It was first here, but so much has changed (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
Price:620,651 NIS (base), 8,10 NIS (test)
Competitors:BMW iX, Mercedes EQE SUV
We liked:Behavior, comfort, cabin
We didn't like:Range, price
Score: 2019/408
May 518 We drove for the first time here in Israel in an Audi e-tron Electric cars aroused a lot of curiosity about quite a few models. The e-tron was a sensation in those terms as well. Today we look at those 400 hp numbers in the estimate, but no longer fall out of your chair when there are Chinese women like BYD Tang who register 300 horses without shaking their backs.
Moving on, compared to today, a declared range of 400 km and in practice a little over 520, come on, we're already really talking about the range that the mediocre of the popular Chinese do. Of all this, only the price is still surprising, because when they started selling the e-tron here for NIS 546,8, it was when the state still didn't understand what kind of self-goal it was sticking in the meager taxation that existed at the time for luxury electric cars.
A year and a half later, the exact same figures - the price has already jumped to NIS 600,620 for the e-tron and NIS <>,<> for the e-tron Sportback, after the increase in sales tax and the addition of the luxury tax. Two and a half more years have passed, and after the facelift, Audi is already calling it the Q<> e-tron and demanding NIS <>,<> for the regular version and NIS <>,<> for the Sportback being tested.
As if 4 years hadn't passed, the cabin still looks up-to-date. How long will it last? (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
So we understood, things here are getting more expensive, for those who live in Israel and come to the supermarket from time to time, we didn't innovate much. But even for those who spend such sums on a car, it is impossible to continue selling the same goods, they also already know what is going on around them. And if Udi wants them to keep the money with her, she should offer them a decent value.
Audi took the business seriously and started going through with a neat checklist on all the things that needed to be worked on in order to continue this momentum, and the arena outside is not what it was in 2019, it is boiling with competitors, and it will not get easier.
Design: Changes to appearance start with the semi-opaque grill. If at first it was important for Audi to keep the frame identified with all the company's models, this time they are already more fluid with only part of it open for the cooling necessary for the electrical system, the rest is sealed for the sake of aerodynamic efficiency. The rest of the business is already a passage with very fine polishing paper, almost imperceptible. When it comes to the electric genre, its "coupe-like" crossback configuration is still exceptional with major competitors still retaining a more square configuration.
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Excellent space for two at the rear, separate climate control and air conditioning ports on both the console and the side beams (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
Interior: If the exterior design has a focus on the front, the interior has no change at all. And it's a compliment because this interior proves that basically good design and engineering remain so even after 5 years of the original model's introduction. A clear and easy-to-operate 12.3-inch instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch multimedia screen and an 8.6-inch climate, seat and more control screen. Yes, we'd still love physical dials to determine the intensity and temperature of climate control, but it's simple enough for it to work well. 2.93 meters at the wheelbase results in excellent clearance in the rear seat, where occupants are given separate climate control and air conditioning ports on both the rear of the centre console and the middle beams. Two major concerns about the roof structure are quickly cleared up, there is no headroom problem for rear occupants and visibility from inside the vehicle is not impaired due to the high tail. The only price it charges is a less comfortable rear-seat entry. There is also no charge in the luggage compartment for this structure, as thanks to the generous overall dimensions it offers a very nice 528 litres.
Lots of space and very easy access to the trunk (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
Accessories: The Q8 e-tron comes very well equipped, and the test car with the Luxury package in general loads it up well. Air absorbers, electrically adjustable leather seats with heating and ventilation (also for the rear seats), 4-zone climate control, wireless charging, panoramic window, 21-inch wheels, soft door closure, B&O audio system with 16 speakers and more.
The list of safety systems includes cross-traffic detection, lane departure correction, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot vehicle warning and automatic braking. The model was tested in the European crash test in 2019 upon its introduction and received a 5-star rating.
Performance: When it comes to powertrain for the Q8 e-tron, Audi decided that 408 hp is much more than suitable for everyday use and left power unchanged as well as the torque figure of 67.7 kg which, like horses, comes full only in temporary BOOST mode. Acceleration to 100 km/h finishes after 5.6 seconds (down from 5.7 seconds for those who care a lot). Again, it's interesting to see how much we've gotten used to it, it was a statistic that once stunned us on a crossover. And the pace of the Q8 e-tron certainly matches the dry figure with plenty of willingness to leap forward with a press of the pedal, instantly and as with any electric with instinctive power availability, right from the moment you put your foot on the accelerator pedal.
