2025 Audi Q8

Audi Q8

Audi’s Q8 isn’t here to make up the numbers. It’s the flagship SUV coupe that puts presence front and centre, binning the boxy look for something altogether sleeker and more imposing. If you’re cross-shopping, it’s up against the BMW X6 xDrive40i, Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe 450, and Porsche Cayenne Coupe – all heavyweights, all fighting for that aspirational driveway space. But there’s just one Q8 listed across South Africa right now: a 2026 55TFSI quattro at R1,729,595. That says plenty about how rare these are, and why this isn’t the sort of car you’ll spot every morning on William Nicol. Here’s the rub: this Q8’s a 3.0-litre turbo petrol, seven-speed S tronic, and, crucially, quattro all-wheel drive, as you’d expect at this end of the world. The price? On paper at least, it’s right in the mix with rivals from Stuttgart and Munich, especially when you match up spec sheets. With just 12 km on the odo, it’s as close to box-fresh as you’ll get. No used stock means you won’t find a shortcut through the second-hand market, so that initial sticker price is the entry ticket. Where the Q8 pulls ahead for me is the cabin: Audi’s stuck to physical MMI controls longer than BMW, and the interior design feels more purpose-built than the GLE Coupe’s scattergun approach. That matters, especially if you actually care about how a car fits into your life, not just how it looks parked outside Tasha’s.