The 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron is just one among the nicest, most straightforward luxury EVs you’ll be able to buy. It’s not a whiz-bang, party-trick powerhouse of tech, but that’s completely high quality. Its virtues comparable to an ultra-quiet cabin, sumptuous materials and wonderful tactile surfaces mix to make it a automotive that I’d like to commute in, run errands with or otherwise just enjoy being inside.
Audi refreshed this model for 2024, going thus far as to vary its name from E-Tron to Q8 E-Tron. I went on the primary drive to ascertain out Euro-spec versions of the brand new automotive, and fellow editor James Riswick tried it out as a day-tripper through California. We each found it to be a substantially improved automotive, though the interesting bit there’s that it’s practically the identical inside because it was before the refresh. Yet by some means, it’s still one among my favorite interiors on the market.
One big factor to its success is the utter silence within the cabin. Automotive and Driver measured it at only 64 decibels at 70 mph, which is just two decibels louder than a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. That’s an astounding feat of noise isolation, and that also makes it an astounding feat of luxury. It’s moderately easy to be distracted by augmented reality navigation or fancy “Energizing” programs today, but never count out old-school silence as one of the vital features of any luxury vehicle. And for some comparison, the last Tesla Model Y Automotive and Driver tested got here in at 70 decibels, which can not sound big on paper, but that’s a really noticeable noise level difference in practice.
The old-school luxury wins keep piling up while you go to press the luxuriously damped buttons, twist any of the clicky scroll wheels or press the haptic-touch displays. Audi can have eliminated a complete lot of buttons with its responsive and intuitive stacked screen infotainment setup, however the feedback from the screens and every other touch-haptic control nearby is pure butter. That’s moderately in step with the way in which the Q8 E-Tron drives, steers and handles, too. “Smooth” is the operative word here, and there really isn’t a single interaction you’ll be able to have with the automotive that doesn’t feel smooth, right all the way down to the funky-but-oh-so-satisfying toggle shifter.
Beyond the buttons, Audi continues to thrill with its interior color options. The one shown in most photos here is the Launch Edition for 2024 that comes with Flint Gray upholstery, a black-gray two-tone door and dash combo and orange accents throughout. That orange used for the piping and stitching is an absolute delight, and the big range of materials utilized in often-touched areas encourages you to explore the slight whimsy of this interior’s design. After all, the Launch Edition is the most costly version of the Q8 E-Tron. Other trims offer black, brown or white interiors, and you’ll be able to have some real fun if you happen to pair the gorgeous Madeira Brown metallic paint with the Okapi Brown interior (combo shown below, top row). One other honorable mention goes to combining Plasma Blue with the Pearl Beige interior (also below, bottom row) that feels delightfully coastal.
One big negative for me are the odd blank spaces (below, right) where Audi’s digital side-view mirror displays would go. Those aren’t legal within the U.S. (and doubtless won’t be for an extended while to come back), so it’s a shame that we’re left to take care of unsightly blank spaces. That’s probably going to be one among your only visual complaints from the driving force’s seat of the Q8 E-Tron, though.
The seats, meanwhile, are nice to have a look at, are quite comfortable for long stretches of time due to a number of adjustability and even offer a massage function within the Prestige trim.
Rear-seat passengers must be nearly as joyful with four-zone climate control and an enormous amount of legroom. Headroom is chopped just a little within the Sportback tester I actually have, but there’s still loads of space for an average-height adult. The Q8 E-Tron Sportback’s cargo area can also be mighty expansive and offers each additional underfloor storage and a spare tire, which is rare within the EV world. I wish there have been more room within the frunk, though it’s loads of space for the charge cord.
The Q8 E-Tron’s interior is really one among the automotive’s highest points. I’d moderately spend time with it than a Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV and its Hyperscreen. I could say the identical when pitting it up against others just like the Cadillac Lyriq or Jaguar I-Pace. And yeah, neither the Tesla Model X nor Y can hold a candle to the posh that’s the Q8 E-Tron’s interior. Its EV credentials and overall performance are one other story, but there’s no arguing with just how lovely it’s inside Audi’s flagship electric SUV.
This Article First Appeared At www.autoblog.com
