If your natural inclination remains toward luxury marques (even if you can ill afford them) then the new Audi Q8 e-tron will surely catch your attention. The car is both chic and swanky, after all, we don’t expect Audi’s to provide utilitarian vehicles.
The prime modification in the latest iteration of Audi’s first-ever electric automobile is its updated name – the Q8 e-tron. The facelifted model, as per the brand, comes with more efficiency and an extensive range of up to 582 kilometres in the SUV version and up to 600 kilometres in the Sportback version (WLTP cycle).
The new Q8 e-tron comes with three drivetrain variants. The base models of the Audi Q8 50 e-tron and the Q8 Sportback 50 e-tron generate 250 kW in boost mode and 664 Nm of torque, and they get a range of up to 491km (SUV) and up to 505km (Sportback). The Audi Q8 55 e-tron and the Q8 Sportback 55 e-tron generate 300 kW in boost mode and 664 Nm of torque with ranges up to 582 km for the SUV and up to 600 km for the Sportback. Then, the top-end Audi Q8 S e-tron and the Q8 Sportback S e-tron are powered by three motors. Their boost performance amounts to 370 kW and 973 Nm of torque. The range of the S models is up to 494km for the SUV and up to 513km for the Sportback and their top speed is limited to 210km/h.
There’s a new front and rear design with a remodelled inverted grille and the brand’s novel 2D ring emblem on it, plus the alloy wheels are also redesigned. The interiors got minimal changes with recycled material used on the dashboard so brownie points for that.
The market launch of the new Audi EV is planned around the end of February 2023 and the base price will reportedly be around 74,400 euros (₹60,94,224).