This new flagship isn’t entirely all-new, but it is meaningfully improved. Still, a future Audi may be even better.Releasing a new electric car in 2023 is a challenge, especially when it carries a price tag approaching $100,000. There's so much an automaker needs to get right—range, charging speed, performance, brake tuning—and that's all on top of nailing the driving experience, advanced tech, and knockout styling we expect of a flourishing flagship.
As for range testing, we ran the Q8 Sportback 100 miles on an out-and-back highway route at an average speed of 70 mph with the climate control set at 72 degrees and the headlights, cruise control, and audio system on. This all is meant to replicate the conditions under which an average owner would take a highway road trip, the situation where range matters the most., and the 2024 Audi Q8 Sportback isn't one that does.
Part of the Q8 Sportback's comparatively modest acceleration comes down to its powertrain tuning, which lacks the instant torque delivery of most electric vehicles. That decision continues a pattern of Audi developing electric cars that will feel familiar to new buyers of EVs. To that end, the company seems to have made deliberate decisions in terms of power delivery , brake tuning , and styling with great perceived build quality that can be tough to find in products from EV startups.
Audi's Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster is as high-resolution and configurable as it's ever been, and we continue to appreciate the dual-screen infotainment and climate control screens' haptic feedback. Some editors found the haptic system required too much finger force to register an input, though, and it's a bit slow. The familiar, aging dual-screen system lacks the theater and elegance of single larger displays like those from Tesla, Rivian, and Mercedes-EQ.