As former South African President Thabo Mbeki once said, on an occasion such as this we should perhaps start from the beginning. Some of you may or may not know the SsangYong Actyon, but the Actyon gave birth to the current SUV Coupe design that is revered by many a car lover.
Even though many people locate the SUV Coupe design to the successful BMW X6, I dare say SsangYong did it first. Fast forward to 2019, Audi has entered the fray with the launch of the much anticipated Q8. The Q8 is Audi’s answer to BMW’s X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe.
This is not, however, going to be an easy ride for the new-comer as the fellow Germans have solidified their base. The X6 seems to still be an absolute fave as Twitter people would say while the GLE Coupe is fast melting hearts. So, where does the Audi Q8 fit it, you may ask. Well, according to Audi the new member of the Q family will fit in right there in the middle, siting pricing and spec as some of the added bonuses of this car.
For the launch, Audi SA chose beautiful and quiet scenic Cape Town routes for us to feel the new car.
Firstly the 3.0-litre TFSI engine did not disappoint, it did what was expected of an Audi motor, solid and precise on the power. Acceleration was quick and easy, thanks to the 250kW of smooth power combined with the maximum torque of 500Nm.
The route exposed us to some uneven older roads, curvy ones and of course some highway driving. The Q8 held its own and proved to be a real contender to the already established competition.
However, the manufacturer understands that they need to have something more appealing to woe the customers. But Audi prides itself for having minimal optional extras.
With just over fifty standard features some of them include 4-way seats lumber support, visual cockpit, contour/ambient lighting package, HD Matrix LED headlamps with dynamic turn signal, and the list is endless.
The design is not a radical SUV Coupe one but rather something in between, it looks as though Audi were playing it safe. Something that caught my attention are the new lights. Audi never disappoints, once again they have executed some of the most beautiful lights.
The Q8 55 TFSI will be joined by the 45 TDI, 3.0 diesel motor sometime during the course of this year.
Model Range and Pricing:
- Q8 55 TFSI: R1, 388m
- Q8 45 TDI: R1, 439m