2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron First Drive: Coming Out Of The Electric Closet

It was 2018 when Audi launched the original e-tron, and back then that name was enough to identify it within the automaker's line-up. Though not Audi's first electric vehicle, it epitomized its vision of what EVs should be moving forward: tech-savvy and stylish, but not too distinct from its internal-combustion models at the same time. Electric newbies, Audi argued, wanted a smooth transition, a car that just so happened to rely on electrons rather than gasoline.

Five years later, it's no exaggeration to say that the electric vehicle space has moved on dramatically. The original e-tron was joined by several other models, taking Audi's current EV range to five. Meanwhile, electrification itself is no longer a brave and scary new world, and cars hoping to be successful don't have to hide their fresh technology in order to coax drivers across the dealership floor.

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For the 2024 Q8 e-tron and the Q8 e-tron Sportback, then, it's a liberation of sorts. The bolder design adds a greater distinction between them and their ICE cousins. A new name, bringing them into the fold of Audi's most lavish SUV series. And, most important of all, an uptick in tech, with the aim of extending usable range as well as leaving the refreshed EVs more enjoyable to drive.

You notice the aesthetic update immediately. The old e-tron was handsome but subtle: only a few giveaways would expose it as an electric vehicle at first glance. Again, that was all by design: Audi's "don't scare the horses" strategy playing it safe.

Its 2024 successor feels like it's living its authentic EV life. There hasn't been a wholesale change — the headlights are carried over, for example, and the overall silhouette is the same — but the front fascia has been thoroughly reworked with a distinctive grille, larger lower air intakes that help reduce drag from the wheels, and the debut of a new Audi logo. Gone is the quartet of three-dimensional chrome Audi rings, replaced with a flat version in either white or gray finishes, while the model details are laser-etched on the B-pillars.

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They are changes future Audi cars will continue, and frankly, those new models could do worse than borrow from the Q8 e-tron's cabin, too. Again, it's a massage rather than wholesale reinvention, with a twin-touchscreen MMI infotainment system — supporting wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — plus a virtual cockpit driver display that's now laminated to the cover glass and looks even crisper and richer as a result. Despite the big screens, though, there are plenty of physical controls, which feels like a nice change from the touchscreen-centric EVs of rival automakers.

The gadgets — which include standard quad-zone climate control with a heat pump, heated seats and steering wheel, adaptive cruise with lane-keeping assistance, a panoramic sunroof, and front and rear parking sensors — are surrounded by a palette of new materials. There's a mesh anthracite inlay made from recycled plastic bottles, for instance, as an alternative to the open-pore wood, and plenty of real metal. Orange contrast stitching, a nod to high-voltage electrical cables, adds a little whimsy.

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Options include Valcona/Milano leather, dual-pane acoustic side glass, a heads-up display, and front massage seats. The latter are comfortable for long-distance cruising, though a little extra side bolster support wouldn't go amiss. It's definitely a quiet place to drive, and a spacious one, with plenty of room in both rows and a decent trunk, too. The SUV holds 29 cu-ft or 57 cu-ft with the rear seats folded. That dips to 27 cu-ft and 55 cu-ft, respectively, in the Sportback, though you're basically losing it above the shoulder line.

Audi

Audi has streamlined its trims, with the 2024 Q8 e-tron starting at $74,400 (plus $1,195 destination) and the 2024 Q8 e-tron Sportback at $77,800 (plus destination). That gets you a Premium model; there are Premium Plus and Prestige trims, along with the first-year-only Launch Edition that takes the flagship spec Sportback to $93,145 all-in. It'll arrive in U.S. dealerships this summer.

The most important improvement is undoubtedly the extra range. The original e-tron faced questions about whether its battery power was sufficient even as it launched; years on, its ability to only go around 220 miles on a charge was even more of a problem.

What's clever is that Audi hasn't actually increased the physical pack size. Its upgraded battery instead relies on a different way of squeezing the prismatic cells into the overall casing, with the new, folded structure making better use of the space. Fewer gaps mean more power, now at 114 kW (106 kWh usable): maximum range, in the Q8 e-tron Sportback with the Ultra package, is an EPA-estimated 300 miles.

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Without the Ultra package — which is a no-cost option, and includes 19-inch aero wheels, low-rolling resistance summer tires, and tweaks to the air suspension for efficiency — Audi says we can expect 296 miles for the Sportback. The regular Q8 e-tron SUV, meanwhile, is estimated to go up to 285 miles on a charge, a consequence of its slightly-less-slippery shape.

