Should you buy one?

The Audi Q8 is a more expensive, less practical alternative to the Audi Q7, but one that offers really very good build quality and a roomy back seat. It isn’t about to trouble our list of the best SUVs, but if you like the way it looks and can put up with how hard you need to press the touchscreen controls, then we understand why you’d want to take a closer look.

The problem we have is that it just isn’t as good as the main rivals any more. The Porsche Cayenne Coupe, for instance, is better for both comfort and driving enjoyment, has an even more premium image, a better interior, and is priced competitively as well. The SQ8 makes a stab at regaining some ground, but ultimately we’d prefer to be in the Porsche or a BMW X6 instead.

That Audi has delivered such a modest facelift suggests its heart isn’t really in it, either. Adding some new colours and some new lighting technology was hardly likely to make the updated Q8 an essential purchase when the alternatives are putting in much more effort.

What we like

The Audi Q8 is spacious inside, well put together and has some appealing engines. We’d pick the TDI from the standard range but recommend going for the SQ8 Vorsprung if you can afford it.

What we don’t like

Driving experience is neither comfortable nor sporty enough to make sense, the gearbox tuning still seems to need work several years after launch, and the touchscreen controls feel very poor now.