Audi hasn’t messed with a winning formula. The Audi Q8 – along with its sportier SQ8 and RSQ8 siblings – shares its platform with the more practical three-row Q7 , but features a sportier-looking, crisply styled body with just a hint of Lamborghini Urus to it. It’s different from the rival Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe , Porsche Cayenne Coupe and BMW X6 , which look like their GLE, Cayenne and X5 counterparts up front but wear even more rakish, coupe-like rooflines.
.. which arguably makes them look more awkward.
The comparison between the Q8 and Urus is apt, as the Audi actually uses the same MLB Evo platform as the Lamborghini. It also offers a twin-turbocharged petrol V8 engine in SQ8 and RSQ8 guise, like in the Lamborghini. It’s less powerful, mind you, but then the Audi is a lot cheaper.
For 2025, Audi has refreshed its large SUVs. The SQ8 we’ve tested is already in showrooms, and will be joined later by the updated Q8 and RSQ8. There are no mechanical changes to the Q8 and SQ8, while aesthetic changes are minor both inside and out – limited to detail updates like new badging and grille textures.
All models also now come standard with Matrix LED headlights, while the SQ8 is available with HD Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser light, as well as OLED rear tail lights with selectable signatures. There are also new wheel designs, with the largest measuring a whopping 23 inches, as well as new colours. Sakhir Gold is a highlight, as this almost flat, tan-looking metallic finish reveals sparkly golden flakes in certain lights – no, in person it doesn’t look like that horrid orthopaedic shoe beige on the Toyota Yaris Cross .
Should Audi have done more to keep its flagship SUV fresh, or is it still a competitive offering? We went to the local launch of the SQ8 to find out. To see how the SQ8 stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool. Much as the exterior styling has been unmarred with this mid-life update, the interior looks essentially the same.
The virtual cockpit now displays a graphical depiction of the car, its placement within the lane, and whether there are other vehicles nearby. Other than some new inlays, that’s pretty much it in terms of changes. And you know what? That’s no bad thing, because the SQ8 interior oozes class.
Ok, there’s a lot of gloss black trim across the dashboard and centre console, something we complain about constantly. But until you put your fingerprints all over it, it looks nice, and it really pops thanks to the presence of metallic highlights. Material quality is superb, and even the plastics on the lower reaches of the doors have a rubberised feel.
The colour-adjustable ambient lighting also elevates the ambience. Our tester had optional matte carbon twill inlays, though personally I’d stick with the standard brushed aluminium. Your knee will come into contact with hard metallic or carbon-fibre trim on the sides of the centre console, but there’s soft-touch trim further down.
Our tester had the optional Sensory package, which brings a Dinamica suede headliner and leather wrapping for everything from the dashboard to the armrests and centre console. The package also adds an excellent massaging function to the front seats, as well as a ripper sound system. The 23-speaker 1920W Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system sounds as good as its specifications and brand name would suggest, and the two tweeters that rise out of the dashboard are a distinctive touch.
The front seats are extremely comfortable, and boast heating and ventilation. Bizarrely, you can have both engaged at the same time – handy if your back is warm but your posterior is cold (no, we don’t think that’s a common feeling either). The in-car tech is superb.
Sure, the 10.1-inch screen isn’t massive by 2024 standards, but it’s well-sized and has haptic feedback as well as clicky sounds. The climate control screen also boasts this functionality.
Would we still prefer analogue buttons and dials? Perhaps. But if you have to have a screen for climate controls, you can’t find one better than that in the Audi. Then there’s the digital instrument cluster, which remains among the best out there thanks to its multiple layouts and attractive graphics.
You grip a chunky, dimpled leather-wrapped steering wheel, though disappointingly the steering wheel switchgear is plasticky – it’s not so much A1 as it is Audi A1 . Storage is so-so. There’s no centre console bin, as the centre armrest conceals just a wireless charging pad and USB outlets.
You do, however, get a felt-lined compartment to the right-hand side of the steering wheel. While the SQ8 has a racier roofline than the SQ7, there’s still plenty of headroom in the second row. Legroom is also ample, while the seats themselves are comfortable.
There are a pair of USB-C outlets and a 12V outlet, as well as a screen to adjust the rear climate settings. Sensory package-equipped SQ8s also have heated outboard rear seats and sunshades. Open the tailgate and there’s a spacious cargo bay with 605L of luggage space.
The rear seats fold 40:20:40, with the bases sliding on rails. With the bench folded, cargo space expands to 1755L. The SQ8 also has an ace up its sleeve if you’re looking to load it up with your gear, as you can lower the rear air suspension by pushing a button in the boot.
