2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron, Sportback S Line Review: More Q8 Than E-Tron

There are two ways to approach an EV. It can scream electric in both looks and neck-snapping torque, titillating the buyer who wants something completely different from what they have owned in the past. And there are new EVs hitting the market that are designed to help uncertain buyers make the transition. Their grace is that they are not intimidating.

The new Q8 E-Tron family falls into this second category. It is instantly recognizable as a Q8 SUV, while highlighting its E-Tron status. In addition to its new name: Q8 E-Tron, it wears the new two-dimensional rings logo on the front and a stretched grille and body panels to make the vehicle look wider. The vehicles are more aerodynamic with the design of the air inlets, dimpled and covered wheels, and a flat and covered underbelly.

More importantly, the Q8 E-Tron clan drives very much like a regular Q8. You can in fact be lulled into thinking you are being powered by an internal combustion engine—but quieter.

MotorTrend first drove the Q8 E-Tron in the Grand Canary Islands late last year and we did not have U.S. specs at the time. Now we know the North American version, with a motor on the rear axle and a second up front for the brand’s Quattro all-wheel drive system provides 402 horsepower and 496 lb-ft of torque. It has a 0-60 mph time of 5.4 seconds but adding the Ultra aerodynamic package to the base Sportback will get that time down to 5.3 seconds, Audi says.

Torque delivery is smooth and satisfying but acceleration is not neck-snapping—wait for the SQ8 coming later this year to feel that. Range is 285 miles for the SUV, 296 miles for the Sportback S Line, which have about 6 percent less drag than the outgoing E-Tron. The greatest range is with the base Sportback with the Ultra package that is rated for 300 miles from a single charge. It has 19-inch wheels with low resistance tires and a lower suspension. And the Sportbacks don’t have roof racks, only the standard Q8 SUVs do.

Electricity comes from the new 114 kWh battery pack that has 36 modules, each with 12 stacked prismatic cells that provide about 20 percent more capacity while adding little weight and fitting into the same space as the battery in the original E-Tron.

New Level 2 charging at 19.2 kW cuts charging time to about 6.5 hours or it recharges in about 13 hours at 9.6 kW. The Q8 uses a 400-volt system. Audi will debut the 800-volt system on the Q6 E-Tron coming next year which will be the first Audi on the Volkswagen Group’s new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform.

The other area that usually gives away an EV: harsh braking and aggressive regeneration that can take some getting used to. In the case of the Q8, the braking feels natural and seamless. You can be forgiven for thinking you are in an ICE vehicle. You can adjust the amount of regenerative braking with the paddle shifters on the steering wheel but the sensation is on the mild side. And there is no one-pedal driving with the Q8 E-Tron models.

A quicker steering ratio and stiffened control arms shone during a day of twisty driving along California’s Pacific Coast and then wending through the redwood forests. Steering was just heavy enough to feel connected to the chassis without tipping the scale towards burdensome.

The Q8 has seven drive modes but you have to be paying attention to discern the differences. Dynamic automatically puts the vehicle in Sport, lowers the suspension, changes the throttle mapping and the steering becomes heavier. At the other end of the spectrum, Efficiency will lower the suspension and cap the top speed at 85 mph unless you override it with the accelerator.

Adaptive cruise works well but lane centering is not the best we have tried. It can weave all the way to the line and even crossed a few times. We appreciate that you never hear warning beeps with Lane Departure Warning (which only works with Adaptive Cruise on) or Lane Guidance. The steering wheel vibrates and corrective action is taken soundlessly.

Audi’s massaging seats are top notch and the virtual cockpit works seamlessly. Navigation is crisply displayed on the upper 10.1-inch screen, directions clearly spelled out in advance of each turn, voice commands clear and succinct.

One cool feature is a traffic light countdown that lets you know when an approaching stoplight will turn color and if you are stopped at a red light, it counts down the seconds until it turns green. None of the intersections on our drive route were equipped to parlay the information but Audi engineers who have used it in big metropolitan areas love the feature.

Air suspension is standard, as is a spare tire, which is not always the case for EVs.

The Q8 E-Trons come with two years of unlimited DC fast charging through Electrify America and have a Plug & Charge function so no payment cards needed; the charger and vehicle communicate. Audi officials say they know EA is far from perfect but improvements are promised. Customers also get one week of complimentary vehicle rentals through the Always Audi program, which can be used for a road trip.

The Q8 E-Tron starts at $75,595 and the Sportback starts at $78,995. Prices range up to a top trim Sportback at $93,145. Audi renamed the SUV and Sportback the Q8 E-Tron and they are more than worthy of the name change. The new models are more Q8 than original E-Tron in character, but make no mistake, they are pure electric.

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