit we talked about, massage seats, four-zone climate control and a Bang and Olufsen stereo. It’s got a whole bunch of “connected” tech as well.

Here’s Audi explaining their MMI navigation plus tech “The navigation system recognises the driver’s preferences based on previous journeys and therefore can make intelligent suggestions. The online services from Audi connect add predictive features to the route planning process. This lets the two Car-to-X services for traffic sign information and hazard information benefit from the swarm intelligence of the Audi fleet.”

If you’re a Google boy, there’s something called the Audi connect key that will let you unlock and start the vehicle using a phone. The app will also let you store upto 400 different driver profiles, and transfer navigation, music and calendar data to the car. Sweet. But we’re pretty sure those 400 profiles are never going to get used.

And finally, there’s the autonomous tech over and above the usual adaptive cruise, lane change warning and the 360° camera. There’s Audi’s “remote garage pilot” that ensures the car drives into the garage and back out of it on its own. Audi says this feature will be rolled out by 2019.

Will it go fast?

Not really. Audi is currently offering a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine for the Q8. The numbers, too, are rather tame. With 286PS and 600Nm on tap, the Q8 is capable of hitting 0-100kmph in a shade over six seconds. Like most new-gen Audis, the Q8 gets an 8-speed gearbox and quattro all-wheel drive tech. Audi plans on adding a 3.0-litre turbo-petrol motor to the mix soon. Also, there’s an SQ8 and RS Q8 on the cards as well, which should be packed with some properly bonkers numbers.

And, Audi hasn’t forgotten this is a Q product. Naturally, it doesn’t mind getting dirty. The Q8 features a mechanical center differential that splits the torque in a 40:60 ratio. Audi says the diff will transfer “majority” of the power to the axle with better traction on demand, but haven’t put a number as to what makes “majority”. There’s 254mm of ground clearance on offer too.

Audi is offering damper control as standard for the Q8. Adaptive air suspension is optional, which can be set to either comfort or sport. Audi says the driver can drop the ride height by as much as 90mm, if he/she wants to.

Is it coming to India?

It was spotted on test multiple times in the country. Audi has never shied away from bringing their best products to India, and we expect them to launch the Q8 here by next year. Prices should be well north of the Rs 1 crore mark.