Audi SQ8 Review & Prices

The Audi SQ8 is closely related to the big, roomy, seven-seat Audi Q7, but you’d never know it from looking at them side by side. They’re like twins which just aren’t alike — one, the Q7, has packed on the pounds and become a comfortable family man, while the SQ8 has been chugging the creatine powder and pounding weights at the gym — although not as much as the other brother, the even more ballistic RSQ8. 

There’s a bit of confusion in the air though, as there’s also now an all-electric Audi Q8 e-tron and SQ8 e-tron. The two — totally different — Q8s don’t look much alike though. The petrol-only SQ8 has a massive hatchback-swallowing grille at the front, and a full-width brake light bar at the back. You certainly won’t mistake it for anything running on batteries. 

Sadly, while the SQ8 looks mean, some of the styling is actually telling some porkie pies. Fake exhaust pipes? Really, Audi? Can't we do better than that? At least the cabin makes up for some of the exterior fallacies, with high levels of quality and a gorgeous layout. That said, aside from the sportier seats, the cabin doesn’t look wildly different from that of a standard Q8.

Watch: Audi SQ8 v BMW XM v Lamborghini Urus v Mercedes-AMG G 63

The three big screens — infotainment, climate control, instruments — are certainly the same. They look good, and aren’t too confusing to use, although the haptic ‘click’ as you press them doesn’t always work properly. Some more physical controls would definitely not go amiss, but at least Audi leaves you with a proper volume knob for the stereo. 

The digital instruments are much better, with some S-specific layouts and info, and you do get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto too. 

Although the SQ8 is smaller than the Q7, it’s still a very roomy car and four adults will fit comfortably inside. There’s no seven-seat option — that’s reserved for the SQ7 — but the boot is big and the back seats slide back and forth so you can juggle legroom and luggage room. 

Once you’ve packed everyone and everything in, the SQ8 won’t take long to deliver you to your destination. The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine develops 507hp and this big SUV will rocket to 62mph in the same 4.1 seconds that the smaller, lighter BMW M2 takes. That engine, the eight-speed automatic gearbox and the chassis, are all shared with the likes of the Porsche Cayenne and the Lamborghini Urus, so although the Audi’s not cheap, you could convince yourself it’s a bit of a bargain…

The adaptive air suspension means that the SQ8 is hugely comfortable, so it’s kind of hard to think of a better way of crossing a continent for four people with luggage. There’s quattro four-wheel drive too, of course, so bad weather won’t hold any worries for you.

Top-spec Vorsprung models get a clever active anti-roll system that keeps the body resolutely level even in the fastest corners, and there’s also a limited-slip rear differential — just like a BMW M5 — to help parcel out all the power to the wheels that can handle it best. 

The Vorsprung also gets four-wheel steering which helps the SQ8 to feel a bit less bulky around town, but it’s a shame that you have to trade-up to the priciest model to get all that, rather than being able to individually specify it on a base SQ8. Systems such as a better adaptive cruise control and advanced lane-swapping steering are also on the options list. 

The thing is that the regular Q8 does a lot of what the SQ8 does — looking good, driving well, being practical — for a lot less money and with lower running costs. Still, if you want the power and poise of an Audi S-model with that wonderful V8 engine, and don’t fancy the extra costs of the bonkers RSQ8, then this is a good choice. 

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No Audi with a big V8 engine is ever going to be cheap, exactly, but the SQ8 is not quite as pricey as you might think. It’s fractionally more expensive than a BMW X6 M60i (arguably the SQ8’s closest alternative) but it’s also roomier and more practical than the X6. A Mercedes GLE Coupe 53 AMG is more powerful, but also a little more expensive. Both are just as heavy on the options cost as the SQ8, so you could easily end up spending tens of thousands more. 

The Vorsprung model of the SQ8, the one with all the toys, is knocking on the door of £120,000, but again against similarly-specced BMWs or Mercedes, it doesn’t look quite so overpriced. The problem is that for roughly half-way between the cost of the two SQ8 models, you could have the Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupe, with the same V8 engine, but with an even more desirable badge and slightly sharper driving dynamics.

The Audi SQ8 is fast, smooth, and very comfortable but you need to have the Vorsprung version for twisty roads, and it never quite feels as rapid as you’d expect  

In town

The SQ8 is big and heavy — 2.2 tonnes — but around town it’s actually fine to drive. That adaptive air suspension means that urban roads are simply rolled neatly away underneath the fat tyres, and the rear-wheel steering means that even this chunky high-performance SUV feels surprisingly nimble and easy to manoeuvre. Visibility out isn’t quite as good as it is in the taller Q7, but it’s not too bad and the camera system is good. 

Vorsprung models come with trick automated parking tech, including a remote control system that allows you to shuffle the SQ8 back and forth using your phone. However, this system is a bit hit and miss about connecting to your phone, and it’s limited in what it can do.  

On the motorway

Arguably, this is the best place to keep the SQ8. It might be set up for fast cornering, but actually the SQ8’s mixture of smooth V8 power, well-controlled air suspension, and fabulous seats (and stereo) make it one of the best long-distance cars you can think of. It’s so smooth and effortless, and that mighty V8’s turbo thrust means that it’s easy to tackle long inclines or whizz past lines of slow-moving trucks. It’s the kind of car you leave home with in the morning, and get to Stuttgart before you feel tired.

