Audi RS Q8 facelift unveiled; Brand's most powerful petrol car

The Audi RS Q8 will take on the likes of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT and BMW X5 M.

Audi has given its flagship performance SUV, the RS Q8, a mid-cycle facelift. The new Audi RS Q8 facelift is now the most powerful petrol car in the brand's product lineup. The performance SUV comes with a host of aesthetic and mechanical upgrades. The facelift version also arrives with new features and tech on the interiors.

Starting with the exterior, the RS Q8 facelift comes with a revised grille with a new honeycomb pattern. It also features an updated four-ring logo, Matrix LED headlamps and a sportier bumper with side air intakes. The facelift RS Q8 now features 22-inch alloys as standard, with 23-inch rims available as an option; the alloys feature a new 5-Y design, with each of them said to weigh 5 kg less than that on the standard model. At the rear, the RS Q8 now comes with OLED tail lights with five different signatures. In addition, the rear bumper features a honeycomb grille pattern, while also having large oval exhaust pipes.

Inside, the Audi RS Q8 facelift is now offered in a choice of Red, Grey and Blue colour schemes. The SUV gets perforated sports seats, a 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit Plus driver's display and an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel; among a bunch of other smaller upgrades.

The 2024 Audi RS Q8 is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 offered in two states of tune: Standard & Performance. The standard version produces 591 BHP and 800 Nm, sprints from 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 190 mph. The RS Q8 Performance ramps up the power to 632 BHP and 850 Nm while taking two-tenths off the 0-100 km/h time. In addition to the extra power figures, the RS Q8 facelift also gets a lighter exhaust system, offering a better soundtrack. There is also an optional RS Sport exhaust system.

Both versions of the RS Q8 come with Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Source: AutoExpress