Out & About Magazine Autumn 2020

Out&About leisure

The Audi SQ8 is a spacious motor for this socially distanced era say MAURICE AND ANNETTE HARDY MOTORS

T he day the Audi SQ8 arrived for road test, Boris Johnson appeared on evening television and told the nation to stay indoors to avoid coronavirus. The next day, various manufacturers began to close their press fleets so the SQ8 was ours for the foreseeable. Although looking at a £100,000- plus motor on your drive is quite comforting, there wasn’t much we could do. In fact, the Audi’s test became both one of our longest and shortest. It remained with us for many weeks and until a few days before its return covered few miles, amassed largely through moving it on and off the driveway merely to get the bins past and exercising it on a short route to get the tyres warm and avoid flat spots – fortunately via a de-restricted straight that unleashed its ample power. One of the reasons for having the car was to mark the 40th anniversary of the quattro drive system that brought 4x4 to Audi; now almost half the cars the company sells are so equipped. Note, too, that quattro does not carry an initial capital “Q” as many homages to it insist on using. It has never had that distinction, even as a unique model name on the first coup é s to carry it, and does not need it. Its efficiency speaks for itself. The SQ8 is quite the car with which to mark the occasion. It is the latest model to use quattro and also makes a decent fist of being a luxury 4x4 without the physical excesses of its sister Q7 from Audi or Bentayga from Bentley. Although too wide to let the bins pass, the SQ8 hides its bulk well while the sheer scale of the thing is appreciated by those luxuriating in its interior. For those who have always viewed the diesel engine as an entrée to economy motoring, the news that this Audi has a four-litre V8 diesel harnessing 435 horses may come as a bit of a shock, especially when the 155 mph electronically limited top speed and 0-62 mph time of 4.8 seconds are given free rein. In view of that, the 205 g/km CO2 output is to be expected, but the

Best bits: all the quattro you’ll ever need

official combined fuel consumption of 30.7 mpg might not be, although we matched it. Equally impressive is the engine’s V8 growl, sounding like a powerful petrol unit with no hint of its diesel combustion process. This Audi is no lightweight, both in terms of available bulk and ability.

Fully laden it weighs 3.1 tonnes and will pull 3.5 tonnes so you could put it to work. That, combined with its dimensions, makes watching for width and weight restrictions imperative. The selectable ride system also offers an off-road setting, but with its road-bias performance tyres only the foolhardy would attack the scenery in this car. There’s 1,755 litres of load space as a two-seater, 605 litres behind a full complement of passengers so plenty of opportunity to exploit the 660 kg payload, although the weight of passengers should be deducted before working out the mass of luggage, which then may be far less than you imagine. But no matter. In your own world of quattro excellence you will appreciate why Audi has advanced so far to become the equal (some say better) of BMW and Mercedes in the 50 or so years it has been a mainstream brand. Long may it continue.

Car: Audi SQ8 TDI 435PS Vorsprung tiptronic

Does it fit your ego: 0-62mph: 4.8secs Top speed: 155mph PS: 435 @ 3,750-4,750rpm Torque: 900Nm @ 1,250-3,250rpm

and your wallet... Price: £104,240 Combined: 30.7mpg CO2 emissions: 205g/km

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O&A AUTUMN 2020