The Audi E-Tron SUV and Sportback had been among the many first absolutely electrical SUVs of their variety. Now they’re altering with the panorama—and it’s for the higher. 

Only a week in the past we had been in a position to drive among the revamped mannequin line, renamed the 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron SUV and Sportback, with a becoming backdrop: one of many latest, most dynamic landscapes on the planet, at Lanzarote, referred to as the Island of Volcanoes. 

When the E-Tron SUV arrived in spring 2019, there was no direct rival—with the quirky Tesla Mannequin X and the a lot smaller Jaguar I-Tempo the closest options. Now with an anticipated vary round 300 miles, the revamped Q8 E-Tron sits as a wise mid-market entry, flanked by the BMW iX, Cadillac Lyriq, Mercedes EQS SUV, and Rivian R1S.

As earlier than, the Q8 E-Tron lineup is, just like the smaller This autumn E-Tron lineup, supplied in two physique kinds: SUV and Sportback. Each are similar forward of the entrance seats, however the Sportback has a tapered, coupe-like roofline that limits rear-seat area and cargo in favor of a design that stands aside from different SUVs.

2024 Audi SQ8 E-Tron SUV

2024 Audi SQ8 E-Tron SUV

2024 Audi SQ8 E-Tron SUV

Audi exhibits a robust self-awareness of the E-Tron fashions’ strengths and weaknesses in the way it went about enhancing these fashions for a mid-cycle refresh. In brief, it hasn’t messed with a lot about these fashions’ lodging, cabin consolation, or interface; but it surely’s put the majority of the hassle into one factor: Boosting the Q8 E-Tron’s vary. 

Extra vary issues—and it’s right here

That addresses one thing Audi executives—particularly these on the U.S. aspect—have freely admitted since across the time of the E-Tron’s launch. Whereas the unique E-Tron delivered a powerful degree of reliability in vary, it doesn’t matter what the situations, the EPA quantity is what finally mattered to buyers. 

To that, the Q8 E-Tron will get a much bigger capability pack—now at 114 kwh, versus the earlier 95 kwh, and leading to 106 kwh of usable capability. The general battery field is similar dimension, however Audi has match extra of the same-size prismatic cells into it than earlier than; it’s additionally shifted to a brand new nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA) cell chemistry. 

With the battery pack providing 23% extra usable power than earlier than, Audi sees a spread increase of 30% or higher. That’s partly as a result of it’s made some vital enhancements to aerodynamics, including lively grille shutters and revisiting the underbody aero particularly to enhance the coefficient of drag by 0.02 in U.S.-spec fashions, as much as 0.27 for the Sportback and 0.29 for the SUV—most notably with an underbody spoiler that guides airflow across the wheels. 

2024 Audi SQ8 E-Tron SUV

This does yield enchancment, evaluating my observations right here versus my different drives of the E-Tron household. That stated, the venue Audi selected offered very gentle temps and no vital elevation acquire, so it wasn’t any critical check of the Q8 E-Tron’s driving vary. I managed 2.5 miles per kwh, based on the journey laptop, within the least environment friendly mannequin of the lineup, the SQ8, over about 85 miles zigzagging the volcanic island—a lot of it maintaining to round 45 mph or much less, however with a number of blasts to increased pace. Then in a a lot shorter drive in a Q8 S-line I managed to match that determine. 

That’s undoubtedly an enchancment in effectivity versus what I’ve seen in comparable mild situations with the outgoing mannequin, and at round 265 miles multiplied out, it suggests a real-world vary enchancment of a minimum of 25%. 

Friskier, however not faster-accelerating

I’ve pushed the dual-motor E-Tron SUV and Sportback fashions extensively, and the primary change I seen although, making use of to both mannequin, was that it dealt with extra crisply on the sluggish however tightly curved island roads—friskier, I’d sum it up as. To yield that impression, Audi switched out the steering rack for one with a faster ratio (14.6:1, vs. the earlier 15.8:1). It’s additionally gone with a stiffer entrance axle management arm, and new bushings assist it accomplish making these fast directional adjustments with out including harshness. 

As with the outgoing 2023 E-Tron, there are now not standard-spring variations of this electrical SUV lineup; all variations include an adaptive air suspension, permitting 3.0 inches of body-height adjustment. Audi has additionally revised the tuning governing the Q8 E-Tron’s steering, suspension, and trip peak, in addition to torque distribution. The Q8 E-Tron provides 5 core modes: offroad, allroad, effectivity, consolation, and auto. They really benefit from this car’s ride-height flexibilities and traction versatility. 

2024 Audi SQ8 E-Tron SUV

The system in each variations nonetheless defaults to rear-wheel drive beneath mild cruising situations, though it’s going to now extra rapidly direct energy to the entrance motor when wanted. 

All Q8 E-Tron fashions have all-wheel drive. Q8 E-Tron Superior and S-line fashions have a dual-motor setup, whereas S fashions, badged SQ8, get a tri-motor setup that permits physics-defying dealing with by offering braking motion on the inside rear wheel whereas persevering with to use ahead energy on the exterior. 

Core efficiency stats for the Q8 E-Tron household haven’t modified a lot in U.S. guise. The Q8 E-Tron 55 has a dual-motor system that makes 402 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque, whereas the SQ8 E-Tron provides three motors, with two of them on the rear wheels, for a mixed 496 hp and 718 lb-ft. 

