Audi Q8 e-tron becomes brand's flagship electric SUV

Audi has facelifted its e-tron SUV and given the flagship electric model a new name.

The Q8 e-tron is available to order now, priced from £67,800. It will compete with the new Mercedes EQE that goes on sale next year.

As before, buyers can specify the sleeker Sportback bodystyle, for an extra £2,500.

The entry-level Q8 50 e-tron and Q8 Sportback 50 e-tron generate 340PS and offer a WLTP range of up to 281 miles (SUV) and up to 290 miles (Sportback) from their 95kWh battery.

The Q8 55 e-tron and Q8 Sportback 55 e-tron are fitted with a new, larger 114kWh battery. These models generate 408PS and can cover up to 330 miles for the SUV and up to 343 miles for the Sportback. Prices start at £77,800.

Modifications to the car’s rear motor have enabled it to consume less energy to generate the required amount of torque, while aerodynamic improvements have also been applied, enhancing efficiency.

The range-topping SQ8 e-tron and SQ8 Sportback e-tron are driven by three motors. They provide peak power of 503PS and 973Nm of torque. The range of the S models is up to 284 miles for the SUV and up to 295 miles for the Sportback. The SQ8 e-tron is priced from £97,500.

The Q8 e-tron and Q8 Sportback e-tron lineups comprise four trim levels: Sport, S Line, Black Edition and Vorsprung. The high-performance SQ8 e-tron range is made up of a Black Edition and Vorsprung trims.

Base models include adaptive air suspension, progressive steering, heated and electrically adjustable front seats, acoustic glazing, Audi Virtual cockpit, keyless entry and two-zone automatic air conditioning with remote preconditioning.

A raft of safety equipment also features as standard including Matrix LED headlamps, a rearview camera, lane departure warning, Audi pre-sense front and basic, parking system with 360 sensors and camera traffic sign recognition.

The S-Line features sport air suspension, privacy glass and S-line bumpers and sport seats. Black Edition adds gloss black trim pieces.

Range topping Vorsprung adds Digital Matrix lights, virtual door mirrors, power closing doors, a heated steering wheel and a Bang&Olufsen sound system.

At a high-powered charging station, the Audi Q8 50 e-tron achieves a maximum charging performance of 150kW. With the Q8 55 e-tron and SQ8 e-tron, the maximum charging performance increases to up to 170kW. The larger battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in 31 minutes.

At an AC charging station or wallbox, the Audi Q8 e-tron charges at up to 11kW. Audi also offers an optional AC charging upgrade of up to 22kW.

Audi has said that all new car launches will be electric vehicles from 2026, with its final internal combustion engine (ICE) set to go into production in three years’ time.