USED BUYER'S GUIDE AUDI Q8

FROM £30,000 Audi's large coupé-SUV will get you to your destination in comfort and style

- Richard Dredge

EVER since Germany's premium brands embraced the full-sized SUV more than two decades ago, there's been a constant battle to produce something bigger, faster and more luxurious than what has gone before. Just when you think we've reached the pinnacle, along comes a new contender, and in the case of Audi it's the Q8, which is essentially a coupé version of its Q7.

Big, extravagant, fast and expensive, it's a car that's glorious to own, but comes at a price. Not to be confused with the recently axed Q8 e-tron EV – launched as the e-tron and a separate model range as far as we're concerned – the Q8 is an impressive flagship for Audi.

HISTORY

THE Q8 first hit the UK in summer 2018 with a 282bhp 3.0 TDI diesel engine featuring mild-hybrid tech. At the start of 2019 the 55 TFSI arrived with a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, then in summer 2019 a 429bhp 4.0 V8 TDI option went on sale, marketed as the SQ8. For those wanting even more, the RS Q8 appeared in spring 2020 with a 592bhp twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine.

Reflecting changing tastes, from summer 2020 the SQ8 featured a 500bhp 4.0 TFSI engine powered by petrol. Then just a few months later came the 375bhp 55 TFSI e quattro and 455bhp 60 TFSI e quattro plug-in hybrids; the latter was axed at the end of 2021.

A facelift for the regular models late in 2023 brought a refreshed exterior with matrix LED headlights and extra colours. Then in summer last year, the RS Q8 was facelifted and the 631bhp RS Q8 Performance was added at the top of the range.

WHICH SHOULD I BUY?