The Audi Q8 has never really been a crowd-pleaser - it's too divisive for that - but the Q7's more attractively styled sibling has still been successful. So successful, in fact, that the mid-life update has been understandably minor. After all, if it's selling well, there's no need to change too much. But with rivals constantly moving the game forward, are small changes enough to keep the Q8 competitive?
In the metal
When we say the changes to the Audi Q8 are minor, we mean it. If anyone can immediately spot the differences from these images, they've either spent too long with the old car or they're due 1,000,000 car nerd points. So, if you spotted the new front bumper, new headlight designs and new rear light cluster, you've done very well indeed. If you spotted the new wheel designs and the choice of three new paint colours (although we've no idea how you'd do that from these images alone) you're a top-tier motor nerd.
For 99.9 per cent of us, though, the Q8 looks exactly the same as before, albeit with a few new features. Those new lights, for example, have a choice of four different signatures for customers to choose from, and there's a similar choice of signature in the tail lights, which are also available with a proximity warning system that illuminates every pixel of the light when another car gets too close to the Q8's rear.
Otherwise, the differences are limited to a choice of new alloy wheel designs measuring 21, 22 or 23 inches in diameter, and a selection of paint colours. There's a new red, a new blue and a new brown that's the colour of baby food and is unlikely to find much favour in Western Europe. In the Middle East, however, it'll probably play quite well.
The interior changes are equally minor, with some new decorative trim options - wood, aluminium and carbon fibre - representing the sole differences. Not that there's much wrong with that, because the Q8's interior is one of its best features. Build quality is enormously impressive, and material quality is also first rate, although the swathe of black plastic across the dash is a magnet for grubby fingerprints. But in terms of solidity, there's little that can rival a Q8's cabin.
Oddly enough for Audi, however, the technology is less of a strong suit. The Virtual Cockpit digital instrument display is somehow still a class leader despite its age - it has been headlining Audi products for about a decade now - but the twin-touchscreen infotainment system isn't such a triumph. It works fine, with the top screen controlling media and navigation while the lower screen takes care of climate control and suchlike, and we've no real complaints about the displays. However, the screens have this strange haptic feedback that makes them a bit odd to use.
But because there's so little change in the Q8's cabin, there is at least plenty of space. As before, the boot is competitively sized and more than spacious enough for most eventualities, while cabin space is ample. Sitting four tall adults in there won't be a problem whatsoever, despite the Q8's marginally more sporty lines compared with the roomier Q7. If you want seven seats, however, you'll have to go for the larger model, because the Q8 is purely offered in five-seat form.
Driving it
While the Q8's exterior and interior upgrades may be minor, the changes to the chassis and the engine range are non-existent. And that isn't hyperbole. Audi hasn't done so much as boost the power or add a new powertrain, although it should be said two new plug-in hybrid models are expected in the next year or so.
Otherwise, it's more of the same, which means you get a choice of petrol and diesel propulsion systems, all of which use fairly big engines. The Irish market will likely only get the 3.0-litre diesel options (the 45 TDI and 50 TDI versions, with 231 and 286hp respectively) and the SQ8, which gets a 4.0-litre turbocharged petrol V8 that produces a meaty 507hp, for the time being, although other markets will get the 3.0-litre '55 TFSI' V6 petrol with 340hp.
Naturally, the diesels are the most sensible choice, partly because they're the only ones that will burn fewer than 10 litres of fuel every 100km. Even so, consumption of 8.5 litres/100km in the 50 TDI we tested isn't especially impressive, and an emissions rating of 224g/km means Revenue will certainly take an interest. But until the plug-in hybrid options arrive, diesel will be the Q8 of choice for most Irish buyers.
And very nice it is too. Yes, the engine clatters in that diesel way when it's cold, but when it's up and running it's remarkably smooth, particularly from inside the cabin. And it packs plenty of punch, despite being the Q8's least powerful engine. But with 600Nm of torque helping to push you forward, as well as the eight-speed automatic gearbox and quattro all-wheel-drive system that's standard across the Q8 range, it'll still get from 0-100km/h in about six seconds and hit a top speed of 241km/h - not that that matters unless you plan to hammer along the German autobahn with any kind of regularity. The point is, you can hardly call it slow, and the grunt of that engine also means it'll tow a 3.5-tonne trailer if you want it to.
As an all-rounder, therefore, the 50 TDI is the easy winner, but there are alternatives. The 340hp 55 TFSI makes a surprisingly solid case for itself with its refinement and power, although it is just half a second faster to 100km/h than the 50 TDI. But the problem is conspicuous consumption, and the petrol-powered Q8s excel at emptying their fuel tanks. Officially, the 55 TFSI burns through 11 litres of unleaded every 100km, and that's going to get quite costly quite quickly.
There's a train of thought, therefore, that says if you're going to burn petrol by the bucketload anyway, you might as well get the SQ8, with its glorious V8 engine. Quiet when you want it to be and magnificent when you don't, it's used to great effect in various Audi models. In every case, it has this uncanny ability to feel aristocratic and subdued, before suddenly offering an unhinged turn of pace. In the SQ8, that means you get from 0-100km/h in around four seconds, and that's faster than anyone ever needs to travel.
Although the engines are quite different, they don't change the way the Q8 rides and handles all that much. It's a shame Audi didn't give the suspension a little tweak; though the Q8 is hardly uncomfortable, it doesn't waft along with the same grace as some of its rivals, including the Porsche Cayenne. Don't get us wrong - you won't have your teeth shaken out by any means - but there's a slight bubble to the ride that just makes it feel slightly unsettled, particularly over shorter-wavelength bumps. Longer undulations such as big speed bumps are ironed out beautifully, but potholes can really catch the Q8 out. We'd stick with the smallest wheels possible to try and keep the ride pillowy, but that comes at the cost of style, and it's a trade-off some customers won't be willing to make.
Normally, the payback for such a ride would be impressive handling, but again, the Q8 doesn't feel as agile as the Cayenne. It isn't as though there's a problem with the way it drives, because it's smooth, predictable and stable, and the lack of body lean in corners is rather impressive for something so big and bulky, but it isn't engaging or exciting in the way a Cayenne - or even a Range Rover Sport - can be. The steering, for example, is absolutely fine, but it's no better than that. It doesn't offer all that much feedback, and though the weight is well judged, it isolates you from the car's oily bits more than it connects you.
Of course, most owners will be more than happy with that state of affairs because it suits the Q8's refinement and aloofness. It comes with a sense of invincibility, which could be construed as positive or negative, but we guess buyers will love the way it cocoons and insulates occupants from the world outside.
What you get for your money
Audi Ireland hasn't yet confirmed prices for the full 2024 Q8 range, but the cheapest 45 TDI version comes in at just over €120,000. That's quite a lot of money, but you do get plenty of equipment, including the new LED matrix lights, the standard 21-inch alloys and the usual array of screens in the cabin. Climate control, heated seats and the like are all included across the range. That's fairly good value compared with, say, a Cayenne, which starts at €136,000 in petrol form, and there's no diesel option. A diesel Range Rover Sport will come in at almost €160,000.
Summary
The new Audi Q8 doesn't feel much different from the old car, but that isn't entirely surprising given the changes are so minor. The fact of the matter is that the old car was still a solid option for buyers, and while changes are far from unwelcome, they weren't urgently needed. So for those who have just taken delivery of a current Q8, there's no need to worry about missing out on anything, but for those looking to replace their car, you can rest assured they'll enjoy the new Q8 just as much as the old one. It's still a very competent luxury SUV, if not a class leader in any particular way, but though competitors are ahead, it's remarkably free of major weaknesses.
