Introduction
What Car? says...
What’s the difference between Peter Parker and Miles Morales? At a glance, not much, given that both are alter egos of Spider-Man. But look closer and you’ll see that, as well as having a new name, Morales wears a sharper suit and wields better technology. Much like the Audi Q8 e-tron.
You see, when it first went on sale, this was the brand’s only fully electric car and was simply called the E-tron. Over time, though, Audi expanded its line-up of E-tron-badged electric SUVs and the potential for confusion increased, because it wasn’t clear from its name where the E-tron fitted in.
Three power outputs are available: the entry-level 50 quattro model produces 335bhp, the mid-range 55 quattro increases that to 402bhp, and the flagship SQ8 e-tron has 496bhp. What’s more, there are four trim levels: Sport, S line, Black Edition and Vorsprung.
In this review, we’ll look at what you get with each version. Plus, we’ll see how the Audi Q8 e-tron compares with key rivals, including the BMW iX, the Jaguar I-Pace and the Mercedes EQC.
There's also a sleeker, more coupé-like version, which has been renamed and updated too – if you like the sound of that, have a look at our review of the Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron.
Finally, once you've decided which car is right for you, you can make sure you don’t pay more than you need to by checking out the best prices available through our free New Car Deals service. It includes lots of great new electric SUV discounts.
FAQs
While the fully electric Audi E-tron was rebranded as the Q8 e-tron when the car was facelifted in 2023, it is mechanically quite different to the regular Audi Q8 – not least because that uses petrol and diesel engines.
Like most electric SUVs the Q8 e-tron is a five-seater. The only direct rival with room for more people is the Tesla Model X which is available with five, six or seven seats.
The Q8 e-tron has Isofix child-seat mounting points on the outer two rear seats, and on the front passenger seat, although when using the latter it’s important to make sure the passenger airbag is deactivated.
The Q8 e-tron is slightly shorter than the Audi Q8 – measuring 4915mm from nose to tail, versus 4986mm. It's not as tall, either, at 1705mm versus 1633mm. Both cars are almost two metres wide before you factor in the door mirrors.
The Q8 e-tron’s boot has a volume of 569 litres beneath the parcel shelf and with the rear seats in place. For comparison, the Jaguar I-Pace gives you 557 litres, while the Mercedes EQC and the petrol and diesel Audi Q5 all have 500 litres.
We recommend the mid-range 55 quattro version, which isn’t quite as quick as the SQ8 but still does 0-62mph in 5.6sec and has a longer range. Our pick of the trims is Sport.
| RRP price range | £67,800 - £110,605 |
|---|---|
| Number of trims (see all) | 10 |
| Number of engines (see all) | 7 |
| Available fuel types (which is best for you?) | diesel, petrol, electric |
| MPG range across all versions | 22.4 - 34 |
| Available doors options | 5 |
| Warranty | 3 years / 60000 miles |
| Company car tax at 20% (min/max) | £135 / £8,006 |
| Company car tax at 40% (min/max) | £271 / £16,011 |
| Available colours |
