Audi Q8 2024 

Introduction

We are in the very beautiful and very, very windy city of Cape Town in South Africa, and we are here to drive Audi’s newly updated Q8. Yeah, as you can see, if you are familiar with the Q8, you’ll know that this is a very mild update, so pay close attention to the video because I’ll show you exactly what’s changed.

Exterior walkaround

And let’s begin right here at the front. Now, one of the things that have changed is the grill, but what they’ve done is they’ve just colored it differently, and also, the inserts here now are this trapezoidal shape with some L segments in here currently; it’s all black, but there are versions like the sq8 which will have contrast colors in there, and it does look quite nice the other bits that have changed of course is down here the inserts again change the overall shape Remains the Same but one of the bigger and rather the only functional change.

Techy headlamps

That you will see is in the headlights now the headlight technology on the various trims Audi have a standard LED they have the Matrix LED and the HD Matrix LED with laser lights and the laser High Beam lights up the road brighter and the Matrix technology of course adjusts constantly to the oncoming traffic and that’s what this car has and this little blue here I don’t know whether you’ll pick it up in this bright Sun uh Sunshine but that signifies the laser uh lighting technology and with the new HD Matrix lights you can also set a Different Light signature pattern to give your Q8 a unique look and at the side there’s only the model description subtly inscribed in the B pillar which is now a standard on all new Audi’s and new alloy wheels with Rim sizes in 21 22 and 23 in the 20 3 in though are only on the sq8 now at the rear as well the sheet metal and even in fact even the the moldes on the bumpers do remain the same but some detailing that has changed and a functional element is the tail lamp unit here which is the OLED display and it does have customizable Lighting Display it has a different welcome and a a sort of driveway sequence as well just like the front headlights too another functional aspect though is if you are stationary at a traffic light and there’s a car coming up.

Interior

And your car senses that it’s too close. All the lights will brighten to warn the person that we’re stationary here on the inside, too; things are the same, which means you get a.

Features and safety

The spacious cabin, even at the rear, where there are enough head and leg room features to expect the same as before, so there will be four Zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof massage and ventilated seats, Amazon Alexa on board, an HD and no high-fi system to name some of the.

Cabin quality

Highlights okay so like I said over here inside nothing much has changed in fact it’s pretty identical it’s identical to the Q8 uh before which is a good and a bad thing because of course quality is great you know the the knobs like this they operate with a really nice uh sort of slick feel a quality feel to them the steering wheel feels just nice to hold but at the same time it does look all too familiar now and it is due for an upgrade that is coming to Audi across all of their cars but it will only debut with the q6 which will follow later so right now the Q8 the updated Q8 has the familiar twin screen MMI system so you’ve got twin screens here to handle of course the infotainment and your H controls I’m not a fan of these because you’ve got to take your eyes off the road and hit exactly that point that you want it does have have haptic feedback but you still have to take your eyes off the seats are supportive and shaped quite nicely to give you a snug but not tight feel these ones are the S trim.

Engine and performance

Seats, so we’ll have to see which ones the India car gets for now, though let’s head out on the drive. Powering the Q8 is the 3 l V6 direct injection turbo petrol, which, like before, puts out an identical 340 horsepower and 500 n m of torque. Hence, power delivery from the engine is nice and even and strong, just as I remember it, so you put your foot down like this.

Top speed

And you know it shoots off immediately in a very strong continuous linear fashion, and you’re pretty soon doing crazy three-digit speeds. Audi claims a 0 to 100 km per hour time of 5.6 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/ hour. Cruising is also relaxed, and the engine can even.

Refinement

Shutting down completely when coasting between 55 and 160 km/ hour with the mild hybrid system supporting all other functions and refinement is certainly a high point of this engine. It’s smooth, and most of the time, you will barely hear it, though.

Ride comfort

You can hear the tire noise on the road like this, which isn’t perfectly paved. Speaking of which, the ride quality is excellent. It soaks up bumps and ruts in a very comfortable and composed manner now, so it is nice and twisty on a road like this. You’ve got a lot of turns around, of course, and gorgeous scenery, which you can see outside. You really will enjoy the Q8 because the suspension is soaking up everything. This road isn’t, you know, tabletop smooth. It’s rutted with some of the TAC washed away. Yes, that’s an easy find here. Still, the Q8 remains relaxed, and the steering is nice and precise now; in corners like this, you can attack them. It’s fun, you know. The Q8 keeps level composure, and the steering weighs up nicely, so it’s very familiar like the previous car, which is what it is essentially.

Driving dynamics

As you know, this is just a facelift and a very, very minor one at that, too, so on the road like this, you come up to turns, you can, you know, enjoy the way it leans in, you know, dip like this will not upset the car too much. Hence, it is an Audi that you would like to drive as is this road. Just look at it outside there we are, hugging a mountain, so on the side behind here are the mountains up ahead.

Overview

And perhaps you’ll glimpse the mountains on the way back, but this side along the coast is beautiful. Suppose you do like to travel and are thinking about South Africa. In that case, Cape Town is a place you want to have on your list should the Q8 be on your shopping list. However, the update is very mild if you’re looking for something new and bristling with the next level in automotive tech. It does not bring in the latest interior technology just around the corner at Audi. It also doesn’t have that oh wow factor, but on the other hand, as before, it remains a sensible package. It’s spacious, has the basic luxury specs you would expect, rides well, and is fun from behind the wheel.

Price and verdict

Plus, given that it’s a mild update when it finally arrives in the second half of 2024, it won’t see a substantial price hike either, so expect a price of around 1.2 CR, which would be a very good value. You then have to weigh up your priority for a sensible buy or a whimsical.

Behind the scenes!

One in any case you have a lot of time to think it over hello come back quickly you have posted something that needs to be deleted right away hello really but they said photographs are okay hello no they’re not they are not what it says so yeah on slide okay I’ll delete it I’ll delete it I’ll delete it ah deleted deleted thank you thank you and the camera is free so come back quickly I’m doing that I’m doing that I’m doing that okay so there you go some behind the scenes that’s the kind of thing that we have on press drives there are embargos and sometimes there are really complicated ones which allow you to post Statics but no Impressions or uh opinions or video also but no opinion or only static and well this one said you could post a photograph but without an opinion and definitely no video that’s what I did but turns out well there’s some fine print in there that my Instagram post might have run a foul so I’m going to pull over somewhere and delete it turns out the post was okay after all so we put it back up.

Conclusion

The 2024 Audi Q8 stands out as a pinnacle of luxury and performance in the SUV market. Its sleek design, luxurious interior, powerful engine options, and advanced technology make it a compelling choice for those seeking an unparalleled driving experience.

FAQs