Hot on the heels of his test of the Range Rover Sport, Al Suttie spends a week with Audi’s rivalling premium SUV.

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Audi Q8 55 TFSI Launch Edition

List price (BiK): £84,440 (37%) CO2: 247g/km Economy: 25.9mpg Test efficiency: 25.1mpg

Monday

It took me a moment or two this morning to work out why this Audi Q8 55 TFSI was a Launch Edition model. After all, the Q8 has been around since 2018, but then I remembered this big SUV was updated towards the end of last year. Seems that’s enough to justify calling this a launch model, though the £10,000 premium over the S line version seems rather ambitious to my wallet.

Tuesday

A study of the spec sheet last night over a cuppa shows the Launch Edition comes with some extra kit over the S line trim. You get 22-inch Black Edition alloy wheels and black exterior trim details, along with the fancy new OLED headlights. There are some interior trim upgrades, too, along with a head-up display and some extra safety kit. More on the safety side of things later on.

Wednesday

The first decent stint at the wheel of the Q8 this morning to head to a meeting in Edinburgh. As a means to cruise along the motorway and then sift through the city traffic, the Q8 is up there with the best. It’s quiet, has wonderfully comfortable seats, and a good but not great ride quality. The Audi does feel big in town streets, though, where a Range Rover Sport (see test here) manages to feel more compact.

Thursday

Another longer drive today in the Q8 and its credentials as a long-distance tourer are beyond reproach. The turbocharged 3.0 V6 petrol engine has more than ample reserves of power for accelerating, overtaking, and dealing with steeper inclines. It’s hushed as well and the eight-speed ’box is meltingly smooth in the way it swaps gears. I just wish the low-speed ride was a tad more forgiving.

Friday

After a few days, I have become heartily sick of having to switch off the speed sign warning in the Q8. By all means flash an icon on the dash or give a short audible warning, but please don’t keep binging all the time. There are several roads I use every day where speed limits have either changed or become redundant that the Audi just ignores and carries on with its beeping tyranny. Turning it off requires several infotainment screen menus, which is just as annoying.

Saturday

All the usual family stuff to deal with this weekend, plus collecting some food and decorations for my mother-in-law’s birthday. The huge boot of the Q8 does all of this without breaking sweat, while the kids in the back seats are very happy. The coupé roof line of the Q8 doesn’t make any negative impact on rear passenger space and I think it’s a far more handsome car than the Q7 as a result.

Sunday

A big petrol-powered SUV is never going to be an economy champ, but the Q8 55 TFSI has got very close to its claimed economy, turning in 25.1mpg over the week against an official number of 25.9mpg. There’s a lot else to like about the Q8 – comfort, calm motorway manners, cabin ambience – but I would have to think very carefully before committing to a car that has such an intrusive and irritating speed warning bonging away when not always needed.