Audi Q8 50 TDI review finds a big luxury family SUV that drives like a small car

Audi’s Q8 proves the diesel engine can still hold its ground against the electric revolution.

Remember diesel power? Looking at the current crop of electrics and hybrids, it feels like the combustion engine has been lost in a sea of new automotive technology.

Yet for many people, the new breed just don’t cut the mustard.

Which is why Audi offers oil-burners like the Q8 50 TDI.

There is still a dose of modern engineering, with a mild hybrid set-up that helps reduce fuel consumption when coasting on the highway and in stop-start traffic. From a tank it can travel more than 1000km.

The petrol and diesel options are the cheapest Q8s you can buy, with a retail price of $143,415, while a plug-in hybrid version costs an extra $10k. The electric derivatives start at $154,000 and top out at $180,000 for the SQ8.

On the road, our test Q8 diesel would have been about $158,000 without any options, whereas a petrol-powered Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 Coupe starts from about $175,635, and the diesel BMW X6 xDrive30d begins from $157,000.

What do you get?

The Q8 differentiates itself as the sportiest derivative of the Audi large SUVs. Those who want a traditional SUV bum and an option for seven seats can steer toward the Q7.

These refreshed Q8s released this year can be spotted by new front and rear end styling, while at the back there is a different light strip.

Just because the oil-burner is the base model, it’s far from bereft of luxuries. Among the features list is a 17-speaker Bang and Olufsen stereo, satnav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, electric tailgate with foot sensor for hands-free opening, three-spoke sports steering wheel, air suspension and a panoramic sunroof.

Our Q8 was bolstered by two packages. The Premium plus package “2” included 22-inch alloys, black exterior finishes, sport adaptive air suspension, all-wheel steering and power-assisted door closing for an additional $6900.

Then there was the $3900 luxury seat pack that featured sport seats with integrated headrests, trimmed in Valcona leather featuring S logos and diamond stitching, ventilation and heating for the front chairs along with heated outer rear seats.

Throw in black roof rails for $900, metallic paint at $2400 and special $400 interior inlays and the price rose to $157,915 before on-roads were added.

Buyers can secure a prepaid servicing pack that covers five maintenance visits to the dealer for $3570. A $4710 Audi Advantage option extends that to a further two years for roadside assist and servicing for up to 120,000km.

Inside the Audi Q8 is a classy cabin with high-end finishes.

How was the drive?

Distinctive diesel clatter can be heard from start-up, but Audi’s mild hybrid system does a solid job of adding refinement with electric assistance at low speeds.

The Q8 cossets its occupants, with the air suspension buffering the cabin from bumps and lumps, yet also manages to hunker down when required to reduce body roll in the bends.

It has impressive family lineage. It’s the same platform that sits beneath Volkswagen family brethren including the Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus and Bentley Bentayga.

Feeling strong and responsive under your right foot, the V6 turbo diesel can haul from standstill to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds. When the going gets twisty the Q8 is surprisingly adept and doesn’t feel like it’s pushing 2235kg or measuring just over 5m in length.

Its size is noticeable in carparks where it requires regular use of the cameras and mirrors, as city spaces quickly feel claustrophobic.

The mild hybrid system requires no driver input, recharging when braking and decelerating. During coasting phases the engine will shut down and it also provides some extra shunt when taking off.

Despite a couple of highway journeys, we couldn’t get close to Audi’s official fuel consumption figure of just over seven litres for every 100km. We only managed 8.6.

Our test in the diesel-powered Audi Q8 saw average fuel consumption of 8.6L/100km.

Would you buy one?

Kel: From the Q7 and Q8 pairing, this would be my choice. The design is more my style, and I have no need for seven seats. Compared with some of the latest prestige offerings, some of the graphics looked old, and I didn’t like the haptic feedback-style buttons on the central screens. I found it easy to drive, but I do like the smaller Audis for ease of carparking, which means they would be my first choice purely on current lifestyle needs.

Grant: Defying its size, the Q8 is surprisingly adept and strong with the V6 turbo-diesel under its skin. Adding the various options quickly pushes the bottom line skyward, but they did make for a lavish interior in our test car. The latest update has finetuned a very good product, which I could live with if I had deeper pockets.

Originally published as Audi Q8 50 TDI review finds a big luxury family SUV that drives like a small car