Audi SQ8 review

If you’re really wealthy, the chances are that your life is somewhat different from the norm. Rather than taking a holiday, you take a chartered flight to your summer home. You don’t belong to a book club, but a watch club. And instead of renting a jet ski, you might prefer the obscure sport of yacht jousting. But what should you go for when it’s time to select a sports SUV? The Audi SQ8 could be the answer.

A performance-orientated version of the Audi Q8, which itself is a sleeker version of the Q7, it is currently one of the most powerful and expensive Audi SUVs you can buy.

Behind its gaping front grille lies a 500bhp 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine that is capable of thrusting the near two and half tonne SQ8 from 0-62mph in just 4.1 seconds – or in other words, 0.4 seconds quicker than an Aston Martin DBX. It also has a number of efficiency-boosting features up its sleeve, such as a ‘cylinder on demand’ system that can shut down half of the engine’s cylinders when possible to reduce fuel consumption. 

The chassis is equally tech-laden, the SQ8 coming as standard with four-wheel steering and S-specific adaptive air suspension, while Vorsprung models benefit from an electromechanical active roll stabilisation system (EAWS) that helps to prevent the car from leaning over in corners.

But returning to our original question, is all of this enough to make the SQ8 the ultimate sports SUV? Read on for our full rundown on how it drives, what it's like inside and what it’ll be like to own. Plus, we’ll tell you how it stacks up against rivals such as the BMW X6 M50i, Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupé and Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupé .

If after that you do decide to buy a new Audi SQ8, or indeed any other SUV, don't forget to check out our New Car Buying service to find out how much we could save you.