Audi Q8 e-tron (US) review

We think we’ve already hammered home how genteel the Q8 e-tron is in the context of an EV, but it’s also still quite nice on its own merits. We’ll spare you the list of changes to the steering system and detailed tweaks to improve axle kinematics, but suffice it to say that the SUV doesn’t disappoint in the handling department, so long as you don’t mistake it for a rally car.

Okay, but let’s say I do. Then what?

Alright. For those looking to have a little bash in-between errands, the Q8 e-tron is fine for moments y’all would call “cheeky”. The four rings on the front certainly stand for something in the way of dynamic performance, but the R8 this is not. There’s a lot of good 'for an SUV' qualifiers here, and not something like the Porsche Cayenne, a utility vehicle built for sportiness from the ground up.

The Q8’s responsive handling means it does better than average when presented with some curvy country roads, but even with the usually snappy pedal response inherent in EVs, it’s tuned for smoothness and not to power out of bends. Still, in sport mode, the Q8 e-tron makes use of its e-motor-powered all-wheel drive to keep the SUV firmly planted.

How about the Sportback? It’s got “sport” right there in the name!

The Sportback model is a little slicker, but it’s got the same dual asynchronous front and rear motors, the same 402hp and the same 124mph top speed. In fact, the 0-60 still stays the same unless you’re driving the Q8 Sportback S line e-tron quattro. Those come with 19-inch wheels shod with summer tires so the 0 to 60 time drops from 5.4 seconds to - brace yourself - 5.3!

Har-har. How’s the range on it?

It could be better. If a solid 300 miles of range is the current standard, the Q8 e-tron barely reaches it. The standard one scores an estimated 285 miles while the slipperier Sportback can achieve 296 miles. That S line with a different wheel setup manages 300 miles, but only just.