The Audi Q8 Is Five Metres Of SUV Conspicuousness

We get the idea behind the SUV ‘coupe’, but these cars never quite work out IRL, do they? The BMW X4 and X6, the Mercedes GLC and GLE Coupes - they’re all less practical versions of existing SUVs with questionable looks, but now it seems as though Audi has broken the cycle of madness.

It’s done so with the Q8, which is best thought of as a Q7 with what Ingolstadt claims is “coupe styling.” But, it has a very different visual identity to its sibling, and it looks all the better for it. It’s 66 shorter than the Q7, 27mm wider, and has a lower roofline. And yes, there is a big grille at the front.

From some angles, it looks like how the Lamborghini Urus might have turned out if the designer had been a little less obsessed with rulers. It also shares its ‘MLBevo’ platform with the Lambo SUV, along with the Q7, Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg. It’ll be built with the latter three in VW Group’s Bratislava factory.

Just one engine will be available from launch - a 3.0-litre, ‘50 TDI’ diesel V6. It produces 276bhp and a curiously specific 442.5lb ft of torque, making 0-62mph possible in 6.3 seconds. A lower-powered ‘45 TDI’ diesel will be available early next year, plus a 335bhp ‘55 TFSI’ turbocharged V6.

What’s arguably more interesting than the engines themselves is how they’re fitted: they’re connected to the front axle subframe via ‘switchable hydraulic bearings’ which can reduce the vibrations transferred into the cabin during driving, and cut them out altogether at idle.

If you want a quicker version, you’ll have to be patient: an SQ8 is expected to join the ranks eventually, and a twin-turbo V8 RSQ8 could happen too.

The interior should look familiar, as it shares its similar triple screen setup with the A6, A7 and A8. There’s a 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit display as standard, while on the centre console you’ll find two touch screens - one measuring 10.1 inches, and the other 8.6.

Adaptive air suspension is available, and when fitted, you’ll be able to vary the ride height by up to 90mm. You can option rear-wheel steering too if you fancy - the system turns the rear wheels by up to five degrees, steering in the opposite direction to the front wheels at low speeds to make this big, heavy SUV feel more agile, and in the same direction at higher speeds for better stability.

There’s no word on pricing just yet, but the 50 TDI is expected to weigh in at around £65,000. There’ll be a kit-festooned ‘Vorsprung edition’ too, which will be significantly more.

The car will be launched in the UK this summer.