Audi SQ8 TDI 2020 Review

Can you ever have too much of a good thing? Audi Australia clearly thinks not. Take the new Audi SQ8, the fifth member of an SUV performance family that already stretches larger than some entire brand portfolios in Australia.

Sharing its underbody credentials with the newly-updated Audi SQ7, including its prodigious 4.0-litre twin-turbo diesel V8, the Audi SQ8 features a more rakish roofline, two fewer seats and less boot space.

A sportier, more stylish proposition, according to Audi, which isn’t alone in its niche-filling quest and treads a path already well-worn by BMW, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.

The same path is about to be trampled on a little more. The Audi SQ8 will be joined by the even more focused RS Q8 in a matter of months.

Priced at $165,500 plus on-road costs, the Audi SQ8 TDI tops the Q8 ‘coupe’ SUV range that arrived Down Under in 55 TFSI and 50 TDI guises last year.

The Audi SQ8 will retain its top-dog mantle until the third quarter of this year, when the bahnstorming Audi RS Q8 – powered by a 441kW/800Nm petrol V8 – becomes Audi’s flagship SUV.

The SQ8 costs $4000 more than the seven-seat SQ7, even though it has two fewer seats, a smaller boot and a similar suite of equipment.

Standard exterior features include an Audi Sport ‘S’ body kit comprising unique front and rear bumpers, grille, side sills and tailgate spoiler, 22-inch alloy wheels, Matrix LED headlights with dynamic rear indicators, red brake callipers, adaptive air suspension sport, aluminium-look mirrors, tinted windows, power-assisted doors and metallic paint.

Inside, the Audi SQ8 TDI comes with sports seats, diamond-patterned ‘Valcona’ leather trim, aluminium highlights, black cloth headlining, a three-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel, four-zone climate control, ambient lighting and glass-surfaced black control buttons with haptic feedback.

Rounding out the tech package is Audi’s Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster, 10.1-inch and 8.6-inch touch displays in the centre console and Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity, along with a 19-speaker sound system, MMI navigation plus and wireless phone charging.

Even at $160K, there are expensive optional equipment packages to consider. Buyers can fork out an additional $10,900 for Audi’s Dynamic package, which brings active roll stabilisation (more below) and a quattro sport differential.

Then there’s the Sensory package, priced at $13,300, which brings a 23-speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, extended leather package, electric sunblinds for the rear side windows and manual sunblind for the rear window, Alcantara headlining, air quality ioniser, massaging front seats and rear seat heating.

The Audi SQ8 is backed by a sub-par three-year/unlimited-km factory warranty in Australia, while servicing intervals are 12 months/15,000km.

Audi offers a capped-price servicing plan available when purchasing the SQ8. It costs $2870 over three years or $3840 over five years – hardly cheap.

Unlike the seven-seat SQ7, the SQ8 gets a space-saver spare tyre. Both SUVs share an identical 3500kg braked towing capacity.

The regular Audi Q8 family is backed by a five-star ANCAP safety rating in Australia. But combing over the fine print reveals the rating covers all variants except the SQ8. Go figure.

In any case, the SQ8’s safety repertoire mirrors that of the five-star SQ7, with full airbag coverage, stability control, traction control and ABS, along with front and rear parking sensors with 360-degree cameras and adaptive cruise control with speed limiter.

There’s also lane departure warning, lane change warning, rear cross-traffic alert and intersection assist, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, hill descent control and Audi Drive Select driving modes.

Shoehorned under the bonnet of the Audi SQ8 is a 4.0-litre twin-turbo diesel V8 slamming down 320kW over 3750-5000rpm and 900Nm between just 1000 and 3250rpm, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

While the feistier RS Q8 is claimed to hit 100km/h in an astonishing 3.8 seconds, the SQ8 TDI is said to be a second slower at a still-rapid 4.8sec, but of course it’s much more efficient at 7.8L1/00km.

