Even with the dozens of cars that we write about each month, it’s hard to forget a striking face.

This was what we discovered when Audi Philippines posted on Facebook about an electric vehicle (EV) that it will launch on Aug. 5, 2023 at the 30th East B Open Parking area in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

The car on the poster has Audi’s familiar pointed LED headlights with four strakes that form part of the LED daytime running lights. But distinctive features of this upcoming EV are the piano-black accents and the LED lightbar in the front grill.

Combine all these with the large lower grill and pronounced side intakes – and you get the 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron.

The German carmaker will be showcasing this luxury EV at the venue until Aug. 6, 2023.

Recent facelift

AutoFun Philippines has written quite a lot about the 2024 Q8 e-tron, which is Audi’s flagship EV crossover.

The original model, which was just called the “e-tron,” was launched publicly at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. The facelifted version of this large EV made its global debut on November 2022. 

The previous model's boomerang-style headlights and heptagonal grill are still there, but Audi added some piano-black or silver accents and larger lower bumper openings to give it a bigger scowl.

The side profile also remains largely similar, with a high beltline and slim side mirror. The pronounced kink at the bottom of the doors stays, too, but the addition of body-color wheel arches and panels make the Q8 e-tron look more sleek.

At the back, for both the standard SUV and the Sportback, the awesome LED taillights still look like two broken arrows fused together, with the side sections looking like quivers. The lower rear bumper also gets a pseudo-diffuser.

Audi said the addition of electric grill shutters and underbody wheel spoilers have also reduced the drag coefficient of both models for better efficiency at speed. 

The regular Q8 e-tron goes from 0.28 to 0.27, while the more aerodynamic Sportback goes from 0.26 to 0.24.   

600-km max range

Although the Philippine specifications have not yet been officially announced, the updated Q8 e-tron has three variants with all-wheel drive, along with a “boost mode” that pumps up the power in quick bursts.

The base model 50 e-tron variant has two electric motors and a 95-kWh battery pack with a combined output of up to 340 PS and 664 Nm of torque. This has a maximum WLTP range of 491 km for the regular model and 505 km for the more aerodynamic Sportback. 

This goes up to 582 km and 600 km, respectively, for the dual-motor 55 e-tron SUV and Sportback that is equipped with the 114-kWh battery pack. The combined output is up to 408 PS and 664 Nm of torque.

Finally, the top-spec SQ8 e-tron offers up to 458 km of range for the SUV and 417 km for the Sportback. Its three motors and 114-kWh battery produce up to 503 PS and a mind-bending 973 Nm of torque.

The base model comes with a 150-kW of charging performance, while the higher two variants get 170 kW. The larger battery pack can be charged at a high-powered charging station from 10 percent to 80 percent in 31 minutes for a claimed WLTP range of 420 km.

With EVs steadily gaining popularity in the Philippines, would you be interested in the 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron?

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