Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron

The 2025 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron in India is offered with two battery and dual-motor configurations, both providing quattro all-wheel drive. The Q8 Sportback e-tron 50 features a 95 kWh battery pack (89 kWh usable) and produces 340 PS (335.25 bhp) of power and 664 Nm of torque. This variant offers a WLTP-claimed range of up to 491 km. The Q8 Sportback e-tron 55 features a larger 114 kWh battery pack (95 kWh usable) and produces 408 PS (402.3 bhp) of power and 664 Nm of torque. This variant offers a significantly improved WLTP-claimed range of up to 600 km. Both configurations utilize twin electric motors (one on each axle) and a single-speed transmission. The Q8 Sportback e-tron 50 accelerates from 0 to 100 kmph in 6.0 seconds, while the Q8 Sportback e-tron 55 achieves it in a quicker 5.6 seconds. The top speed for both variants is electronically limited to 200 kmph. Charging capabilities are robust, supporting up to 11 kW AC charging (full charge in 9.3 to 11.5 hours depending on variant) and up to 150 kW DC fast charging, allowing a 10-80% charge in approximately 28-31 minutes.

Ride and Handling

The 2025 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron is engineered to deliver a refined, comfortable, and confident ride and handling experience, with a slight emphasis on dynamic flair due to its Sportback design. It features an adaptive air suspension system as standard, which allows for adjustable ride height and damping, adapting to various driving conditions and modes. This ensures a smooth and composed ride, absorbing most road imperfections with ease.

The electric power steering is precise and offers good feedback, making the Q8 Sportback e-tron easy to maneuver in urban environments and stable on highways. The low center of gravity, due to the battery placement in the floor, contributes to excellent stability and minimal body roll, even for an SUV of its size. The quattro all-wheel-drive system provides exceptional grip and traction, ensuring confident handling in diverse weather and road conditions. While it's not a sports car, the Q8 Sportback e-tron offers an engaging driving experience with its instant torque delivery and refined dynamics, making it well-suited for long-distance cruising and daily commutes alike.

The interior of the 2025 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron is a testament to Audi's commitment to luxurious comfort and cutting-edge technology. The cabin is spacious, meticulously crafted with high-quality materials, and designed for a premium user experience. Soft-touch plastics, genuine leather upholstery, and tasteful wood or aluminum inlays are used throughout, creating a sophisticated and inviting ambiance.

The cabin offers comfortable seating for five occupants, with ample legroom and shoulder room in both rows. While the sloping roofline of the Sportback might slightly reduce rear headroom for very tall passengers compared to the standard Q8 e-tron SUV, it remains comfortable for most. The flat floor design, characteristic of EVs, further enhances rear passenger comfort. Key features include a triple-screen setup: a 10.1-inch touchscreen for the main infotainment system, an 8.6-inch touchscreen for climate control and convenience functions, and a 12.3-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus (digital instrument cluster). Creature comforts include four-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, power-adjustable and ventilated seats with a massage function, and a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system. Boot space for the Sportback is 528 litres, along with a 62-litre front storage trunk (frunk).

Infotainment

The infotainment system in the 2025 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron is a highlight, featuring Audi's advanced MMI touch response system across a triple-screen setup. The main 10.1-inch touchscreen handles navigation, media, and phone functions, while the lower 8.6-inch screen is dedicated to climate control and convenience features. Both screens provide haptic and acoustic feedback, mimicking the feel of physical buttons.

The 12.3-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus serves as the digital instrument cluster, offering highly customizable displays for driving information, navigation, and multimedia. The system supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ensuring seamless smartphone integration. Audi's voice control system allows for natural language commands to operate various vehicle functions. A premium 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system delivers an immersive audio experience. Additional features include wireless phone charging, multiple USB ports, connected car technology with live location, live weather, E-Call & I-Call, over-the-air (OTA) updates, and remote functions via a smartphone app.

The exterior design of the 2025 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron is its most defining feature, characterized by a gracefully sloping roofline that gives it a dynamic, coupe-like silhouette. This design choice sets it apart from the more traditional SUV stance of the standard Q8 e-tron. The front fascia features a redesigned Singleframe grille, now partially enclosed and adorned with a new 2D Audi logo, contributing to a modern and aerodynamic aesthetic. Sharp LED headlights and updated daytime running lights enhance its contemporary appeal.

Muscular wheel arches house stylish alloy wheels, typically 19-inch or larger, which perfectly complement its sporty profile. The rear design is equally striking, with a full-width LED light bar connecting the taillights and a subtly revised diffuser. Aerodynamically optimized elements are integrated throughout the design to enhance efficiency. Dimensions for the Q8 Sportback e-tron are approximately 4915 mm in length, 1976 mm in width, and a slightly lower height than the SUV at around 1632 mm, with a wheelbase of 2928 mm. The ground clearance is notable, offering up to 252mm in some variants, enhancing its capability on diverse Indian road conditions.

Safety is a paramount consideration in the 2025 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron, which is engineered with a robust platform and a comprehensive suite of active and passive safety features. It has received high safety ratings from international organizations, including a 5-star Euro NCAP rating and recognition from IIHS for its crashworthiness and advanced safety features.

The Q8 Sportback e-tron is equipped with 8 airbags (driver, passenger, side, curtain, and rear passenger side airbags) as standard, providing extensive passive protection. Active safety features include Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control (TC), Hill Assist, and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). It also boasts an extensive suite of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), including adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking (Audi Pre Sense technology), blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a 360-degree camera system, and parking sensors. These systems work cohesively to enhance driver confidence and provide a high level of safety.

The 2025 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron operates in the highly competitive luxury electric coupe-SUV segment in India, facing off against a strong lineup of electric rivals.

Its primary competitors include the BMW iX and the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV. While the BMW iX offers a distinctive design and strong performance, and the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV provides a luxurious and technologically advanced cabin, the Q8 Sportback e-tron differentiates itself with its established presence, its balanced design (specifically the coupe-SUV styling), improved range, and Audi's signature interior and technology.

Other indirect rivals could include the Jaguar I-Pace and high-end variants of other luxury SUVs. The Q8 Sportback e-tron's enhanced battery options, refined driving dynamics, and comprehensive feature set make it a strong contender for buyers seeking a premium, spacious, and capable electric coupe-SUV in the Indian market.

The 2025 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron is a highly compelling offering in the Indian luxury electric vehicle market, particularly for those who desire a blend of SUV practicality with coupe-like aesthetics. It successfully builds upon the strengths of its predecessor, delivering improved electric range, a refreshed and more assertive design, and an even more refined driving experience. Its spacious, luxurious, and technologically advanced interior, coupled with a comprehensive suite of safety features, ensures a premium and secure environment for occupants.

While its price positions it firmly in the luxury EV segment, the Q8 Sportback e-tron justifies the investment with its uncompromised comfort, impressive performance, and the practicality of a daily usable electric coupe-SUV. For those in India seeking a sophisticated, capable, and long-range electric vehicle with a distinctive design from a renowned luxury brand, the 2025 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron is an excellent and highly desirable choice, representing a significant step forward in Audi's electric mobility journey.