2020 Audi Q8 review when it comes to the German brands naming their ranges normally the bigger the number the larger the vehicle take out II for example the q2 is the
smallest SUV then you go through to the q3 q5 up to the q7 so the q8 there and you have some idea of where it may fit in the range when your heart right
because it’s actually slightly smaller than the q7 that it’s based on however it is the most prestigious in the range and boy does it have its work cut out
2020 Audi Q8 review
because the q8 is going up against rivals including the BMW x6 Mercedes GLA coupe a and Range Rover Bella so how does the q8 stack up against these
rivals and should it be on your shopping list if you’re looking for a large luxurious SUV in this review we’ll answer that as well as finding out what
it’s like to drive how easy it is to live with and how spacious it is and remember we don’t just review cars at what car we can also help you find a
great deal head to the new car buying section at watcard calm before that though let’s take the Audi q8 for a drive there’s three engines to choose from and
they’re all three litre v6 diesels and it’s the mid-range badged as a 50 TDI that we’re going to focus on it’s got enough pull from low revs plenty of
power in reserve and if you really put your foot down it gets out to motorway speeds faster than most of its rivals at lower speeds it’s a little more gruff
than outie engines that were used to however once you’re up to speed it’s very serene in here there’s very littl vibrations coming through the cabin and
it’s a very calm and pleasant place to be as standard the q8 comes with an 8-speed automatic gearbox which although is a smooth changer at speed when you
want to pull out an overtake it is frustratingly slow to change down sport does very little to improve things however you can use these paddle shifts
on the steering wheel the Audi q8 is what’s known as a mild hybrid this technology switches off the engine for short periods and allows you to coast
which boosts efficiency the same technology also means that the stop start is a lot smoother than most of its rivals despite its size the q8 doesn’t
lean too much through the corners the standard four-wheel drive means you’ve always got plenty of grip and the steering is precise and well weighted
despite this though we certainly wouldn’t describe the q8 as fun to drive it merely is effective at what it does adaptive suspension comes a standard
which helps it soak up crests and compressions but because the smallest waves you get a 21 inch there’s a firm edge to the
low-speed ride at all times it’s never uncomfortable though you can also get four-wheel steering as an option which turns the car’s rear wheels a little to
improve the curates turning circle and make the car feel a little sharper when it turns into corners at low speeds and above 30 miles per hour or so they turn
in the same direction to be stability what you’ll notice when you first get i is this dual screen setup so the first one is for most of the standard
functions of an infotainment system and then the bottom one is for your climate control settings and heated seats while they look very impressive the
old-fashioned dolls and buttons on the q7 are actually easier to use on the move more positively you do get our DS digital instrument cluster as standard
and you can have things such as the sat-nav map right in front of you in terms of interior quality in here it is premium and it beats most of its rival
so it’s a very very pleasant place to be if you’re concerned about parking something as large as the q8 then you needn’t be because you get great
all-round visibility parking sensors front and rear and a reversing camera all as standard so driving position then is that good as well yes it is because
there’s plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel so most people of all shapes and sizes should be happy behind the wheel of an Audi q8 sitting in these
front seats you should have plenty of room to stretch out although if you’re driving we recommend you hold the steering wheel and don’t stretch there’s
also plenty of coupling spaces for example there’s some useful storage here and also a built-in phone charger which does eat into the storage a little bit
there but that is useful and there’s two cupholders here and decent-sized door bins water bottle and sunglasses and the glove box
has plenty of room for a banana and normally when you have a sloping roofline it compromises headspace but with the q8 that is not the case there
is plenty of headroom and plenty of legroom admittedly the q7 is slightly larger so it does feel a little more spacious and this middle seat is just
about a seat I mean it is very very narrow and it is very very small I fit in here but I don’t think I would like to have a long journey in it
the QX boot space does lose out significantly compared with the q7 however it’s still larger than a BMW x6 and only a teeny-weeny bit smaller than
a Mercedes GLA coupe a and you can fold the rear seat completely flat you can also slide them backwards and forwards and when they are down the food is
absolutely cavernous there’s two trim levels to choose from namely s-line and wash Braun but in truth is no need to look beyond the entry level model
because it’s packed with kit it comes with heated seats powered tailgate and automatic emergency braking and if you do want to splash out then wash Braun
adds 22 inch alloy wheels a better stereo and adaptive cruise control despite all the equipment the q8 still looks like an expensive choice next to
the more practical q7 although it is priced roughly on a par with its BMW x6 and Mercedes GLA coupe a rivals it should be competitive or running cost
too and the 50 TDI diesel engine we recommend is cleaner and more frugal than the diesels you’ll find elsewhere sure there are cheaper and more
practical luxurious SUVs out there but if you want one that combines jaw-dropping looks with a classy spacious interior and refined engines
then the q8 should be top of your list.