Audi Q8 Review - 55 TFSI Quattro Tiptronic

Say guten tag to the Audi Q8, a new (massive) petrol swilling SUV. Again I repeat - that's petrol powered, well my test car is, but there’s also a 45 TDI Quattro Tiptronic Unit for R50,000 more. And naturally, there's a more familiar 3.0 TDI powerplant coming to Mzansi at some point, but for now I have the Q8 55 TFSI equipped with a six-cylinder petrol engine measuring three litres with direct injection that produces 250kW/500Nm.

The X6 game…

It's a sporty SUV that plays a similar role to other vehicles in this segment and so essentially plays a game invented by BMW. Where the X6 was an X5 with a sloping roof and the X4 was ditto to the X3, the Q8 is a Q7 with five seats and a roofline that drops aggressively into its C-Pillar in a manner reminiscent even of the old original Quattro.

There's more evidence of the retro throwbacks in the design, most notably with that blacked out panel between the rear lamp clusters, a trick employed more and more recently - just look at recent Peugeot and Porsche catalogues for more evidence of this. The dimensions? Bigly big, but those 22-inch crystalline alloy hoops make it hard to size up when viewed on your internet browser, scale being misleading after all.

In the metal however at 5m long, 2m wide, a smidge over 1.7m tall it's lower, shorter and wider than the Q7 - seats five super-comfortably and employs quite a bit of theatre in the cabin what with mood lighting, and an array of screens with haptic touch surfaces.

You'll want for very little in Q8. But if you do, be prepared to dig deep into your pockets

Fortune favours the bold

To be honest I was hoping for the signature colour, Dragon Orange for the exterior on our unit instead of this more sober dark blue - as the blackened grille requires more contrast to be truly appreciated. Still, the result is effective. This is a very aggressive visage and you'll know this when driving one and witnessing the traffic ahead evacuate the fast lane when you fill their rear-view mirrors.

This is a job that is quite easy to do thanks to a 0 to 100 kph sprint that comes up in just 5.9 seconds, with a resultant top speed limited to 250kph. Sadly, there's no real drama in the process, the 55 engine doesn't make too much noise - they've clearly left some room for the recently announced SQ8 (skew-8?) performance derivative.

Still, there's no shortage of twist and grunt to enjoy here - and should you be that way inclined it will reward your enthusiasm with a handling foundation that favours pace, if not all out alacrity – a miracle in a 2.2-ton machine. The Q8 55 delivers that ideal marriage of large car comfort and hatch-like dynamics, and you can, in part, thank a low seating position for this.

The car feels built around the driver when on the move, which is a nice bonus in a whip so clearly eager to please all its occupants. I mean, driven alone or 5-up everyone in the cabin is spoilt with luxury appointments and sheer connectivity options. It’s the kind of car you can throw a mountain bike into the back of albeit with much guilt. This is a luxury auto, one that you’ll feel the need to pamper as hard as it pampers you.

The ultimate ultimate

Ultimately, this is Audi’s new flagship people carrier and at around R1,5million it doesn’t come cheap – and rightly so. But it does compete with so many other brands. Sure, BMW and Mercedes-Benz obviously have skin in the game, but then there’s the likes of Range Rover and Jaguar to consider.

Amongst this lot, the Audi is almost understated – especially when had in a darker colour where the paint hides the futuristic lines. Me personally, I’d have one that shouts, ‘look at me’, because when the light really shows off its steeply raked curves – I think the Audi is the best looking of the lot. Or at least as good as the Range Rover Velar (Carshop coming soon), a car I’ve recently said is the best-looking SUV under the sun.

Audi Q8 55 TFSI Quattro Tiptronic Specs: