Q THE VIOLINS

The Audi Q8 will assuredly pique the interests of a certain type of people.

- Aditya Upadhyaula

Audi’s new flagship SUV, the Q8, is an interesting vehicle. Because it’s brought in as a CBU import, it costs nearly twice as much as the Q7. It does come loaded to the gills with features, but is it worth the stratospheric price tag? Let’s find out.

As you walk up to it, the first thing you’ll notice is that imposing grille, the kind that threatens to eat errant life forms. Once you get past that, you’ll see that the rest of the car is very well proportioned. With the air suspension at its lowest setting, the Q8 harks back to the Ur-quattro with its sloping roofline and connected tail-lights. The Q8 bears Audi’s signature LED matrix lighting on both ends and they even do a little dance for you when you lock or unlock the car. Despite being the flagship of the range, the Q8 is smaller than the Q7 in every external dimension, but it carries a lot more street presence, especially in this shade that Audi calls Dragon Orange.