The Sportback configuration offers the "coupe-crossover" design, so far it is quite lonely in the world of electricity and this look (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
Power consumption and range: The main change received by the Q8 e-tron is the transition to the use of larger batteries, in its case from 95 to 106 kWh, one of the largest packages in trams sold in Israel. These are supposed to provide him, at least according to the manufacturer's statement, up to 524 kilometers of range. We measured a much more modest figure for him - 422 kilometers in real-life conditions, including intensive use of air conditioning.
A second upgrade that the model receives in the facelift is the fast charging capability, which has improved from 150 to 170 kWh. On the hot test days, we did not find a public station that operated at full capacity to test the fast charging rate.
Split control of the systems from two separate screens. Lovely, but sometimes a dial is a simpler and more elegant solution (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
Comfort and handling: In urban driving, relative to a 4.9-metre vehicle, the Q8 e-tron doesn't feel cumbersome, but it does require a period of getting used to its width and sitting in the bathroom where you sit deep inside the vehicle. For those who need the dominant and high observation post, I'm not sure it would be suitable. On most surfaces its air absorbers in comfort mode do an excellent job of damping, and except for potholes or a quick pass on a speed bump, nothing penetrates inside, and that's with a 265/45 tire on a 21-inch rim. There has also been an improvement in noise insulation, especially those coming from the direction of the wheels. Driving with the regenerative braking system would score perfect if it offered a single-pedal driving option.
As in the past, road behavior is good as long as you maintain a certain degree of coordination of expectations. Despite its agile performance, it's hard to blame a 2.5-tonne vehicle for not liking quick changes of direction, or dragging braking deep into a turn. In the past, however, his lack of desire to turn was really distinct, while here the bar is higher. That didn't make it a rival to the Porsche Cayenne, but it's definitely better than before. Especially including the brake pedal, it is still not good and with an unnatural feel, but no longer synthetic. Take some of the pace off and it will return to being a large crossover and very pleasant for long drives, it's just around the edges that it's less polished.
Manages to get by even with 21-inch wheels (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
Bottom Line
Jaguar i-Pace aside, Audi was the first of the traditional luxury manufacturers to dip a foot into the world of electric luxury. It has a price, it means huge investments in technology, which, as I mentioned in the introduction, may become out of date within two or three years at the rate at which the industry is moving. Audi's way of avoiding this was the general approach, because unlike competitors like the Mercedes EQE SUV and BMW iX that shout "electricity!!!" from the edge of the parking lot, Audi's card is actually the fact that it is the electric car most reminiscent of a gasoline car in appearance and operation. I can see a traditional customer of the luxury world looking at the competition as one step too far in changing the concept.
That, in my opinion, is its significant advantage, because as electric cars are measured, even after its significant and impressive update, it lacks the extravagance projected by its competitors. To this should be added the price. The Q8 starts at NIS 600,620 and the Sportback version in the test costs NIS 31,20. The Luxury package adds NIS 5,200, and all together reflects a price increase of tens of thousands of shekels compared to the outgoing version.
The handful of improvements you get in return are not ones that can be easily seen and justified against the extroverted show provided by, say, the BMW iX.
On the other hand, if it's a conservative customer, and as long as it's not the kind that buys just a symbol, and the dimensions are not a base requirement, by 70 cm less between the bumpers, <> cm less at the wheelbase and <>,<> NIS less on an excellent electric rotating invoice like the electric Genesis GV<> that I can't find anywhere where it falls from the Audi.
The polishing is more subtle at the back (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
On the technical side: Audi Q8 e-tron 55 Sportback
Engine, Propulsion:Electric, Two Motors, Dual
Battery:106 kWh
Power (hp):408 Torque (kg):67.7
Transmission:Automatic Single
ratio Dimensions:Length (m): 4.91 Width (m):1.94 Height (m): 1.62 Wheelbase (m): 2.93 Trunk (liter): 528
Performance:
Acceleration 0-100 (sec):5.7
Maximum Speed (km/h):200
Range (manufacturer):524 km Range (test):422 km
Safety:European crash test score:5 stars (2019)
Active safety:Lane departure correction, automatic braking, blind-spot vehicle warning, automatic reversing braking, adaptive
cruise control Air pollution:
Group 1 out of 15
Warranty:
3 years or 100,8 km per vehicle, 160 years or <>,<> km per battery
- Car
- Car Tests
Tags
- Udi
- Q8
- E TRON
- Electric vehicle
- Electric car
- Champion Motors
