Audi Q8 long term review, 6,500km report

Audi is no stranger to odd naming decisions. It replaced its engine displacement badge with an arbitrary ‘performance’ number; ‘e-tron’ (aside from its meaning in French) was first a model, then a suffix, and now a sub-brand; and did you know its CNG cars are badged g-tron? Most recently, in 2023, the brand made the bold decision to assign odd numbers to all its ICE model names and even numbers to all EVs, turning decades of legacy on its head. It was so confusing to customers that the brand reneged in 2025 and is back to numbering cars based on their size. But even before this double U-turn, one model never quite sat right on the scale, and that’s the Q8.

8 is the largest number in the Audi model range, but the Q8 is not the largest SUV. It also implies a relation to the A8, but the Q8 offers nowhere near that kind of chauffeur-driven experience. Most confoundingly, it shares its name with the Q8 e-tron, an EV that’s noticeably smaller. Some argue that it earns its 8 because it’s a sporty, stylish coupé-SUV positioned above the Q7 – but then, its name would include ‘Sportback’, which it doesn’t.

Looks menacing and sleek without going over the top.

Having spent some time with our long-term Q8, I’ve realised it is best not to think about any of that too much because it detracts from the fact that this is an honest-to-goodness great luxury SUV. For one – and going back to that ‘Sportback’ point – though it looks a little sleeker than most big 5-seat SUVs, it sacrifices no space or practicality to the design. You’d have seen Santa Sergius load it up with Christmas gifts (Autocar India, January 2025), and I, too, managed a couple of airport runs in my time with the Q8. The boot can hold a lot more than its 605-litre rating or the dipping roofline would have you believe, and the rear seat is wide and spacious. I once carried a full complement of passengers, and they actually marvelled at how they weren’t making contact with one another.

605-litre boot is more spacious than it looks on the outside.

The Q8 is part of the outgoing generation of big Audis, and with it will go a distinct interior layout that was started with the current Q7 a decade ago. It’s not without its flaws, like the dashboard and centre console made entirely of gloss-black plastic and screens, which attract a layer of dust every time I open the windows even for a short while. But back then, it successfully modernised the Audi interior while keeping it classy and expensive-looking, and that holds true even today, more so now that we’ve seen what’s coming next. It’s a similar story with the digital dials that, though simple, are incredibly clear and easy to read on the move.

Among the last Audis to use this cabin layout. Not without flaws, but oh so classy.

It’s a big car, for better or worse. I absolutely love lording over traffic on the way to work every day, but navigating the tiny streets in my neighbourhood and parking in my small driveway is tedious, to say the least. At my typical crawling speeds, it’s not surprising that a 2.1-tonne SUV with a turbo-petrol V6 isn’t going to be efficient, but 5.4kpl is low by any measure. And while Sergius enjoyed the ride quality on his highway drive to Goa, in town, the suspension feels firm (and the steering heavy); air suspension is a feature they should not have deleted.

Struggled to reach even 6kpl on the daily commute.

Then there’s Sakhir Gold: a colour that doesn’t even slightly resemble gold but is no less alluring for it (another confusing Audi naming choice, I suppose). I love the paint shade and am glad they offer it amidst the greys, blacks and silvers typical of German luxury cars. You can even get it on the Q7 now, and it never fails to rouse a remark from anyone who steps into the SUV. In fact, in my experience, whoever does experience the Q8 has only good things to say about it. It’s only those of us who’ve been trying to wrap our heads around its positioning who never quite got it. With the facelift and price revision, it’s now better placed against the likes of the BMW X5 and Mercedes GLE, and in my opinion, it looks better than either of them.

By the time you read this, it will have left the fleet and been replaced by a Q7, and for many in the team, that will be an upgrade. For one, it’s got even more space and, crucially, smaller wheels and air suspension, which should allow it to ride better. But its colour? Samurai Grey. Boo!