To see how the SQ8 stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool. To see how the SQ8 stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool. Audi ditched the old 4.
0-litre twin-turbo diesel V8 a couple of years ago, moving the SQ8 to a thirstier, less torquey 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8. This petrol mill remains unchanged for 2025.
The petrol engine might have less torque than the old diesel (if more power), but the SQ8 still has plenty of grunt. With 373kW of power and 770Nm of torque, it stacks up well against the also V8-powered BMW X5 M60i (390kW/750Nm) and outpunches the six-cylinder Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 (320kW/560Nm). It feels a tad lazy off the line, but peak torque is available from just 2000rpm.
Sink the boot in and it’ll fly, hitting 100km/h in 4.1 seconds. Our SQ8 tester may have been equipped with a raft of luxury items and cosmetic upgrades, but it was missing something from the SQ7 we tested: the Dynamic package.
This brings active roll stabilisation and a quattro sport differential with torque vectoring, and in the SQ7 we drove we found it made the big SUV impressively composed and nimble. That’s not to say the SQ8 sans Dynamic package is a boat to drive, but if you’re after the sportiest driving experience – and your budget doesn’t quite extend to an RSQ8 – we’d recommend you tick that option box. Even without the Dynamic package ticked, you get all-wheel steering which shrinks the turning circle by up to 1m, making it smaller than that of a Q3 .
The SQ8’s steering is nicely weighted and body roll is well controlled. The quattro all-wheel drive system sees torque split 40:60 front/rear, though upwards of 70 per cent of torque can be sent to the front axle and 85 per cent to the rear wheels. The SQ8’s adaptive air suspension sees it sit 15mm lower than a regular Q8 in its normal setting, and lowers by 40mm in Dynamic mode and raises by 50mm in Raise/Lift mode.
As it has adaptive air suspension, you’d expect the SQ8 to have a smooth ride. However, it also rides on 23-inch alloy wheels, which gave us pause. Fortunately, it all comes together nicely, and the SQ8 proved comfortable across our test route.
If you want to have the powertrain in its most dynamic setting and the suspension at its cushiest, you can toggle these settings with the customisable Individual drive mode. This also allows you to adjust the steering and engine sound. The eight-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly, and there are paddle shifters should you wish to take manual control.
Disappointingly, they’re plasticky items. Get on the highway and the SQ8’s combination of adaptive cruise and lane assist systems make this easy and effortless to drive. The cabin is also quiet at highway speeds, with wind noise in particular kept to a minimum.
The Q8 may be available with three different powertrains, but all have essentially the same level of equipment which the SQ8 builds upon. Standard kit on the Q8 includes: The SQ8 adds: The SQ8’s optional Sensory package costs $14,400 and adds: The Dynamic package costs $10,900 and adds: There are also various exterior styling packages and different wheel designs, while you can add HD Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser light plus OLED tail lights for $3950. Our tester came equipped with the Sensory package, as well as black roof rails ($900), carbon twill inlays ($1950), 23-inch alloy wheels ($3000), and a high-gloss black exterior styling package ($2550).
It was also finished in Sakhir Gold, one of only two paint colours that cost extra in the SQ8. This added an extra $1600, bringing the as-tested price to $203,215 before on-roads. The Audi Q8 has a five-star safety rating from ANCAP based on testing conducted in 2019, however this applies only to six-cylinder models.
Standard safety equipment includes: Audi covers its range with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. The Q8 may seem like a niche product, but Audi seems to offer one for every type of buyer with turbo-diesel, turbo-petrol and plug-in hybrid V6s, plus the hotter twin-turbo V8 SQ8 and RSQ8. The SQ8 may be around $35,000 pricier than the Q8 55 TFSI, but you get a lot of extra performance hardware and luxury accoutrements, and a 0-100km/h time almost two seconds quicker.
While you could pony up even more cash to get the RSQ8, the SQ8 is hardly a shrinking violet with its lovely V8 that sees it just 0.3 seconds slower to 100km/h than its more powerful sibling. Audi hasn’t rocked the boat with this mid-life update, and the aesthetic changes – from the new Matrix LED headlights to the gorgeous gold paint – only serve to elevate what is arguably one of the most attractive luxury SUVs.
We do think some of the features from the Sensory package ought to be standard at this price point, though. The SQ8 is a powerful, smooth and comfortable offering, though we reckon it’s worth ticking the box for the Dynamic package so it really stands out as a high-performance SUV. MORE: Buy an Audi Q8 MORE: Everything Audi SQ8.
