* The new Audi Q8.
Audi Q8 road test by Steve Rogers
Audi had one thing
in mind for the Q8: Make it the best premium SUV money can buy.
And the flagship of
the Q family makes quite a statement with design lines a little more
adventurous than we are used to.
Compared to not so pretty Q7 the Q8, with its
restyled in your face grille, frameless doors and sloping coupe roofline, is
really quite attractive.
Flagship or not the
Q8 is 66mm shorter than Q7 although there is no shortage of space inside. With
the split rear seat backs folded two could happily bed down for the night while
there is oodles of room for long legged passengers in very comfortable seats.
That
dipping roofline rules out a third row but the job of hauling seven people is
the province of Q7.
Make no mistake a
lot of thought has gone into this car and that becomes evident once inside.
It
is a bit like taking your seats in a top class theatre and waiting for the
curtain to rise on a star studded show. In this case the main event is the
virtual cockpit, a full width screen in the driver's binnacle and two central
screens, 10.2in up top for the car's main functions, navigation, telephone,
Bluetooth and stuff you are never likely to use, with the lower 8.6in screen
for the everyday functions of heating, radio and the like.
It looks like
touchscreen but requires a gentle press on the function which gives a
satisfying tick to let you know the job has been done. Trust me, this is clever
stuff.
Not only is it the
most technologically advanced set up I have come across it looks fantastic and although
intimidating takes little time to work out. The star turn has to be the ability
to use a finger to write the navigation address on to the face of the lower
screen. That is so cool.
I did not try
inputting Llanfair PG full out but most of the time the town, street, postcode
is predicted and can be selected from a list to complete the operation. Voice
control was not so effective but can work if you have the patience.
For the first time
I have had an Audi not loaded with 10 grands worth of extras and that's because
the top Vorsprung model gives you just about everything in one package so sit
back and enjoy the luxury of fine leather, exquisite trim and finish and such
niceties as air conditioned front seats, powered steering wheel adjustment and
gobsmackingly clever Matrix LED lights that dance around like a ballet company.
There is much more along with a list of safety features as long as your arm.
Air suspension is a
given on cars at this level and the Audi is again bang on the money. There are
several settings but just go for comfort and feel how the Q8 can stifle the jarring
affect of potholes, poor surfaces and even speed humps.
I used Q8 to tow my
caravan - I can think of cheaper and equally capable tow cars - but my goodness
did it do the job. The combination of the air suspension and torque from the
3-litre turbo diesel make this a mighty towcar - it could pull two of my vans,
and the slick eight speed auto box is a stress free match. It was also
surprisingly fuel efficient returning 27mpg over 160 miles with my wife behind
the wheel and 24mpg with me. No sarcy comments please.
Some of this fuel
efficiency will be down to the 48 volt mild hybrid technology which allows the
engine to coast without any throttle. Driving solo the Q8 hit 40mpg which is
seriously good for a car of its size and weight.
I've been banging
the petrol drum with the last few cars I have tested but from what I have just
experienced my recommendation would be diesel because of the engine's
refinement, performance and economy.
So is Q8 now the
best premium SUV on the market? In some ways it is. It is a technological tour
de force and ahead of everyone, and I have always said no one can trim a car
like Audi excepting the super luxury motors of course. It does not handle as
sharply as a Porsche Cayenne, but does that matter when the majority of its
life will be cruising in the fast lane?
Can it topple Range
Rover Velar from the top of the pile? Well for me the Velar still looks the
part but that's about all. Such difficult choices!
Need to know
Q8 50 Vorsprung
quattro
£84,375
3-litre TDI; 286bhp
0-62mph 6.3secs;
152mph
32.8mpg combined
228g/km. 1st yr tax
£2175 then £145
Boot 605 to 1755
litres
