It's a sportier version of its three-row sibling
In 2019, Audi introduced its new Q8, the company's two-row SUV based on the large three-row Q7. This big, stylish SUV competes against smoothly styled rivals such as the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, along with the Land Rover Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne.
The previous-generation Q7 was introduced in 2017, and it thoroughly impressed us. It performed extremely well in our road tests. The Audi Q8 we drove is a sportier, more tech-laden SUV, but Audi didn’t mess with the fundamentals it brought over from the Q7.
Most vehicles that we rent from automakers are top-trim versions, and the Q8 was no exception. As such, the interior is impeccably fitted with rich leather seats, natural wood trim on the doors and dashboard, high-gloss black panels, and even suede along the roof pillars and the material overhead. It is also incredibly quiet inside.
The controls, although advanced, were easy for our testers to work with after some familiarization. There are many settings, modes, and options on each of the two center screens as well as the multifunction screen in the instrument cluster.
We rented one from Audi to see what the Q8 is like to live with and drive, and how different it is from the Q7. These are our impressions of the model, which we won’t be buying to put it through CR's testing regimen because it is so similar to the Q7 and is likely to be a low-volume vehicle in the market.