View Photos of the 2024 Audi SQ8 e-tron

Photography By Audi

November 20, 2023 at 3:00 PM·3 min read

Despite a hefty curb weight, the 2024 Audi SQ8 e-tron delivers surprisingly athletic performance from its tri-motor powertrain. The beefy crossover also gains efficiency for 2024, with a bigger battery and slipperier aerodynamics bringing a much-improved electric driving range.

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The 2024 Audi SQ8 e-tron relies on three electric motors, with one on the front axle and two at the rear, providing a total of 496 horsepower and 718 pound-feet of torque.

That represents a 94-hp and 228-lb-ft increase over the standard Q8 e-tron, enough for the 6000-plus-pound SUV to hit 60 mph from a standstill in a claimed 4.2 seconds.

The two rear-mounted motors employ electric torque vectoring, giving the SQ8 surprising agility as the motors reapportion torque to rotate the SUV through corners.

Audi also fitted all 2024 Q8 e-tron variants with quicker steering, adding to the SQ8 e-tron's sharp and playful character.

The SQ8 e-tron also packs an upgraded chassis, with stiffer anti-roll bars and revised dampers helping keep body roll to a minimum.

Beefy brakes do an excellent job of slowing this heavy crossover, with six-piston calipers and 15.7-inch rotors fitted to the front wheels.

A new 106.0-kWh battery replaces the outgoing e-tron's 86.5-kWh unit, but a new layout allowed Audi to cram those extra battery cells into the same-size pack.

The result is increased range without compromising interior space, with the SQ8 Sportback e-tron capable of driving up to 253 miles on a charge, according to EPA estimates, versus the previous e-tron S Sportback's maximum of 212 miles.

The high-quality cabin is mostly unchanged, remaining comfortable and high-tech, with sharp screens and an intuitive infotainment system.

The SQ8 e-tron doesn't come cheap, starting at $90,995, but the impressive handling and newfound electric driving range make the extra cost easier to stomach.