2026 Audi SQ8 Review

Is there a car with no compromises? On the surface, the Audi SQ8 seems like one. It’s a large luxury SUV with room for five, classy styling with a sporty undertone, an interior with acres of carbon fibre, leather and suede, and most importantly, a stonking twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine.

This is a car for the driver who wants it all – space for the family, exquisite details and plenty of performance to boot. The price tag is a hefty $178,815 plus on-road costs, but it’s value proposition is arguably one of the best when compared against cars like the Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne and Bentley Bentayga.

That’s because the SQ8 shares much of its underpinnings, including the V8, with its exotic counsins which range in price between $215k and $470k. You’ll need just under $200k to park the Audi on your driveway.

Our test model is fitted with some fancy options including those stunning 23-inch Audi Sport multi-spoke wheels ($3,000), Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser light technology ($3,950) and interior carbon fibre inlays ($1,950) bringing the total sticker to $187,715 plus ORCs, or a drive-away price of about $204k.

Within the segment, the closet rival – and a major threat – to the SQ8 is probably the Jaguar F-Pace SVR, which undercuts the Audi in price by about $25k. Closer to home, the BMW X6 M60i and Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 are good alternatives.

Nevertheless, the SQ8 is arguably the model with the most neutral image – understated yet striking, sophisticated yet purposeful. And in the Waitomo blue metallic exterior paint finish like that seen on our test car, the SQ8 is an absolute looker.

The interior is the more classic style that has been a familiar sight in a range of older Audi SUVs for quite a few years now. Being a model that was launched back in 2019, the SQ8 doesn’t feature the latest iteration of Audi interior design, instead share a very similar cabin with the outgoing Q7 seven-seater SUV.

That said, it’s still a very contemporary, functional and up-to-date cabin. The highlight is the trio of display screens that wrap around the driver like a modern aircraft cockpit. There’s the 12.3-inch driving instrumentation display right ahead of the driver, plus two additional displays in the centre console consisting of a 10.1-inch upper touchscreen for the infotainment system and an 8.6-inch lower touchscreen for the climate and seat comfort control.

All three displays are ultra high resolution with vivid colours and fast processing, but we feel the split centre displays are just better off combined as a single larger display. The top display is small in today’s standards, with on-screen buttons from smartphone projection appearing quite small and the map view lacking modern features found in rival systems such as augmented reality navigation guidance. In contrast, the bottom display is bigger than it needs to be as it doesn’t get used very often with most climate settings set to auto.

Build and perceived quality has always been a strength of Audi and we’re glad to report that the SQ8 interior is no exception. The fit and finish, materiality and presentation are exemplary. It has a very business-like vibe to match the elegant exterior. But some might argue that there isn’t enough Audi Sport details to live up to the ’S’ badge. Those, unfortunately, are reserved for the RS Q8 top dog.

With interior dimensions largely similar to the Q7 other than the absence of third row seating, the SQ8 is as spacious as a large five-seater family SUV can get. There’s plenty of room in the second row, with the rear bench able to accomodate three average adults quite comfortably. While the storage compartment under the front centre armrest isn’t quite as big as we’d like it to be, the cup holders are decent and the door pockets are thick.

Boot space is generous, too, with 605 litres of capacity with the rear seats up and 1,755 litres with them folded. The cargo area is flat and square, making it easy to organise items. Thanks to the adaptive air suspension, the cargo lip height can be lowered by 50mm at the push of a button, which will help when loading heavy or bulky items.

The aforementioned digital displays aside, other key features fitted as standard in the SQ8 include a head-up display, smartphone interface with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, DAB+ digital radio, navigation, a Bang & Olufsen Premium 3D Sound System with 17 speakers, 4-zone climate control, ambient lighting, Valcona leather seat upholstery and power-assisted door closure.

Safety wise, the SQ8 comes standard with adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, Audi pre-sense front and rear with autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian and cyclist detection, park assist and rear-cross traffic alert. While a rear view camera is fitted, a surround-view camera is glaringly missing. There’s also no active lane-keep assist. These are questionable for a car costing this much.

What is without question one of the most impressive engines we have sampled in an SUV is the superb V8 under the bonnet. Developing 373kW at 5,500rpm and 770Nm at 2,200-4,000rpm, the V8 is smooth, capable and addictively rewarding to prod. Matched to an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive, the sprint from zero to 100km/h takes just 4.1 seconds. That’s mighty impressive for a 2.5-tonne SUV but what’s more enticing is that rich, sonorous growl under acceleration. We just can’t get enough of that V8 theatrics!

If you haven’t yet noticed from the photos, those tyres on the SQ8 are very fat 285/35-R23 Continental SportContact 6 rubber all around. In Dynamic drive mode, which lowers the ride height of the adaptive air suspension by some 15mm, the SUV literally hunkers down like a giant hot hatch, and coupled with those sticky running shoes, drives like one, too. There’s a ton of grip on offer, and the car’s flat, composed cornering inspires the confidence to really lean on it through the bends.

Thankfully, the SQ8’s handling prowess doesn’t come at the expense of ride comfort. In Comfort drive mode, the adaptive suspension does a remarkable job of ironing out road imperfections. When it’s not carving up back roads, it’s a comfortable family SUV for everyday duties. The cabin is amazingly quiet as well, with the V8 settling into subdued murmur on cruise.

The SQ8’s thirst for fuel is high, as expected from a V8-powered sports SUV. It’s rated at 11.9L/100km on the combined average, but in the real-world it’s more likely to consume around 12.4L/100km as recorded at the end of our week-long test covering over 500km of mixed driving.

A factory warranty of 5 years with no cap on kilometres is standard, along with 5 years of complimentary roadside assist. Regular servicing interval is listed as 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Verdict

2026 Audi SQ8 TFSI Pricing and Specification

Price (excl. on-roads)	From: $178,815 As tested: $187,715 Tested options: 23″ Audi Sport alloy wheels in multi-spoke S-design: $3,000 HD Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser light and OLED taillights: $3,950 Inlays in matt carbon twill: $1,950
Warranty	5 years / unlimited km
Warranty Customer Assistance	5 year roadside
Country of Origin	Germany; manufactured in Slovakia
Service Intervals	12 months/15,000km
Engine	4.0-litre twin-turbo, direct-injection V8 petrol: 373kW @ 5,500rpm, 770Nm @ 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission	8-speed automatic
Drivetrain	All-wheel drive
Combined Fuel Consumption (L/100km)	Claimed: 12.4/Tested: 11.9
RON Rating	98
Fuel Capacity (L)	85
Body	5-door SUV, 5-seats
Dimensions (L/W/H/W-B) mm	5,004/1,996/1,692/3,004
Tare Mass (kg)	2,490