Audi Q8 55 TFSI S-Line turns heads

When the Audi Q8 was first launched in 2018, I was instantly in love. 

Sleek, squat and athletic, it struck all the right chords. It was certainly a departure from traditional SUV norms – coupe roof line, lower centre of gravity, massive 20+ inch wheels, and unlike the rest of Audi's tepid engine line-up in their "normal" models, only the biggest, brashest power mills would suffice. And only in V format.

Cubes is King. 

So when the facelifted model (updated in 2024) rolled into my driveway, wearing massive 22" wheels shod with 45 profiles and a coat of chilli red metallic paint, the 9-year-old boy in me let out a little squeal of delight. 

In my driveway stood the Audi Q8 55 TFSI S-Line.

Design and Aesthetics

The S-Line package gave this model unique rims, black badge and trims, a unique paint job, and specific exhaust treatment. 

The S-badging on the steering wheel and embossed leather seats, and red and white coloured puddle lamps projecting the S badging onto the ground from all four doors, and S-Line door sills, gave me the mistaken impression this was the SQ8, so upon my first drive I was disappointed to notice what I expected to be a V8 growl, was rather a V6 howl.

But what a sweet, sweet howl it was, especially in Dynamic mode, with plenty of open road to flex that 3.0l V6 petrol's 250kW and 500Nm.

I play football every Tuesday evening, and I'm privileged to be able to pull up in new cars I have on test every so often, and never before have my teammates salivated the way they did over the Q8.

"Doesn't matter how cold or wet it is outside," remarked one, "you should drive with all the windows down. People must see you!"

Looks. Check.

Performance. Check. 

Interior Quality

But Audis are a far cry from what they were. Inside it's all a little drab. It lacks personality.

Not only that, it's just not as well put together as you would expect for a car that costs over R2m.

The indicator and wiper steering column stalks feel cheap, made from very light plastic, and feels like they come from a Polo Vivo. In some places, the leather was bubbling on the seats. The trims on the dash and door cards goes from supple leather to very hard plastics, and not just lower down where such cheap materials can be abided. The faux carbon-fibre trim on the centre console didn't quite line up on some panels. The manual shift panels also feel flimsy, made of a plastic you wouldn't expect to see in an Audi. 

Yes, these could be the remnants of Dieselgate, which has forced VW-Audi to do some significant cost-cutting; but then don't charge me over Two Million Rand for this car. 

Let's be fair – this is a car from a media pool, and the media is not always known for treating test cars with the respect they would reserve for vehicles they pay for with their own money. 

But does that excuse a car with around 7,000km on the clock registering a child lock fault on the driver's side back door, causing the passenger side rear door's soft-latching function to malfunction?

There was another fault that magically appeared the day before the test car was set to go back, and the beauty of Audi is that these faults greet you with loud beep upon the ignition start up. 

Look, I'm not here to knock Audi, but there is a certain reputation the brand has built up over years, which of late it has failed to back up. 

Inside, while the Q8 is spacious and very nice, it feels claustrophobic. Yes, the black roof lining gives that impression, but it's got a decent-sized panoramic sunroof. However, this doesn't create any additional illusion of space.

The infotainment system can also be quite laggy and glitchy, and the camera system is, well, just ok. I've seen clearer definition in Suzukis. The cameras also don't activate automatically, triggered by proximity, and instead have that dated Audi red-line beep system that's been in place since the early naughties. 

Again, this may just be unique to the press car I had on test – the air suspension couldn't be lowered or raised from the buttons located in the boot, although the automatic scrolling parcel shelf and electrically deployable tow-bar worked just fine. 

Another issue I had is really just down to personal preference. The interior is quiet. You won't hear any road or wind noise. Which is what I didn't enjoy. If I'm driving a 3.0l V6 (and a 4.0l V8 in the case of the SQ8 and RSQ8), I want to hear that engine roar on start-up and hear the exhaust howling behind me as I launch forward. Even with the windows down in an underground parking garage, no such aural pleasure was forthcoming. 

So while the Audi Q8 55 TFSI S-Line is a looker, with the go to match the show, it's just a bridge too far to live with its quality issues. Not for over two bar. 

IOL Motoring