Mind you, you won’t get to Stuttgart without stopping for a lot of fuel on the way — official fuel consumption of 22mpg doesn’t look too clever, and if you’re using much of the V8’s power that’s going to head for 15mpg pretty quickly. 

On a twisty road

For really tight roads, you need to upgrade to the Vorsprung model, as the active anti-roll system really does work wonders at making the SQ8 feel like a smaller, more agile car. The active rear differential also helps, as it can send power to the outside rear wheel to help make the SQ8 turn in tighter. Without those, the SQ8 doesn’t feel all at sea, but it’s hard to see the advantage over a regular, less powerful Q8.

Even the V8 engine doesn’t feel quite as potent as it might. It sounds great, and certainly has punch, but it seems almost measured in these days of instant electric power, and it leaves considerable headroom in terms of power so that the RSQ8 has a reason to exist. The SQ8, by any measure, turns, accelerates, and stops brilliantly, but it still manages to feel like a car that’s not quite as sharp as it could be.

Lots of luggage space, but the SQ8 could do with more storage areas up front

The SQ8’s electrically adjustable seats give an excellent driving position, and they’re very comfy too, although again you have to upgrade to the Vorsprung spec if you want some choice extras, such as electric adjustment for the steering column or a massage function. There are big door bins, cupholders, and storage under the front seat armrest, but the SQ8 suffers a bit from the same problem as the Q7 in that it never quite feels as if there’s sufficient space for all your odds and ends up front. 

Space in the back seats

The SQ8 might have a lower roofline than the bigger Q7, but in the back seats you’ll only notice that if you’re very tall indeed. Legroom is plentiful, and there’s still a good view out through those large side windows. The rear seat is wide enough to fit three adults, but the transmission tunnel robs a lot of foot space. Those in the back can recline their seats for a comfier ride, and the rear seats also slide back and forth so you can sacrifice legroom for boot space and vice versa. 

Boot space

Slide those back seats all the way forward and the SQ8’s boot expands to a massive 680 litres, which is great, but only if you’re not planning on carrying anyone in the back. Slide them all the way back and the boot’s still big, though — 605 litres, so you can carry several big suitcases and carry-on bags. That’s usefully more space than you’ll find in a BMW X6. There’s an electric tailgate, and the rear seats split-fold three ways, leaving you with an almost-totally flat load space, and 1,755 litres of capacity. Pretty practical, then. 

The SQ8’s tech has fallen behind that of BMW and Mercedes, but it’s still an impressive cabin

 If the SQ8 has a cabin shortcoming, it’s that the double-decker digital screens — the upper, larger one for infotainment and the smaller, lower one for climate controls — are starting to look and feel a bit old-hat. Digital tech moves on fast, and the likes of BMW and Polestar are now offering more up-to-date digital experiences. 

The good news is that the on-screen menus are reasonably easy to follow, even if the graphics look a bit old-fashioned and slightly too dark. There’s a haptic ‘click’ response under your finger when you press the screen, but the annoying thing is that that sometimes still happens even when you haven’t properly pressed an on-screen button. 

The SQ8’s cabin really is beautifully made, though, even if the acres of shiny ‘piano black’ trim are too easily marked and scuffed. The seats come with optional quilted leather — just like a Bentley — and comfort levels are off-the-scale good. The three-spoke steering wheel is surprisingly small and great to hold, while the driver’s digital instruments — and optional head-up display — work really well. As ever with cars with lots of screens, though, a few more physical buttons for common items would be nice, even if you do still get a proper volume knob.  

The SQ8’s official fuel economy of 22mpg is a scary-enough figure, but the fact is that somewhere between 15mpg and 17mpg is more likely in real-world conditions. The twin-turbo V8 engine in the SQ8 isn’t as highly tuned as it is in the RSQ8, but it’s still a thirsty beast. CO2 emissions of 282g/km mean you’ll be in the very top Vehicle Excise Duty road tax bracket, and have to pay the extra annual levy because the SQ8 costs more (waaay more…) than £40,000. Those high emissions mean that company car drivers face high Benefit in Kind charges, too.

The Audi SQ8 was last tested by the independent safety experts at Euro NCAP back in 2019, but it did take home a full five-star score, with a rating of 93% for adult occupant protection, 7% for child occupants, 71% for vulnerable road user protection, and 73% for its electronic safety systems. An alarm and immobiliser are standard fit, but a high-end car like the SQ8 really needs a tracker as well.

The Q8 has been recalled for problems with the front suspension, steering, and gearbox oil leaks, but aside from that it seems to be solidly reliable. Some owners have reported issues with the car’s complex electrical system. Audi gives you a standard three-year warranty, but it’s capped at 60,000 miles whereas BMW’s three-year cover has unlimited mileage.  

Neither the Q8 nor the SQ8 appeared in the Driver Power survey’s Top 50 Cars To Own list, but Audi itself posted a surprisingly poor result, coming 27th out of 32 brands, with 21% of owners reporting problems with their cars.