2019 Audi Q8 first test drive: Cross-country titan tech

You can not be helped but be struck by two immediate but very distinct thoughts when propelling the Audi Q8 SUV 2019 through the Atacama desert in Chile, the driest place on Earth:

1. This part of the world perpetually perpetuates the kind of 360-degree panoramas that give the impression that someone has clicked on the big screen button of the cinema of your life. It is both gross enough and vast enough to make one feel completely insignificant, a simple, sensitive trace on an interstellar web.

2. The Audi Q8 2019 is an all-wheel drive tonic for such navel-gazing. You can not help but feel very special and meaningful when driving this luxurious, technology-rich SUV.

Flagship Q

The Q8 is Audi's new SUV, overcoming the same basic architecture as its larger but less classy brother, the Q7. Designed to face rivals like the Land Rover Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne, this two-row SUV will also be cross-shopped against models like the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe and BMW X6. The Q8 may be smaller than the Q7, but as its alphanumeric designation is a bit clearer, it will be the ultimate SUV for the company, an SUV that is available on the trays with technology.

While the larger Q7 is a 21st century break for the wealthy, the 16.4-foot Q8 takes a much more personal approach to SUV luxury, including a more athletic dynamic. If sharing its underlying DNA with a three-row family trucker is somewhat off-putting, be aware that the Q8 also shares its MLB Evo architecture with the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus, two of the most successful SUVs ever put to the test.

This helps that the Q8 also looks very different from the bigger Q7. Or, at least, it helps if you're a fan of this new model, which incorporates what Audi officials say is the future of their SUV design language. Overall, this means a much more prominent eight-sided grille, with a thicker "mask" frame surrounding thin vertical mounts. At the back, there is a full width strip of taillights that looks very much like those of the Lamborghini (no bad thing).

The Q8 will not arrive until the end of the fall, and Audi USA is still determining whether it will offer the grille in body color, gloss black, contrast gray, or a combination of those -this. Having seen examples painted each way on launch (Europe will have all three), I am confident that it will be an unusually important determinant of how this look is received by buyers. While the Q8 looks better in person than in the photos, I still find the new nose unsettling and not particularly successful – especially when it is finished in contrasting colors. My recommendation? Opt for a dark body color to help before melting into.

Hybrid assistant

When it arrives at dealerships in the late fall, the 2019 Q8 will be powered by Audi's highly respected Audi 3-liter Audi V6, tuned to deliver 335 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque backed up. by an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddles. .

A lightweight 48-volt hybrid system comes standard, consisting of a small 10-Ah lithium-ion battery and a belt alternator starter (BAS). The powertrain not only improves efficiency through the stop / start, but also thanks to its ability to navigate for long periods with the engine stopped and uncoupled at speeds between 34 and 99 mph. Between electrical assistance and forced induction of the engine, I found that there was a lot of power, even at very high altitude. We climbed on mountain roads at a breathtaking speed (literally) of 15,000 feet in a kind of thin air that would wither a naturally aspirated engine – and I still found a lot of power , especially in sport mode.

That said, it's important to note that the standard Q8 is not designed as a sheet for the more powerful versions of competitors, including models like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo or the BMW X6 M. Although the SQ8 and RSQ8 models are not officially confirmed, the SQ8 and RSQ8 models are safer, so if the standard model does not contain enough punch, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of extra ponies that are not not too far away. horizon.

Unlike the Q7, there is no project for a less powerful and less expensive 2.0-liter online model.

The fuel economy figures are not yet fully cooked, but a comparable V6-powered Q7 checks to 19 miles per gallon city, 25 highway and 21 combined. Since it is a little more aerodynamic, slightly lighter, and that it has the slight hybrid help mentioned above, it is probably reasonable to expect that the Q8 does a few more digits every cycle.

MMI, my, my

Inside, the Q8 still breaks with its younger Q7 thanks to a completely different interior. In fact, because it uses the latest Audi Touch Response MMI system with its two large touch screens and no multicontrollers, the cabin experience of the Q8 is very different, having more in common with that of Audi. AT 8, A7 and A6 models.

Although I understand why car designers do it, the experience has taught me to be suspicious of automakers who remove physical apparatus in favor of the touch screen infotainment systems, especially multi-screen solutions. In general, they cause more problems than they deserve, being complicated in terms of layout, and most importantly, frustrating to use in a moving vehicle.

