2023 Audi Q8

The 2023 Q8 is available in 3 trims namely the Premium, Premium Plus, and the Prestige. The MSRP for the Premium trim starts at $ 71,800, The Premium Plus cost $ 76,900, and the Prestige costs $ 82,700. The engine configuration and drivetrain are common among the three trims. Audi also offers additional packages like the Black Optic Package, Convenience Package, Towing Package, S line Style Executive Package, and the Luxury Package. Additionally, the features like dynamic all wheel steering, night vision assistant with large animal and pedestrian detection, and a Bang & Olufsen 3D advanced sound system can be added to the Prestige trim.

Audi offers additional packages on each trim. The following are the details of the additional package on offer. The packages may vary according to the selected trims.

Black Optic package ($ 750) available across all trims

• 21" 5-W-spoke design wheels, graphite gray finish
• High-gloss black exterior element
• Black roof rails

Convenience package ($1,950) available on premium trim only

• Audi adaptive cruise assist with lane guidance
• Audi phone box w/ wireless charging and signal booster
• Heated steering wheel
• Top view camera system with virtual 360 view

Towing package ($750) available across all trims

• 7,700 lbs. towing capacity
• Tow hitch receiver
• Towing seven pin connector

S line® Style package ($750) available across premium plus and prestige trim

• 21" 5-W-spoke design wheels, graphite gray finish with all-season tires
• Illuminated S line door sills
• S line fender badges
• S line exterior

Executive package ($1,400) available to premium plus trim only

• Heated rear seats
• Power rear side windows, manual tailgate sunshades
• Dual-pane acoustic glass for side windows

Luxury package $6,850 available for prestige package only

• Extended leather package (upper door panels)
• Valcona/Cricket leather seats, perforated
• Passenger seat memory
• Dinamica headliner
• Individual contour front seats w/ massage

Dynamic all-wheel steering ($1,500) available for prestige package only

All-wheel steering with vehicle speed-dependent control gives the Audi Q8 a tighter turning radius at low speeds.

Night vision assistant ($2,500) available for prestige package only 

• Helps when driving at night
• Displays thermal imagery
• Includes visual and audible warnings

Bang & Olufsen® 3D Advanced Sound System ($5,000) available for only prestige package

• 23 speakers
• 23-channel amplifier with a total output of 1,920 watts

We Recommend

We would recommend the Prestige trim as it offers state of the art technology and a much more posh interior with loads of convenience and luxury features. Add to it the dynamic all wheel steering and you get a fully loaded SUV. Even though it is on the pricier side, we feel that a few thousand dollars extra for these features is completely validated.

Release Date

We don’t have an exact date as to when the Q8 will be available, but the details of the 2023 models are available on the Audi website. The bookings may start toward the end of 2022.

The fuel economy is not the stronghold of the Audi Q8 as its MPG figures are lagging compared to the competition. It offers an MPG of 18 in the city, 23 MPG on the highway, and a combined figure of 20 MPG. This also affects the total range of the Q8 with a combined range of 450 miles, a range 405 of miles in the city, and 518 miles on the highway. It gets a fuel tank capacity of 22.5-gallons, which is a considerably bigger tank compared to the competition.

Fuel economy is not the strong point in this segment but X6 is the most fuel-efficient SUV with an MPG of 21, 23, 25 on city, highway, and combined. The second most fuel-efficient car is the GLE 450 with an MPG of 20 in the city, 25 MPG on the highway, and 22 MPG combined. The Cayenne is the worst performer with an MPG figure of 17, 22, and 19. Porsche has compensated for this by providing a bigger tank with a capacity of 23.7-gallons followed by GLE 450 and Q8 at 22.5-gallons each. The X6 is the most efficient of the lot and has a smaller fuel tank at 22.4-gallons. The X6 also leads in the overall range followed by GLE 450 and a tie between the Q8 and the Cayenne in the last position.

Audi Q8 is an embodiment of luxury. The SUV offers unmatched comfort in terms of driving and in terms of being chauffeured around. The Q8 offers excellent comfort with convenience features. Audi uses high-quality materials like aluminum door inlays, Brown wood inlays for the dash, comfortable armrests, cloth liners, etc. Adding to this there is ample amount of headroom and legroom in the rear seats ensuring both a luxurious driving and rear seating experience.

In terms of the overall front row seat space, its really difficult to determine the SUV that provides the most space. The Q8 provides the most legroom at 41.6, whereas in the shoulder room the X6 provides the most space, and the GLE 450 provides the most headroom. Hence we wouldn’t be able to advise our readers on this aspect but we can guarantee that all SUVs can seat a 6ft tall person comfortably. In terms of the back row, the GLE 450 offers the most space followed by the Q8 and X6. The cargo space is more on GLE 450 with 33.3 cubic feet followed by Q8 at 30.5, X6 at 27.4, and lastly Cayenne at 22 cubic feet.

Key Interior features include:

• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror with digital compass Pushbutton ignition
• Heated front seats
• LED interior lighting package
• Power panoramic sunroof 
• Sliding rear seats with 40/20/40 split-folding seatbacks and adjustable recline
• Three-zone automatic climate control system

How intuitive is the 2023 Audi Q8 infotainment system?

