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Plug-In the Audi Q8 to Hybrid Duties and Expect 456 HP and 29+ EV Miles

The Ingolstadt-based automaker is diligently completing the flagship SUV lineup with a new addition to the Q8 roster. The new model arrives in Europe, for now, as over in America it just brought the high-performance RS Q8. But, on this occasion, the focus is on high efficiency with the new Q8 TFSI e quattro.
2021 Audi Q8 TFSI e quattro 33 photos
Photo: Audi AG
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Audi is pushing further and further into electrification territory with the unveiling of the plug-in hybrid Q8, an SUV equipped with a three-liter TFSI V6 engine and an electric motor taking juice from a newly developed battery.

The company says it “closes the last gap in the Q8 range” and we have to say that we had a moment of thought about this official puzzle. This is because the plug-in hybrid model is offered in two versions – one with an overall power of 280 kW / 381 ps / 375 hp and another sporting 340 kW / 462 ps / 456 hp.

Then it struck us - Audi also brought to Europe the same TFSI power it instilled upon the U.S.-spec SQ7 / SQ8 duo after it ditched the previous diesel mill (435 ps) in favor of the meatier gasoline version touting exactly 500 hp (507 ps).

Now, let's get back to reporting on the model specifics at hand. The Q8 TFSI e quattro packs a 3.0-liter gasoline combustion engine and a 100-kW electric motor assistant that draws power from a new 17.8 kWh battery. That’s 0.5 kWh more than what the related Q7 plug-in had to show for originally, though it has also been upgraded to the new standard since.

Audi offers the SUV Coupé in two output configurations – 55 and 60 TFSI e quattro, with 381 and 462 ps levels. Naturally, the base model gets the highest EV efficiency, at up to 47 kilometers (29.2 miles) on the WLTP cycle. On the other hand, it’s a tad slower to 100 kph / 62 mph in 5.8 seconds, and its top speed reaches 240 km/h (149.1 mph).

The higher-powered version has an estimated range of up to 45 kilometers (28 miles), while the sprint is resolved in 5.4 seconds (the maximum speed remains unchanged, as it’s electronically restricted).

Prices at home in Germany kick off at 75,351.26 euros ($88,437) for the 55 TFSI e quattro version, and from 92,800 euros (almost $109k) for the higher-powered Q8 60 TFSI e quattro.
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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
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Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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