With 3 Motors, 2024 Audi SQ8 e-tron Churns Out 496 HP

• For 2024 Audi is adding another rear motor to the SQ8 to crank total system performance to 496 hp and 718 lb-ft of torque.
  

• Audi says this three-motor system can sprint the S8 e-tron to 60 mph in a scant 4.2 seconds.

• Audi says the EPA estimated range for the ’24 e-tron SQ8 is 253 miles with 20-inch wheels.

If the Audi Q8 e-tron didn’t have enough oomph, Audi’s now offering a solution. The 2024 SQ8 e-tron takes the Q8 e-tron shell to new heights with a revised powertrain that adds a second motor to the Q8’s rear drive axle.

Performance now cranks up to 496 hp and an absurd 718 lb-ft of torque. That’s a big bump over the standard Q8’s 402 hp, but it’s not the SQ8’s only upgrade.

Let’s dive into the details. The current Q8 sports a single motor at the front and a single motor at the rear. The SQ8 adds a second motor at the rear—three motors in total. Audi says the front motor gives you up to 210 hp and the two rear motors make 185 hp a piece.

If you’re saying that adds up to 580 hp: you’re correct. But Audi says the system is limited to 496 by battery output.

Feeding these electric motors is a 114-kWh battery pack. While it’s larger than the ’23 Q8’s battery pack, you’ll find this configuration under the floor of every Q8 and SQ8. That extra battery size helps keep this SQ8’s more power-hungry powertrain chugging along for an EPA estimated 253 miles. Audi says this powertrain is good for a 0-60 mph sprint in 4.2 seconds but runs out of steam at 130 mph.

Alongside the powertrain updates, the SQ8 has a 1.5-inch wider body thanks to the additional fender flares, which help fully cover standard 20-inch or optional 22-inch wheels.

Behind the front wheels, you’ll find six-piston fixed calipers that clamp 15.7 inch rotors. Slowing the rear wheels is a set of single-piston floating calipers that clamp down on smaller, but still large 13.8-inch rotors.

Of course, the wider fenders and extra power aren’t the only changes Audi made for the SQ8. There’s also the price: Audi says this SQ8 e-tron will start at $90,895 when it hits dealers in the fourth-quarter of this year.

The SQ8 e-tron Sportback starts at $93,695. For reference, the current Audi Q8 e-tron’s most expensive Prestige trim starts at $84,295, which means this SQ8 represents a step up from the less powerful model.

Do you think this SQ8 e-tron shows Audi is heading in the right direction? Or does it still need more power? Tell us your thoughts below.