The extra densely stocked battery weighs about 44 kilos greater than the earlier 95-kwh pack, however a 15-pound drop within the weight of underbody shielding plus a number of different gadgets almost offset that, Audi says. With drive ratios the identical, too, Audi says that it could get to 62 mph in numbers which might be similar to 2022: 4.5 seconds for the SQ8, whereas the U.S. Q8 55 mannequin will land at about 5.6 seconds. 

2023 Audi SQ8 E-Tron Sportback

Entrance and rear, all variations of the E-Tron get asynchronous (induction) motors, however whatever the model, the motors which might be put in on the rear axle now get 14 windings slightly than 12. That enables the motor to make light-load torque with much less power than earlier than—a necessary for “gliding.”

Off-the-line torque has by no means been a energy of those motors in comparison with rival permanent-magnet items; however Audi says that they supply higher effectivity at excessive pace and reduce the dependence on rare-earth supplies. Whereas the SQ8 doesn’t present the standing-start rip that some EVs do, it enthusiastically surges ahead from a rolling begin on up, with an instantaneous, nearly video-game high quality about it—and surprisingly little lift-and-squat physique movement in comparison with different massive electrical SUVs.

Exact braking, no-drama interface

The car’s interface doesn’t change a lot both. There’s nonetheless a really mild degree of recuperation once you carry off the accelerator in Drive, whereas with the steering-wheel paddles you may click on between three regen modes—the upper-most simulating Impartial-like gliding. 

An Auto setting for regen is the default, and when you get to understand how and why it’s ramping up regen in some conditions—principally for map information, but additionally once you’re following one other car—it’s a fantastic driving companion, because it allows a clean, no-drama type of one-pedal driving (leaving the stops as much as you, in fact).

2024 Audi SQ8 E-Tron SUV

Audi hasn’t been a believer within the type of aggressive one-pedal driving supplied up by different EVs, and sees it as being a adverse for effectivity and vary generally. In contrast to Tesla or Lucid, which don’t dial any extra regen into the brake pedal, and in contrast to most different EVs that bodily mix within the brake pads, the E-Tron makes use of a braking system that does all of its braking of 0.3g or much less with the motor/mills, transitioning to the brake pads just for extra aggressive braking or for the previous few inches of a cease. 

In real-world driving—the type of driving through which you’re creeping forward at a cease, for example, or creeping behind timid rental-car drivers on the island—the E-Tron’s brake-pedal really feel is great, and the system ends in a precision at stoplights and in parking that’s absent from another EVs. That actually consists of luxurious rivals such because the Mercedes EQS SUV and BMW iX. Additional, Audi boasts that it recovers extra power than those who bodily mix within the brake pads. 

Charging that makes the vary simpler to faucet into

Regardless of the bigger battery pack, it might take much less time to pack in additional miles at roadside charging stops. There have been no alternatives to fast-charge the Q8 E-Tron alongside the best way, however Audi has emphasised that it’s managed to spice up the cost curve the place it counts. The cost peak has been lifted from an official 150 kw (or 155 kw unofficially), to 170 kw, and it happens round 60% state of cost—the place road-trippers are certain to note. Meaning even with the larger battery pack, it could get from a 10-80% cost in as little as 31 minutes. In any other case, the Q8 E-Tron comes with an 11-kw onboard charger—sufficient to get a full cost in lower than 10 hours.

2024 Audi SQ8 E-Tron SUV

These issues of vary, charging, and steering apart, there’s surprisingly little to differentiate the Q8 E-Tron from the outgoing E-Tron. There’s been an effort to align the upper- and lower-body trim items in order that the entire car appears better-coordinated than earlier than, and the brand new Audi emblem adorns the grille, which with new framing and patterning, seems a bit smaller than earlier than. SQ8 will get a little bit extra brightwork on the skin than both the Superior or S-Line fashions, however with a full menu of trim choices, you may just about have it your method. 

The cabin was already an E-Tron energy, and Audi’s just about left it alone—with some refreshed supplies. There’s a brand new lighter walnut wooden trim on the menu, and Dinamica microfiber and artificial leather-based seats for the S-Line. Simply as earlier than, the Q8 E-Tron seems like a real luxurious car in the best way it hushes out street and wind noise, provides supportive, comfy seating for adults throughout, and gives sturdy, intuitive switchgear, most of which is satisfying to make use of. The 2-center-screen format contains a 10.1-inch contact display screen for communications, leisure, and navigation up prime and an 8.6-inch tactile-confirmation show under devoted principally to local weather controls. The instrument show exhibits numerous versatility in case you use the steering-wheel toggles, and a head-up show is on the market. Audi continues to hunt U.S. authorization for its digital (camera-based) exterior mirrors, so for now we get bodily mirrors.

2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron

2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron

2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron

Audi means that the brand new mannequin for the U.S. will get a small worth hike in its transition to the 2024 Q8 E-Tron, however no main repositioning. At the moment, the 2023 Audi E-Tron SUV begins at $71,995, together with vacation spot, whereas the E-Tron Sportback begins at $75,790. Beginning costs for the S stand at $89,395 and $91,995 for the 2 physique kinds, respectively.

That very a lot locations the friskier, farther-driving E-Tron in the course of right this moment’s luxurious electric-SUV panorama—one which going to maintain altering quickly, similar to these volcanic lands.

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Web Manufacturers Automotive accepted journey to a far-flung island, plus meals and lodging, to carry you this drive report.