Audi Q8 55 TSFI Quattro S Line

Exterior:

At first glance, its large, and it’s an Audi so I’m sure a lot of people would assume that this is a facelifted Q7. The new Q8 has a lot of striking features and angles which do make it a stunning car to look at. From the serrated headlights to the conjoined rear lights that span across the entire rear-end, she’s definitely a looker. Riding on 21-inch 285 tires, it has a powerful presence on the road. The Audi Q8 will only be sold in a single spec in Thailand, so the air suspension comes as standard. There is a total of 5 ride-height settings which are adjustable to which vehicle mode you select. Dynamic puts the ride-height low and sporty, whereas Allroad struts the car up, allowing you to take an offroad path. The Q7 is slightly smaller than the new Q8, the slanted roof gives the Q8 a slightly sportier look, however it concedes a small loss in storage and headroom. Mind you, it’s still a massive car.

Interior:

Much of the interior remains relatively unchanged in comparison to the Q7, albeit the centre console. The air-conditioning adjustments are now incorporated into a touchscreen panel in the centre of the car. The centre console is also now fully touchscreen which allows the driver to swiftly change any settings. Although there were a lot of functions on the touchscreen, I have to say that after just 15 minutes of driving, I felt comfortable with the positions of the controls, and could easily change things while on the go. The Q8 will feature the S Line pack which gives the car sporty bucket-style seats that literally ‘hold’ you in place while driving. The steering wheel is also S Line making it comfortable to grip, with the controls being at your fingertips. The Q8 also comes with a large sunroof, and sunshade. The ambient lighting is vastly improved from the Q7, with adjustable colours and brightness.

Performance:

The Audi Q8 boasts 340hp with 500Nm of torque, and with figures like that you’d really expect this big car to move quick. When driving this car, I didn’t get the sense that it had 340hp. That may be a testament to the ride and the build quality, but it didn’t feel fast. However, that’s not to say that it was slow either, it just did not feel substantially faster than the Q7 which has nearly 100 less horses. The ride from the air suspension was very balanced, and the entire journey was enjoyable from a comfort perspective. Taking into account the size and weight of this vehicle, I believe Audi has offered the perfect car for those that want the presence of a Q7, but with a bit more power and luxury.

Improvements:

Because of its likeness to the Q7, comparisons are inevitable. The Audi Q8 will retail from 6,799,000 THB, making it almost 2 million more than the Q7. Granted, you get around 100hp more, air suspension (which is an option in the Q7), and a revamped centre console which will likely feature in the new Q7 as well. For those reasons, I’m not sure if the price gap between Q8 and Q7 is justifiable, but when compared to other sporty SUV’s in the market, Audi’s offer is actually very reasonable.