Take one Audi Q8 and shove in the monster 4.0-litre triple-turbo from the SQ7, and what have you got? Why, the Audi SQ8, of course. With 435hp, 900Nm, quattro all-wheel drive (with a 40:60 front-to-rear torque split), an eight-speed Tiptronic auto and a 48-volt mild hybrid system powering an Electrically Powered Compressor, 0-62mph takes just 4.8 seconds and the top speed is limited to 155mph. The SQ8 looks a little beefier on the outside and has an interior with some lovely gewgaws, while it will come in regular and Vorsprung specifications - the latter being a 'bells-and-whistles' model that packs in things that would be cost options on the regular SQ8, such as climate-controlled and massaging Super Sport front seats, all-wheel steering, a Sport differential for the quattro system and active anti-roll bars. Prices are not yet confirmed but expect an SQ8 to be some distance beyond the starting ticket of a Q8 50 TDI S line: that means quite a lot more than £64,115 for the regular SQ8 and somewhere north of £82,115 for the Vorsprung.
Matt Robinson - 24 Jun 2019