LA MOTOR SHOW: Audi RS Q8 revealed

There’s a new king of the RS range at Audi Sport and it’s an SUV. Meet the Audi RS Q8.

Audi Sport is unashamedly declaring the RS Q8, which was rolled out for its global reveal overnight Aussie time at the Los Angeles auto show in California, second only to the R8 sports car in its line-up.

“It is the top model among the RS models,” RS Q8 product manager Markus Eberle told carsales.com.au at a pre-reveal of the vehicle.

“The RS Q8 is the new spearhead of our RS family and is actually our interpretation of a high-performance SUV coupe with all the typical RS genes.”

It is also the sixth and final recent RS reveal, following on from the RS 6 Avant, RS 7 Sportback, the RS Q3 duo and the updated RS 4 Avant.

The Audi RS Q8 will go on sale in Australia by the end of quarter three 2020 and cost somewhere north of $220,000.

Based on the Audi Q8 flagship SUV launched in Australia late in 2018 and designed to go head-to-head with the new BMW X6 M and next-gen Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 Coupe, the RS Q8 stuffs a turbocharged V8 under the bonnet and enough chassis trickery under its skin to allow it to still head off-road as well as confidently tackle racetracks.

The key numbers for the RS Q8 are staggering. The 4.0-litre biturbo V8 engine pumps out the same 441kW and 800Nm as the new RS 6 and RS 7 and drives all four wheels via an eight-speed torque converter auto.

That’s slightly less power and slightly more torque than the BMW X6 M Competition due in Australia in 2020.

It’s also 121kW more and 100Nm less than its most obvious internal rivals, the SQ8 and SQ7 triple-turbo V8 diesels that land in Australia in the first half of 2020.

The Audi RS Q8 can accelerate to 100km/h in a claimed 3.8 seconds (one second quicker than the SQ8) and to 200km/h in 13.7sec, while its top speed can be as high as 305km/h – if you are prepared to pay for that option.

A 48-volt mild-hybrid system allows coasting, aids idle-stop and saves up to 0.8 litres of fuel per 100km. The engine also features cylinder on demand to conserve fuel. Audi has yet to reveal a fuel consumption figure for the RS Q8.

One neat start/stop trick is it is linked to a front camera and fires the engine when the vehicle ahead moves.

All this tech is encased in a vehicle that weighs in at more than 2.3 tonnes and measures about five metres long and more than two metres wide!

Keeping the show on the road is a combination of air springs, adaptive dampers, electromechanical active anti-roll bars and all-wheel steering.

The quattro permanent AWD can shuttle up to 70 per cent of torque to the front wheels and 80 per cent to the rear. An optional sport differential actively splits drive between the rear wheels.

Speaking of wheels, the Audi RS Q8 comes with a choice of massive 22- or 23-inch alloys shod with 295-section rubber.

Inside the rims, 420/370mm cast-iron discs are standard, with the fronts clamped by 10-piston callipers. Or you can upgrade to a ceramic 440mm/370mm combination that reduces unsprung mass by 12kg at each corner.

Inside, the top-shelf Q8 gets the same RS1 and RS2 drive select modes as other new RS models, in addition to six standard Q8 modes.

It also adds off-road features such as tilt angle display while the air suspension offers more than 200mm of ground clearance for bush bashing … although would you ever really want to do that in this?

But emphasising that flexibility is how Audi Sport differentiates the RS Q8 from other Volkswagen Group luxury SUVs such as the Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus, which are based on the same MLB Evo architecture.

“With its very unique body style and this off-road capability also, the RS Q8 adds a new dimension of sporty perception within our RS community,” said Eberle.

RS Q8 styling flourishes include the new Audi Sport singleframe grille, wheel-arches that are only slightly wider than the Q8’s (10mm front and 5mm rear), a roof-edge spoiler that provides downforce at high-speed, a rear skirt with diffuser and oval tailpipes.

There are two LED headlights choices including optional RS Matrix headlights, plus RS-specific animation when the car is locked or unlocked.

Inside the five-seat interior, the Audi RS Q8 features unique trim and RS badges, but is recognisably a Q8.

Audi virtual cockpit and the latest MMI display are all part of the package. While sports seats are standard, an option includes massage and ventilation functions as well as perforations.

The rear seat slides and folds, liberating up to 1755 litres of luggage space. The RS Q8 also has a 3500kg braked towing capability.

A head-up display is optional in Germany, where standard kit includes adaptive cruise assist, efficiency assist, intersection assist, lane change warning, 360-degree cameras and MMI navigation plus including an LTE data transfer module and Wi-Fi hotspot.