Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron

Update for this electric luxury SUV includes a new name and bigger batteries for a more competitive range On sale Now Price from £69,585

- Steve Huntingford

ACTOR ROB LOWE once complained that his career suffered when he was young due to "bias against good-looking people" - a claim that probably has you reaching for the world's smallest violin. Still, he might have had a point, because it's easy to assume (wrongly) that style always comes at the expense of substance. With a car like the Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron, for example.

You see, this electric SUV is essentially a more style-orientated version of the Q8 e-tron (which we reviewed in the February 2023 issue), swapping that model's squared-off rear end for a coupé-like silhouette. But while this does have an impact on practicality, it also improves the car's aerodynamics and therefore its range.

The other thing to note about the looks is that they might seem familiar, and there's a good reason for that: the Q8 Sportback e-tron was previously sold as simply the E-tron Sportback. True, Audi's designers have refreshed the styling, most notably at the front, where the grille now flows into the headlights, but the fundamental body shape is the same.