THERE'S AN UPDATED AUDI S8 RANGE, AND THE RANGE-TOPPING SQ8 IS AWESOME.
Audi’s range-topping SUV has been updated, and it’s absolutely awesome - the SQ8 TFSI is the new SUV boss. On the visual front, the sizeable SUV gets a redesigned spoiler at the front with an expressive diffuser at the rear. The Singleframe stands out with vertical L-shaped inlays in a sporty colour scheme and the larger air intakes feature honeycomb grilles across their surface. Just like with other Audi sport models, the SUV also gets aluminium mirror caps, but it goes further with matching inlays in the Singleframe and the edging of the side air intakes and side skirts. The SUV also features HD Matrix LED technology and an additional laser light along with digital daytime running lights positioned on the upper horizontal edge. At the rear, an LED light strip together with black high-gloss trim and integrated Audi rings links the digital OLED rear lights across the entire width of the car and it looks awesome. For those wanting a bit of a change, the SQ8 can be had with the Black and Black Plus optics package. The rolling stock of the Audi SQ8 TFSI comes in the form of 21-inch wheels, but these can be upgraded to a massive 23-inch option via Audi Sport. Because the massive SUV can get up to a proper gallop, there are massive brakes. Up front, the discs measure 400 mm (15.8 inches) and the rear gets 350 mm (13.8 inches) discs. The sizeable calipers come in black as standard, but can also be had in red, which is what we’d have on our imaginary SQ8. As part of the update, passengers can use popular apps from third-party providers, and regular software updates and a constantly expanding range of apps make for even greater personalisation of the infotainment system. The Audi virtual cockpit is amazing tech, and it displays lane change warnings, other road users' distance warnings, intersection assistance, and traffic light information online in full HD quality.
There are a few different versions available, including the Audi Q8 45 TDI Quattro, the Audi Q8 50 TDI Quattro, and the Audi Q8 55 TFSI Quattro. Of course, we like the range-topper the most because we’re all about speed and power. The SQ8 TFSI runs on the established 4.0 TFSI that’s rated at a healthy 373 kW with 770 Nm of torque. This power is fully exploited with a fast-shifting 8-speed Tiptronic transmission and it also makes use of that iconic Audi Quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. In this guise, the SQ8 TFSI is fast, it can hit 100 km/h in just 4.1 seconds and has a top speed of an electronically limited 250 km/h. At low to medium loads and acceleration speeds – from 160 to 250 Nm and between 950 and 2,500 rpm with a maximum torque requirement of 145 Nm – the cylinder-on-demand system deactivates cylinders 2, 3, 5, and 8 in the upper gears by shutting off injection and ignition and closing the intake and exhaust valves. In the four-cylinder mode, the operating points in the active cylinders shift to a higher load, which boosts thermal efficiency, while the deactivated cylinders follow, essentially with no losses, like gas springs. When the driver presses the accelerator pedal, the deactivated cylinders reactivate immediately and all the power is unleashed. The suspension is just superb, when cornering at high speed, it uses two multi-disc clutches to shift the torques between the rear wheels, giving the wheel on the outside of the curve, which has the better grip, the greater share. The second component in the package is the electromechanical active roll stabilization where both axles are equipped with a compact electric motor coupled to a transmission that splits the stabilizer in half. In a straight drive, it allows them to work largely independently of each other to reduce body movements on uneven roads. In sporty driving the electric motor causes the two halves to rotate in opposite directions which means the car leans into the curve significantly less, and the steering response becomes more precise. There’s obviously a lot more to the new S8 and SQ8, and for that, you’ll need to check out the details on the Audi main site - or watch the linked vid.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the folks at AutoTrader (UK edition) as they take a closer look at the updated Audi SQ8 and discuss everything the upmarket SUV offers the discerning buyer and if it's going to make the wealthy target buyers happy or not: NEW 507HP Audi SQ8 Review: Has Audi Done Enough? | 4K | AutoTrader
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