I usually oppose making things needlessly complex, especially when it comes to car names. Sadly though, BMW and Infiniti have been guilty of this for some time now. It’s almost impossible to remember which vehicle we are discussing from the Mercedes-EQ family without taking a moment or two to recall their convoluted model branding and sub-branding strategies.

Introducing the new “Q8” from Audi’s top-of-the-line 2024 model year Q8 E-Tron, as well as the fresh and sophisticated “SQ8”. Upon its launch in 2018, it was simply referred to as “Audi E-Tron” with all of its attention on the company’s newly launched electric vehicle line. But there were no hints about what size or shape this car would be – until now! Despite having a coupe silhouette like that of an E-Tron Sportback or a very non-SUVesque look of an E–Tron GT, these new models give us something worth talking about.

The Audi Q8 and SQ8 editions offer a compactly perfect addition to the already existing Audi universe, reducing any RAM I need in order to recall what it is that I’m writing. For 2024, four familiar variants will appear The square-backed and sport-backed bodies on standard as well as sporty powertrains. To top off this great news even further, after testing out the E-Tron model far away from land on an Atlantic island, I found out that changes have been made which make it a much more attractive electric vehicle overall.

The Q8 electric SUV rebranding may answer our inquiries about the nomenclature of BMW and Mercedes’ i and EQ models, but in reality, it’s just a typical mid-cycle refresh. And with EVs, upgrades can make all the difference when you’re on the road – this is truly the situation here.

Audi has redesigned its signature single-frame “mask” and the rear diffuser to reflect an even more techy-cool SUV vibe. The sleek lighting elements have also been improved, with particular attention to detail in the LED headlights that mimic the stacked bars at the lower fascia. This new design creates a truly unique look for this stylish vehicle.

The all-new bodywork allows the E-Tron to have a sleek and aerodynamic shape, decreasing its wind drag by 8% compared to the previous model. The camera-based wing mirrors are unfortunately not allowed in the US (which is actually great for ease of use). Despite this limitation, with new more efficient stator motors and updated battery chemistry using less cobalt, Audi can proudly claim that maximum range figures improved by 30%.

Source: insideevs