That said, I did not have experience with MMI Touch Response, but found it was a touch screen system as well. well designed that I have found. In my opinion, only Genesis's unique screen configuration is more intuitive among luxury brands, and the Korean setup is not as smooth or powerful as this Audi platform. Even for existing users of previous MMI systems, it will still have to get used to it, but it's actually a rather user-friendly setup.

Specific tastes include the crispness and speed of the two-stage screens themselves (10.1 and 8.6 inches, respectively), as well as the ability to create custom shortcuts for key features. The elegant way in which the optional 360-degree camera system can be viewed (including turning a virtual version of the Q8 to see what's around) is also particularly enjoyable, as is the function of the camera. writing for data entry cursive and overwhelming letters). Naturally, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support are present.

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The rest of the cabin of the Q8 is no less impressive, with the usual range of high quality materials and switching equipment, as well as comfortable sport seats throughout the day. It should be noted that despite its more rugged roofline, the Q8 still has an astonishing bounty in the back. The rear seat slides to the front and the 60:40 split files rise up, but you do not need a monkey with the settings to put you at ease.

We will have to wait for the latest figures from the cabin, but the second row of the Q8 feels much more spacious than some of its hunchback rivals (I'm watching you, BMW and Mercedes). My five-foot and nine-inch frame had a lot of room and room for the legs. In fact, there is so much room there that it's surprising that Audi does not offer entertainment screens at the rear or even a premium amenity four-seater with center console.

The cargo space is also solid, with up to 62 cubic feet of available space with the row second row.

The visibility to the outside of the Q8 is pretty good – also significantly better than in the 'four-door coupe' SUVs. And despite the extremely varied Chilean terrain that I drove, the cabin was of an infallible discretion. Almost scary way, in fact, especially if we consider that the Q8 is the only Audi crossover to use frameless doors (which usually do not hide the surrounding world). In addition, my test car is equipped with optional 22-inch wheels (19, 20 and 21-inch units are also available) with a wide 285/40 Continental rubber, which makes such a serenity even more so. impressive.

Off-road all-round

Oversized wheels also tend to have a negative impact on ride quality, but the Q8 is very well behaved, especially because of the generic nature of the surfaces we have experienced in Chile, which range from solar lining well maintained at secondary roads lined with potholes. red dirt, muddy trails and even snow in the mountains.

Some credit is due to the optional air suspension of my test car (the adjustable steel springs are standard), which can alternatively offer up to 10 inches of ground clearance for light off-road or off-road use. Q8 on its wings to look like a hot steroid hatch.

Even standing on his tippy toes, the Q8 built in Slovakia will not worry the Land Rovers when it comes to crossing rough things, but I've been able to ford a shallow stream and get around it all. impunity a simple hilly course off road. In other words, the Q8 is more efficient when the pavement ends than 99.9 percent of potential homeowners will need.

In the United States, the available air suspension will be paired with four-wheel drive steering, allowing this large mid-size SUV to behave more deftly when pushed, just like the front-end torque distribution. back default of 40:60. . Although there is no sports car, it is easy to drive the Q8 with confidence, thanks in part to its strong brakes and good steering precision.

Personal luxury of the 21st century

Historically, I have failed to understand the appeal of SUVs to "four doors". Without exception, they sacrifice cabin space and extract more money from portfolios than their more straightforward and conventional counterparts, all without paying much dividends aesthetically or in terms of performance. Even the Audi executives I've talked to have admitted an aversion to the genre, but the rivals' long-standing success has finally become too difficult to ignore, especially in such a lucrative segment.

The thing is, despite its more racy greenhouse and protruding slotted wings (tributes to the legendary Audi Ur-Quattro, I'm told), when I look at the Q8, I do not see a SUV at all. four-door – I discover a high-end crossover, technically athletic and well proportioned.

Maybe it's for the better.

Editor's note: Roadshow accepts multi-day vehicle loans from manufacturers to provide editorial reviews. All marked vehicle examinations are completed on our territory and according to our conditions. However, for this feature, the manufacturer has covered travel expenses. This is common in the automotive industry because it is much cheaper to send reporters to cars than to send cars to reporters.

The judgments and opinions of the Roadshow editorial team are ours and we do not accept paid editorial content.