The Electric SUV That Balances Luxury And Practicality Perfectly

The EV market has been pumping out some luxurious models, with brands like BMW, Mercedes, Rivian, Lucid, Porsche, and many more designing and engineering out-of-this-world EVs. There isn’t one answer as to why the electric industry goes hand in hand with luxury car brands, but one answer could be that the majority of EVs showcase futuristic designs and innovative technology. If you’re trying to find an answer for the EV that balances luxury and practicality, you’d likely end up giving up because there are just too many models that fit the bill.

One electric SUV pulls these traits, and while it’s not an underrated EV, it’s overshadowed by some of the other competitors with its flashy designs and abundance of wow factors. That may be something that many people go for; after all, when buying a luxury car, sometimes people like the car to represent the money they spend on it. Practicality has several definitions, but one that ties into it nicely is the word “modest.” Of course, there are plenty of other factors that make a car practical, but when you’re trying to accomplish that, most of the time, flashy and in-your-face features tend to get thrown out the window. That’s where this electric SUV comes in, pulling in luxury and practicality eveningly.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including EPA.

The Audi Q8 e-tron Offers The Perfect Balance Between Luxury And Practicality

The 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron offers the best of both worlds regarding luxury and practicality. Some electric vehicles can catch a lot of people’s eyes with their different or bold looks, but Audi keeps it at home with their large electric SUV. That’s not hating on any of those flashy cars because when you look at some of the most iconic cars, like the Ferrari F40, it’s as bold and flashy as you can get. But if you’re looking for an electric SUV that’s practical but luxurious, the Q8 e-tron will do just that. Many of these German car brands have a strong following because they have maintained the same appearance over the years. That might not include BMW with its controversial grilles and exterior designs, but an Audi such as the Q8 e-tron isn’t going to look out of the ordinary in traffic. It’ll look expensive, but keep that same sleek aesthetic you’ve seen over the last 20-plus years.

Inheriting That Iconic German Luxury Design

As stated earlier, the definition of practical can be tied to several areas, but appearance is an underrated factor when discussing how practical a car is. There’s more to come about how

the Q8 e-tron keeps things convenient
, but there’s a little more to explore regarding its design. The Q8 e-tron comes standard with 20-inch wheels but can be upgraded to an exclusive 21-inch light-alloy wheel. The S line competition exterior package is the add-on you’ll want if you like a sporty and sleek design. This offers components made of lightweight carbon fiber exterior accents. Other areas that make this electric SUV is the adaptive air suspension, which allows you to lower or raise the ride height. There are plenty of areas to explore when it comes to the design of the Audi Q8 e-tron; whether it’s the stunning LED headlights or the aggressive edges seen on the outside, it’s simply a beautiful electric SUV.

An Elevated But Spacious Interior

Like the exterior, the

interior is arguably the real showstopper.
It’s hard to discuss every feature that’s seen on the inside of a car, but when talking about practicalness or convenience, one of the most critical parts is comfort. The space inside a vehicle can make or break its selling point, but the Audi Q8 e-tron offers an admirable amount of space. The passengers get 38.1 inches of headroom in the front and 38.6 inches in the rear. When it comes to legroom, passengers receive 40.8 inches at the front of the cabin and 39.1 inches in the rear seating. Some vehicles offer decent space but sometimes fall short in turning that same space into storage and cargo room. This isn’t the case for the Q8 e-tron, which provides a decent amount of storage with a maximum cargo capacity of 56.3 cubic feet.

2024 Audi Q8 e-tron Interior Dimensions

Top-Of-The-Line Features And Tech

The electric automotive industry is surrounded by innovative technology, and with Audi sitting near the forefront of this industry, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Q8 e-tron comes packed with impressive tech. The driver gets a 12.3 HD display, which can be customized with three modes. This system displays driving alerts, navigation, and infotainment information. Luxury electric vehicles’ sound systems are always a bonus, with the Q8 e-tron sporting a Bang and Olufsen sound system with 3D sound. Many EVs share similar systems, and it’s no secret that a lot of EVs house some of the best driving aids. Audi provides many driving aids on the Q8 e-tron with examples including intelligent park assist, adaptive cruise assist with lane guidance, top view camera system, and Audi pre-sense.

An Added Bonus Of Performance

The bad news for the Q8 e-tron is that Audi is axing the model due to poor sales and the high cost. It’s still being offered in 2025, but production is planned to end in February. The Q6 e-tron and Q4 e-tron are expected to fill the void in the meantime, but it doesn’t mean that this electric SUV isn’t worth purchasing. Like that iconic German design, the same can be said for its performance. While some doubt that you can incorporate Audi’s iconic sportiness into an electric vehicle, it surprisingly does it pretty well.

The 2024 Q8 e-tron is powered by two electric motors, producing 302 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque. The electric SUV comes standard with a single-speed transmission and an all-wheel drive system. Electric vehicles are known for their fast launches, and the 2024 Q8 e-tron was able to complete a 0-60 mile-per-hour sprint in 5.4 seconds.

2024 Audi Q8 e-tron Performance Specifications

Range, Charging, And Efficiency

The Audi Q8 e-tron is offered in 20-inch or 21-inch wheels, which affects the fuel economy and range. The 20-inch setup offers 77 MPGe in the city, 80 MPGe on the highway, and a combined fuel economy of 78 MPGe. For the larger-sized wheels, it drops down a bit, offering a combined fuel economy of 74 MPGe. When it comes to the overall driving range, the Q8 e-tron provides 254 to 272 miles. Lastly, all trims will charge in 31 minutes, from 10 to 90 percent, through a DC fast charger.

Audi Q8 e-tron Fuel Economy, Range, And Charging

How The Audi Q8 e-tron Stacks Up Against Rivals

The electric automotive industry is quite competitive, with car brands constantly rivaling one another, ultimately allowing them to keep engineering and innovating new systems and platforms. Most car enthusiasts know the competition within the German world, with Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche constantly throwing jabs at each other in good spirits. Audi isn’t the only German automotive manufacturer dabbling in electric cars, with the main four producing impressive electric car lineups.

2024 Audi Q8 e-tron Vs. Competition

BMW iX xDrive50

The BMW iX xDrive50 is nearest in size to the Q8 e-tron out of BMW’s lineup, and it’s best to compare all models in their base forms. Most of the time, the higher you go in trims with EVs, the more performance you’ll get/ along with different fuel economies and ranges. So take note that the base forms aren’t the maximum horsepower that comes on their platforms. The BMW iX xDrive comes standard with dual-electric motors, delivering 516 horsepower and 564 pound-feet of torque. For its 0-60 mile-per-hour time, the iX xDrive 50 completed it in 4.4 seconds. BMW starts this electric SUV out at $87,250.

Mercedes EQE 350+ SUV

The Mercedes EQE 350+ SUV is the starting trim on the EQE SUV platform and the only trim that utilizes a single electric motor. It comes standard with a rear-wheel drive system and produces 288 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque. It’s not the fastest trim for the EQE SUV, but it still pulls in an impressive 6.4-second 0-60 sprint. Mercedes starts the EQE 350+ SUV at $77,900.

Porsche Macan Electric

One of the newer luxury electric SUVs is the Porsche Macan Electric, which debuted at the start of 2024. Similar to the base EQE SUV, the Macan Electric starting trim is also powered by a single electric motor. It keeps its performance in the same ballpark, making 335 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. It matches the 0-60 time on the Q8 e-tron, which was a 5.4-second run time. The Porsche Macan Electric sits in the middle regarding MSRP, starting at $75,300.