When it comes to recharging, the DC fast charging performance has improved, too. Bumped up to 170 kW, from the old car's 150 kW, it means it takes roughly 31 minutes to go from 10% to 80%. That's certainly not the fastest in the market — Lucid's Air can handle up to 300 kW, while Hyundai's Ioniq 6 can manage 233 kW — but Audi points to its aggressive charge curve (how closely it can stick to those maximum rates as the battery gets refilled) as being an advantage out in the real world.

Most EV charging still takes place at home — though Q8 e-tron owners will get two years of unlimited Electrify America charging sessions — and Audi continues to offer dual charging ports (one on each side of the front fenders) as a convenience option.

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They're part of a $1,850 bundle with the even more useful 19.2 kW onboard charger, up to twice as fast as the standard 9.6 kW charger when used with a Level 2 plug commonly installed in owners' garages. You'll need an 80A charger to hit that maximum rate, mind, and sadly you can't plug in two 40A chargers — one on each side — and get the same overall rate. Audi automatically locks the unused port when the Q8 e-tron is plugged in.

I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't exactly doing range testing, as I tackled the sweeping coastal highway and engagingly twisty back roads that Audi had mapped out. My average of 2.4 miles per kilowatt reflects that profligacy. However, it also points to the targeted improvements that the Q8 e-tron's engineers made with this refresh and their success.

The original EV was comfortable, owners and reviewers agreed, but lacked hustle: steering on the vague side, and a little too much body roll when pushed in corners. Audi's fix is to speed up the steering ratio, leaving each turn of the wheel more purposeful, and in particular adding more on-center feel. Standard adaptive air suspension and greater rigidity to the front axles leave the Q8 e-tron more nimble and less roly-poly.

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It's an upgrade that shows its hand well in sweeping curves, where the EV's weight transfers more reassuringly and the steering feels more predictable. On tighter roads, the not-inconsiderable heft dissuades too much aggression, though grip never seems in short supply.

Having driven the Q8 e-tron Sportback Launch Edition back to back with the Q8 e-tron SUV Prestige, I'd say the ride compliance of the latter's standard 21-inch wheels far outweighs the aesthetics of the former's 22-inchers, which have a slight but still noticeable impact on comfort. Audi's regenerative braking levels can be set to adjust automatically to the road conditions, or controlled manually with the steering wheel paddles. The blend of regen and physical braking is seamless, but there's no true one-pedal mode.

This is not a sports EV, and Audi isn't pretending it is. The upcoming SQ8 e-tron, expected later in 2023, will offer a more performance-minded configuration. It'll throw in a third electric motor, among other changes: one 124 KW motor on the front axle, and two rear motors each directing 98 kW to a rear wheel.

That will, at the risk of making bold predictions, be fun. The dual-motor Q8 e-tron is still entertaining, but its 402 horsepower (in Boost mode) and 5.4 second 0-60 mph time lack the visceral, organ-rearranging punch that some EVs provide. I never felt like I was short on straight-line speed, but I also never felt like the Audi was trying to puree my stomach between my vertebrae, either.

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With the right tires — I tried summer rubber on the Sportback, and all-seasons on the SUV — you could theoretically take the Q8 e-tron off-roading. There are specific offroad and allroad drive modes, capable of lifting the EV up to 2.99 inches, alongside the efficiency, comfort, auto, and dynamic settings. An individual mode allows for customizing a mix of settings. Correctly configured, there's a healthy 4,000-pound tow rating.

Back when the original Audi e-tron launched, the electric SUV didn't have much competition. These days, that's absolutely not the case. BMW's iX has cachet and more aggressive acceleration, while the Genesis Electrified GV70 and Cadillac Lyriq get bolder styling, even if their overall package isn't quite as elegantly balanced as that of the Q8 e-tron. Tesla's Model X has more range, but also a significantly higher sticker price.

Overall, Audi has done a good job of carrying forward what made the original EV feel appealing while freshening it to be competitive in today's market. Even without the Ultra package and its 300-mile range, the 285-296 miles promised for the standard SUV and Sportback are far more reassuring than the e-tron of old. Throw in faster charging, both on the road and at home, and Audi's promise of an EV that's exceedingly easy to live with holds true.

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Like most automakers, Audi's ambitions for electrification are aggressive. Half of the 20 new models launching globally by 2025 will be electric, and by 2026, every new model will be electric; the goal is a fully-electric portfolio by 2033, or maybe even earlier. Once an e-tron was the outlier. Now, the 2024 Q8 e-tron will find itself in increasingly capable company. That it succeeds as a luxurious and refined all-rounder is down to Audi's willingness to listen to feedback.