Audi RS Q8 2020 Review - International

The SQ8 TDI's tenure as Audi's fastest ever SUV will be short-lived in Australia.

Just a few months after it's launched here in April, the triple-charged diesel will be rudely usurped by this, the full-fat Audi RS Q8, which lands Down Under in the third quarter of 2020.

Powered by the very familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo mild-hybrid V8 that lives under the bonnet from everything from the latest Audi RS 6, to Bentleys, Porsches and even Lamborghini's Urus, the Audi RS Q8 is shockingly quick.

Open the taps and deploy all of its 441kW of power and 800Nm of torque and you better hold on.

Thanks to its quattro all-wheel drive, not a single Newton-metre of torque is wasted in the pursuit of pace as the big Audi scorches to 100km/h in just 3.8 seconds.

That's a full second faster than the SQ8 and only two measly tenths off the Lambo Urus, which shares its title of world’s quickest SUV with the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.

It also makes the Audi RS Q8 as quick as any Porsche Cayenne, any Mercedes-AMG SUV, both the BMW X5 and X6 M Competition and the Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV, and quicker than the Maserati Levante Trofeo.

Keep your clog nailed to the firewall and, if you've slipped Audi some extra cash beforehand, it will then go on to happily crack 305km/h.

With performance like that, it's no wonder Audi Sport wanted to shout about it and why the designers didn't plump for under the radar styling. The Audi RS Q8 is loud and proud.

The newest RS gets a huge octagonal single-frame grille that can be finished in gloss black or brushed aluminium and, even, cool carbon-fibre – but not chrome. Shiny brightwork is now banned for top-drawer RS models.

Adding yet more visual punch, the Audi RS Q8 also adopts a pair of 10mm wider front fenders and 5mm broader rear wings to accommodate arch-filling 23-inch wheels. That's right, you read correctly, 22s are standard but the RS Q8 comes with the option of monstrous 23s.

Finally, as well as a set of extended side sills, a re-profiled rear diffuser and an RS roof spoiler that generates the extra downforce (for cruising on the autobahn at three times the Aussie legal limit), the RS Q8 gets a pair of Audi Sport's trademark oval exhaust outlets.

Climb into the cabin and, again, it's unlikely you'll miss the plentiful 'RS' logos and the fact you perch in Alcantara-trimmed sport seats that are ventilated and come with a massage function.

The driver, meanwhile, is treated to a bespoke RS display, while the steering wheel now features an RS button that shortcuts modes for pre-set settings for the steering, dampers and throttle response.

It's difficult to know where to start with all the tech lavished on the RS; just know there's been so many detailed changes that it required a further 1.2 million kilometres of testing, on top of the Q8's development, before the RS Q8 was signed off for production.

Starting with the engine, the Audi RS Q8 gets the car-maker's 48-volt mild-hybrid electrification that claws back energy under braking, ensuring quicker stop-starting and allowing engine-off coasting. Overall, engineers claim the system curbs the V8's thirst by 0.8L/100km.

The same electrical system also powers the active anti-roll bars that counteract roll and can completely disconnect altogether if the RS Q8 driver ever ventures off-road.

Helping it in the dirt, the RS Q8 gets single-chamber air suspension, instead of the more sophisticated three-chamber systems that Porsche uses.

The thinking behind sticking with the regular Q8's basic building blocks for the suspension, says Audi Sport, is for the RS Q8 to have a far broader appeal than the single-minded Porsche and Lamborghini.

Instead of chasing outright lap times, the flagship Audi RS is said to combine its devastating performance with a softer, more compliant ride. In other words, it's easier to live with every day.

The Porsche Cayenne Turbo S can quickly stiffen or soften its suspension in a fraction of a second, as it switches air chambers to suit road conditions and driving pace.

The big Audi, meanwhile, is slower to react but there's an advantage for the RS. The pay-off is the RS Q8 can raise its body by as much as 60mm for off-road work. It can also be lowered back down by 40mm for better aero and less roll.

Not chasing Porsche has also led to a complete rethink in terms of steering. Audi Sport's chassis guru is fed up with people equating heavy steering with 'sportiness' and says all cars in the future will have lighter steering that gives the impression of extra precision and leads to less fatigue when you're tacking your favourite road.

Audi says the RS Q8 tips the scales a morbidly obese 2.3 tonnes so braking performance, unsurprisingly, has been a priority. As standard, the RS Q8 gets enormous brakes with 420mm front rotors and 10-piston callipers.

For those rare drivers planning to track their RS Q8 there's also a carbon ceramic brake option that introduces bigger-still 440mm discs, which are not only more heat resistant but shave a barely believable 12kg off the kerb weight per corner.

As ridiculous as the concept of tracking your RS SUV sounds, don’t forget that Audi Sport has already nabbed the world's fastest production SUV lap of the Nurburgring – much to the chagrin of Porsche and Lamborghini, and remember that the RS Q8 is supposed to be the 'comfortable' model of this trio.

As ever, the true test of any vehicle’s performance is on real roads. We tested the Audi RS Q8 on cold, wet and slimy roads covered by tree detritus after a recent storm.

Behind the wheel, the sensation of speed in the biggest RS is, if anything, enhanced by the sheer size of it.

It never shrinks around you and on tight country roads its near two-metre width reigns in any thought of driving it anywhere near its potential.

Grip, to a point, is plentiful, as is the incredible traction provided by the all-wheel drive out of corners. This RS model is also agile, in a way an SUV this size has no right to be.

We could do without the slightly artificial-feeling rear-steer system, but overall Audi Sport has done an excellent job of concealing its mass.

Of course, in these conditions, it's still possible to overwhelm those front tyres when physics finally catch up with the big RS. But what can be felt instantly is the extra level of handling precision over the SQ8, in part because of its lighter steering.

Before I drove it, I questioned whether the Audi RS Q8 would justify its price premium of around $60,000 over the already rapid SQ8 TDI, which is down on power (320kW) but boasts an extra 100Nm of torque.

Now I know the answer; the cheaper diesel V8 wouldn't stand a chance in keeping up with a hard-charging RS Q8.

Riding on the big 23-inch tyres and carbon-ceramic brakes, which work well at low speeds, you never question the grip level and stopping power of the Audi RS Q8.

Dash up a mountain road and it's easy to gel with its lack of drama, well-checked body roll and fuss-free approach to demolishing kilometre after kilometre of challenging road. But it's not perfect.

Annoyingly, the Audi RS Q8 is a car that sounds better outside than within and at low speeds the V8 even rumbles along like a diesel – something that's never the case in a Bentley with the same motor.

Visually, however, we can see many choosing the RS Q8 over all its rivals simply because it's far better-looking than the likes of the BMW X6 M and Mercedes-AMG GLE 63.

And such is the relative value for money here that it's difficult to fathom why you'd choose a Lamborghini Urus instead.

One car far harder to overlook is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, which remains the best-driving big SUV on steroids. That said, the RS Q8's promise of better ride comfort (yet to be tested on Australian roads), could make the Audi the winner if you savour comfort.

Us? We'd place an order for the recently updated Range Rover Sport SVR. What the British SUV lacks in tech, speed and comfort, it more than repays keen drivers with a more engaging drive, plus a soundtrack to die for.

How much does the 2020 Audi RS Q8 cost?
Price: $250,000 (estimated)
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Output: 441kW/800Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 12.1/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 277g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: N/A