Overview
Although you wouldn’t know it by looking at it, the 2024 Audi SQ8 shares its platform and powertrain with the wild Lamborghini Urus. Sure, the Urus’s twin-turbo V-8 engine has been detuned in the Audi to make just 500 horsepower, but the SQ8 nearly keeps up with the Lambo in our acceleration testing. Plus, the Audi’s dialed-back styling means being low-key is much easier. The SQ8 serves as a step up from the standard Q8 SUV, but its five-seat layout and posh cabin carry over to the sportier model. When driven sedately, the SQ8 pampers with an agreeable ride and easy-going handling. Turn up the heat on your favorite back road, though, and the SQ8’s athleticism is a real treat.
What’s New for 2024?
The SQ8 has received a styling makeover for 2024 that aligns its look with its electric counterpart, the SQ8 e-tron. An updated grille and front bumper give the SUV a more modern look, and a pair of fancy new headlights use lasers for the high beams. The headlights also feature user-selectable signatures, so you can personalize what the daytime running lights look like. New wheel designs, updated taillights, a fresh palette of colors, revised interior trims, and updated seat designs round out the rest of the design changes.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
All SQ8 models come with the best performance-enhancing features Audi can throw at them, so no matter which one you choose, you’re getting the same driving experience. Still, we’d upgrade to the Prestige trim, which adds a host of driver-assistance and luxury features that include adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, a head-up display, soft-close doors, heated rear seats, and power rear sunshades.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
A twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 powers the SQ8, and it provides 500 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque; all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission are both standard. At our test track, the SQ8 blasted to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds, just 0.4 second behind the more powerful—but mechanically similar—Lamborghini Urus. The SQ8 provides agile handling and an athletic demeanor, but when switched into Comfort mode it exhibits a family-friendly ride quality, making it a true dual-purpose vehicle.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
According to the EPA, the SQ8 is good for 15 mpg in the city, 21 mpg on the highway, and 17 mpg combined. However, we can’t evaluate its real-world mpg until we run it on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen. For more information about the SQ8’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
As is typical of Audi’s S models, the interior gains more standard features and fancier materials than the base vehicle. This includes black accents in the cabin and diamond-stitched seats, as well as carbon-fiber trim and contrast stitching. With seating for five, the spacious back seat and capacious cargo area are useful on road trips. Unfortunately, interior cubby storage is subpar.
Infotainment and Connectivity
Audi decks out every SQ8 with a dual-touchscreen infotainment system and the brand’s Virtual Cockpit reconfigurable gauge display. The almost completely digital cabin will appeal to tech-conscious buyers but not those who value physical controls for things like climate control. A Wi-Fi hotspot and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration are standard fare.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
Audi offers a suite of driver-assistance features as standard on the SQ8; that includes basics such as automated emergency braking, as well as more advanced adaptive cruise control functions. For more information about the SQ8’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
- Standard forward-collision warning with automated emergency braking
- Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
- Standard adaptive cruise control with a lane-centering feature
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Audi provides the same limited and powertrain warranties as BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
- Limited warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles
- No complimentary scheduled maintenance
Specifications
Specifications
2020 Audi SQ8
VEHICLE TYPE
front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE AS TESTED
$107,490 (base price: $89,995)
ENGINE TYPE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement
244 in3, 3996 cm3
Power
500 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque
568 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension (F/R): multilink/multilink
Brakes (F/R): 15.8-in vented disc/13.8-in vented disc
Tires: Hankook Dynapro HP2 Plus, 285/45R-21 113H M+S AO
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 117.9 in
Length: 196.6 in
Width: 78.5 in
Height: 67.2 in
Passenger volume: 105 ft3
Cargo volume: 31 ft3
Curb weight: 5469 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 3.6 sec
100 mph: 9.5 sec
130 mph: 14.4 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 5.1 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 2.8 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 3.3 sec
1/4 mile: 12.2 sec @ 112 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 129 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 173 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.92 g
Standing-start accel times omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 16 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/city/highway: 17/15/21 mpg