The Audi Q8 infotainment is a sophisticated and user-friendly system. In the cabin, you can find a total of three screens offering various functionalities and providing information and entertainment. Starting with the virtual cockpit plus, a customizable digital instrument cluster which is a 12.3-inch full HD display that presents key information related to the Q8. it also gets a secondary screen via which climate controls, and seat controls can be accessed. Finally the 10.1-inch screen for navigation and other entertainment features. It supports voice commands, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. You get a three months free trial subscription to Sirius XM. All together the infotainment department is short of nothing.

Some of the most notable infotainment features available are 

• Audi connect CARE assistance and security services
• Audi smartphone interface
• Audi pre sense basic and rear
• Bluetooth wireless technology
• Audi sound system
• Audi virtual cockpit plus

The Q8 is a handsome and solid looking SUV which represent Audi’s progressive design commitments. The massive blacked-out front grill gives it a dominating appearance on the road. Adding to this are the HD matrix headlamps, the coupe-like roofline, stretching low across the body and ending in a long roof spoiler, the wide stretched-out LED tail lights, the frameless windows, and 21-inch wheels. Everything adds beauty to this behemoth of an SUV. Even though smaller than the Q7. The Q8 has a curb weight of 4960 lbs and a ground clearance of 5.8 inches. It has a total length of 196.6, wider by 78.5 and Taller by 67.2 inches.

Compared to the competition in terms of curb weight, the Q8 with its 4960 lbs ranks second to the Cayenne at 4582 lbs. The GLE 450 is the third heaviest at 5016 lbs and X6 the heaviest at 5115 lbs. In terms of exterior dimensions, the Q8 is the lengthiest followed by X6. Width wise the X6 is the widest followed by Q8. The GLE 450 is the tallest followed by Q8. The Cayenne offers the best ground clearance ensuring a smoother ride on bumpier roads, followed by X6. The wheel base of the Q8 and GLE 450 is similar with 117.9 inches making it a tad difficult to navigate in tight spots..

Some standout exterior features include:

• Concealed exhaust outlets
• Electrically-adjustable, power-folding, auto-dimming, heated exterior side mirrors with memory
• HD Matrix-design LED headlights 
• LED taillights with dynamic turn signals and animation
• 21" 5-segment-spoke design wheels
• Tailgate roof spoiler

Audi offers a host of standard safety features including 8 airbags. The NHTSA has only rated the 2022 Q8 on basis of the frontal crash test. Q8 secures an overall score of 5 stars, and an individual score of 4 stars for the frontal driver side and 5 stars for the frontal passenger side. This rating are based on the 2022 model and we expect it to remain the same.The Q8 is based on Audi space frame technology which uses multiple materials at various locations of the car ensuring toughness and rigidity to the structure. The Q8 like its competitors is a relatively safe SUV.

Other standout safety features for the standard package include:

• Audi advanced key—keyless start, stop, and entry with hands-free tailgate release
• Direct tire pressure monitoring system
• Electromechanical parking brake
• Cruise control system
• 8 airbags
• Foward collision warnings and other driver assistance features.

2023 Audi Q8 vs 2022 BMW X6

The BMW X6 is a tough rival to beat. The Q8 puts up with X6 very well. Both have a capable 3.0L turbocharged engine but in terms of acceleration and fuel- efficiency, the X6 leads the pack. Whereas the Q8 offers a more spacious interior and cargo space. In terms of affordability, the BMW is more affordable by a few dollars and we have to vouch for the better reliability of the BMW.

2023 Audi Q8 vs 2022 Mercedes GLE 450

The GLE 450 is also an option to consider taking into account its affordability, performance, and slightly better fuel efficiency. It also provides identical interior space compared to the Q8 but we feel it is not as thrilling as when driving is concerned. The Q8 has the better design but again takes a beating reliability-wise.Henece we would suggest the GLE 450 over the Q8 

2023 Audi Q8 vs 2022 Porsche Cayenne

The Porsche Cayenne has similar performance characteristics as compared to the Q8 offering identical performance figures. Cayenne being a Porsche has a more engaging driving experience. However, it takes a beating in terms of interior space and fuel efficiency. Also, its heftier price tag makes it a lot less affordable than the Q8 and we believe Q8 to be the better investment.

Overall the 2023 Q8 is a really good SUV to own and we wouldn’t recommend against it but there are certain key areas where the competition is better than the Q8. In terms of performance, the Q8 lags behind its rivals. The Q8 has a sluggish acceleration making it less fun to drive compared to the competition and also it isn’t an affordable SUV option to consider. What we liked about the Q8 is its design, compared to its rival we feel the Q8 looks far better than the likes of the X6, the GLE 450, and the Cayenne. The interior space and comfort are also better than the competitors. All things apart Audi has lately been not well known for its reliability and the overall ownership experience has not been as compelling as the BMWs and the Mercedes. Hence, according to us the 2022 BMW X6 or the 2022 GLE 450 would be the slightly better options as they are more affordable either way we can guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.