BUYER’S FILE
Price from
FIRST DRIVE
PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING about the new RS Q8 is huge, from the performance to the price to the car itself. Indeed, Audi admits that it couldn’t have made it any wider than it has, because it wouldn’t have fitted through the factory paint shop.
This is a sports SUV that’s as imposing as it is powerful, then, with the latter element down to a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V8 that develops 592bhp. That’s 212bhp more than you get in a Porsche 911 Carrera, and enough for 0-62mph in just 3.8sec. It’s just a pity that there’s often a significant gap between you flooring the accelerator and the car’s eightspeed automatic gearbox changing down.
If you want the RS Q8 to leap forward in a hurry, you’re actually better off being a little gentler with the right pedal so the gearbox doesn’t get involved; the engine produces so much torque that you’ll still surge towards the horizon, just without the initial pause.
You’re also rewarded with a growling V8 soundtrack and a wonderfully bassy exhaust tone when accelerating, particularly if you’ve
RIVALS
selected the RS driving mode. And yet, the RS Q8 cruises more quietly than rivals such as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and BMW X6 M Competition.
Permanent four-wheel drive helps you to make the most of the performance, as does the car’s ability to shuffle power towards the axle, or indeed wheel, that has the most traction. Meanwhile, there’s more clever technology in the suspension, which features active anti-roll bars that counteract body roll in corners before automatically disconnecting on straight roads in an effort to improve comfort.
Sure enough, the ride is mostly very forgiving, even on the mammoth 23in alloy wheels fitted to our test car. However, run into a large pothole and the result is a forceful thwack so loud and jarring that you’ll think you might have damaged something.
As for the handling, those active anti-roll bars help the RS Q8 corner more like a well-sorted hot hatch than the 2.4-tonne SUV it is, while precise steering with sharp responses adds to your confidence. Just bear in mind that the Turbo version of the Porsche Cayenne Coupé is more involving at similar speeds.
Inside, the RS Q8 doesn’t look dramatically different from lesser Q8s, aside from sports front seats and some bespoke readouts for the digital instruments, but that still means it feels beautifully built. And you do get a few racy features, including a g-meter, should you wish to know how much cornering force your passengers can withstand before they start to complain of motion sickness.
The front seats, their lumbar adjustment and the steering wheel are all adjusted electrically, so finding a good driving position is effortless. Plus, visibility is good, and there’s enough space in the back to keep six-footers happy, despite the sloping, coupé-like roofline.
True, the roofline is more of an issue at the very back of the car, limiting the height of the items you can fit in the boot. However, the area beneath the luggage cover is a practical, square shape, it’s generously stocked with tiedown hooks, and a hands-free electric tailgate is standard.
Instead, it’s fuel consumption that probably most limits usability. Singlefigure numbers are entirely possible if you make full use of the performance. Even when you’ve got your sensible trousers on and call upon the RS Q8’s cylinder deactivation technology and its ability to coast for up to 40 seconds at a time with the engine off, you’re still not going to see much more than 20mpg.
Audi RS Q8 Vorsprung Price Engine Power Torque Gearbox 0-62mph Top speed Fuel economy CO2, tax band