The 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron Review: 4 Quick Thoughts

Audi was one of the first manufacturers out of the gate with the E-Tron EV in 2018. It was a midsize electric crossover based on VW’s MLB combustion platform. Over the years, however, it’s grown outdated, and other manufacturer efforts have outstripped it. So, Audi decided to give it a massive nip and tuck for the 2024 model year — and rebrand it as the Q8 E-Tron. 

Is the new Q8 E-Tron now a modern, capable electric SUV you should have your eyes on? I drove one around my home in Michigan for a week to find out. 

Photo by Tyler Duffy

The Q8 E-Tron looks like a traditional Audi SUV

If you want to be very low-key with your EV early adopter status, an Audi Q8 E-Tron will have you covered. It’s based on the combustion platform. It looks exactly like a typical Audi crossover, masking its EV-itude with a faux grille and a spartan “Q8” badge; that said, there is an “e-Tron” written on the rear bumper that you can see if you squint. The interior looks very combustion Audi, from the leather and wood inlays to the wonky double-screen setup. 

No one presumed or asked me over the entire week whether the Q8 E-Tron was electric — or asked about it, period. Even with my seasoned automotive eye, I mistakenly led my children to a white Audi Q7 in a parking lot at my son’s school event. And it still took a minute or two to find it among the other crossovers. 

Photo by Tyler Duffy