It has been confirmed that Audi’s electric SUV, the Q8 e-tron, will officially enter the Malaysian market.
This jumbo-sized EV went through a hefty update including an increase in its battery capacity. In the front, the e-tron gets a new single-frame grille, different badges and a light bar that stretches between the headlights that seems to be fast becoming a signature of VW group cars.
There is also a Sportback version available for those who want their 2600kg SUV to have a more rakish shape but its yet to be confirmed if the Sportback will make it to Malaysia. Also available are the advanced 50 and S line 55 variants.
The Q8 e-tron for the Malaysia market will feature the S line 55, which offers 481 km of range thanks to a larger battery with 114 kWh of gross energy capacity (106 kWh usable). Driving to Penang for some char kuey teow with a single charge shouldn’t be an issue.
The closest specifications that we will get include the black styling package with black roof rails, matte brushed aluminum decorative inserts, sports seats with Valcona leather upholstery and 22-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels in a five-spoke design with a titanium grey finish.
As standard, the Q8 e-tron 50 gets dual motors and all-wheel drive as standard alongside an 89kWh battery pack. You will be able to get a 106kWh battery pack in the more powerful ‘55’ to increase the range.
The SQ8 variant gets an extra motor on the rear axle that gets the same 106kWh battery pack as the e-tron 55.
The charging details are listed below:
This flagship model puts out a total of 408 PS and 664 Nm of torque with all-wheel drive quattro powertrains making it a worthy rival for the BMW iX and Mercedes EQE.
The Q8 e-tron does 0-100km/h in just 5.6 seconds with a top speed of 200km/h which is alright for an SUV.
You get a 10.1-inch touchscreen on the top part of the dashboard, with an additional 8.6-inch touchscreen below it housing the climate control and driving mode options. The driving display with clear graphics sits behind a new steering wheel, while the rest of the styling remains faithful to the pre-facelift e-tron.
It is also packed with adaptive air suspension, ambient lighting package plus, MMI Navigation plus with MMI touch response, virtual cockpit plus, a wireless charger, four-zone climate control, parking aid plus with a 360-degree camera, Audi pre-sense front and rear, lane change assistant, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.
It was revealed that the Q8 e-tron will make its Malaysian debut sometime in June this year with an estimated price between RM369,000 and RM476,000.
