Audi SQ8 E-tron review

All of that might be forgiven if the SQ8 were truly extraordinary to drive, but sadly it isn’t. With a 0-62mph time of just 4.5sec, it lives in the ‘uncomfortably fast’ territory that the most accelerative EVs occupy. And is it more fun? Not really.

You might think the real difference would come courtesy of the SQ8 E-tron’s torque-vectoring capability. Last May, we got to experience what it can really do on a frozen lake, and while that was very impressive, you would be hard pressed to notice the difference from the regular Q8 E-tron on a dry road.

The SQ8 E-tron feels slightly more agile than that car, but then you certainly wouldn’t want to get 2.6 tonnes of SUV sideways on a public road.

More noticeable is the additional restlessness of the SQ8 E-tron’s ride. It stops short of being truly bothersome, but then the trade-off in handling isn’t really there.

The SQ8 E-tron is noticeably faster than the Q8 E-tron 55 and, owing to its wider wheel arches and lower stance, it looks more sporting than its brethren. The flip side is a hefty price increase and quite a penalty to the range, without a tangibly different, let alone superior, driving experience to justify them.

Unlike that car, the SQ8 E-tron has stiff direct competition, in the form of the BMW iX xDrive50. The rival from Munich costs about the same, but goes further on a charge because it uses its energy more effectively, charges more quickly and delivers world-class rolling refinement and drivability.