The bent eight oiler is augmented by an electrically-powered compressor (EPC) designed to mitigate turbo lag. According to Audi, the EPC forces air through mechanical turbochargers when the engine is in the lower reaches of the rev range, reducing the spool-up time.

Powering the EPC is a 48-volt electrical subsystem which also runs technologies like all-wheel steering, adaptive air suspension and electromechanical active roll stabilisation.

In low-speed scenarios, the SQ8’s rear-wheel steering turns the rear axle up to five degrees in the opposite direction of the front axle, reducing the turning circle by 1.3 metres (to smaller than an Audi Q3). In higher speed situations, the rear wheels turn up to two degrees in the same direction as the front wheels to improve stability.

The term ‘coupe-like SUV’ automatically conjures up squishy and compromised interior proportions.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth with the Audi SQ8. Sure, its rear seat head room, shoulder room and boot are slightly smaller than the larger SQ7’s – reflective of its shorter 5006mm length (v 5067mm), 1995mm width (v 2212mm) and 1708mm height (v 1743), but identical 2996mm wheelbase.

But the Audi SQ8 doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel – evidenced by the fact it weighs 20kg less than the larger SQ7, at a still-hefty 2440kg.

Cabin space is sound, with enough space for four full-size adults, the rear seat offering loads of leg, toe and shoulder room, and adequate head-room (though less than in the SQ7).

The boot area officially shrinks from 895 litres to 605 litres, though the floor is underslung with a spare tyre – unlike the seven-seat SQ7. There are four tie-down points, a bag hook and two side storage nets.

Retained across both models is the impressive new dashboard interface comprising two screens in the centre fascia and the excellent virtual cockpit display in the instrument cluster.

There are two USB ports up front, two at the rear and air-vent coverage all-round, with 12-volt outlets sprinkled across the cabin including the boot area. You also get two ISOFIX attachment points on the rear outbound pews.

Incidental storage is strong, headlined by large door pockets, bins and open cubbies throughout the cabin.

Notwithstanding its on-paper credentials – namely, the electrically-augmented engine and chassis – the Audi SQ8 is still full of surprises on-road.

There are things this near-2.5-tonne SUV delivers so proficiently that it almost beggars belief – prodigious power, taught handling and effortless ride comfort all at once.

The star of the show, as with the SQ7, is the engine – offering remarkably smooth, tractable torque and a surprisingly broad rev bandwidth for a diesel.

The electrical assistance is a major player, helping to largely avoid (though not completely mask) turbo lag in the lower reaches and allowing the engine to transition through to its sequential turbochargers.

The official 4.8sec 0-100km/h time doesn’t really speak to the SQ8’s in-gear acceleration, which is impressive in transitioning its large heft out of corners – accompanied by an enamouring (and synthesised) muscular soundtrack, no less.

The Audi SQ8 makes lighter work of changes in direction than the larger SQ7, presumably liberated by a sportier suspension tune and less weight over the rear tyres.

There’s no doubt the optional $10,900 ‘Dynamic’ package plays an inherent role, working in concert with rear-wheel steering to tauten the body through corners. Ditto the large 400mm front, 350mm rear disc brakes at each corner, which do an admirable job in washing off speed.

In terms of comfort, the sporty Audi SQ8 retains its poise over pockmarked sections of road, isolating all but the sharpest hits and recovering swiftly from larger washouts.

It is a very comparable experience to the SQ7, a virtue which arguably highlights the seven-seater’s prospects more than it does the SQ8’s.

Paying more for less is almost considered standard practice in the premium European segment. In the case of the Audi SQ8 versus SQ7, you pay $4000 more yet get two fewer seats and reduced interior proportions.

For that reason, the Audi SQ8 doesn’t quite mount the same pragmatic argument as the SQ7, even if it trumps the seven-seater dynamically and visually.

But since when were performance SUVs pragmatic?

How much does the 2020 Audi SQ8 TDI cost?
Price: $165,500 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo diesel V8
Output: 320kW/900Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 205g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not rated