Audi Q8 & SQ8 Facelift Debut with Laser High Beam & OLED Taillights

2024 Audi Q8 facelift

The Audi Q8 arrived as the marque’s flagship sporty SUV, where it shares the same Volkswagen Group’s MLB Evo platform with its less-sporty twin, the Q7, as well as other models like the Lamborghini Urus, Bentley Bentayga and Porsche Cayenne. Years after making its debut, the Four Rings marque has decided to give both the Q8 and SQ8 a mid-life update, featuring minor styling change and a bevy of new tech.

Both the Audi Q8 facelift (top) and SQ8 facelift (bottom) get a mild front fascia tweak

The minor styling change starts at the front part of both the Q8 and SQ8, where it gets a newly-designed Singleframe grille, now with octagonal inserts. Aside from that, the front fascia also dons a larger pair of air intakes on the lower front bumper – providing the much-needed cool air for its dual radiator setup at the front.

More importantly, both the Q8 and SQ8’s headlights get better high-intensity LEDs, which can be optionally replaced with a matrix LED setup. Should you need better lighting, there’s also another option to upgrade to the top-specced HD matrix LED headlights, featuring laser high beam. On top of that, all of these headlights options come standard with up to four selectable lighting signatures.

Meanwhile, the tailgate also gets an improved lighting system, courtesy of Audi’s proprietary OLED technology. Boasting almost similar design as the new A8 and Q5, the new OLED taillights come with a slew of selectable lighting signatures, on top of the usual dynamic turn signals and walk-away sequences.

Plus, this new lighting system also features a unique safety system to alert impending vehicles at the rear. When stationary, all of the taillights’ lighting elements will light up when there’s a vehicle coming from behind within two metres.

Elsewhere, both the Q8 and SQ8 also get new wheel options, ranging from 21- to 23-inch in size, on top of the three new exterior colourways – Chili Red, Ascari Blue, Sakhir Gold.

The mid-life refresh treatment is less visible once we get on board the Q8 and SQ8. Among the upgrades listed are the new decorative inlay selection with up to nine options, new upholstery options, as well as a slew of premium finishes such as fine grain ash, carbon twill, and aluminium linear silver grey.

On the tech front, nothing much has changed when compared to the pre-facelift versions, with key tech bits like the triple screen setup, ambient lighting system, Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system are all available on both models.

The Audi Q8 facelift is powered by a V6 mild hybrid powertrain with Audi's signature Quattro AWD setup

For the European markets, the Audi Q8 facelift gets the similar powertrain options as its predecessor – all featuring the same 3.0-litre TFSI V6 petrol mill and a 48-volt mild hybrid (MHEV) as its basis. The top-specced Q8 55 TFSI gets the highest state-of-tune at 335 HP, which is enough to propel this coupe SUV from nought to 100 KM/H in 5.6 seconds, as well as an electronically-limited V-Max of 250 KM/H.

As standard, said mill is mated to an 8-speed Tiptronic gearbox, with all the power sent to all four wheels via Audi’s signature Quattro all-wheel drive (AWD) system.

The SQ8 is powered by the same twin-turbo V8 mill as the Urus and Cayenne Turbo!

Meanwhile, the peppier Audi SQ8 facelift still employs the same 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged TFSI V8 petrol mill used on the Urus and Cayenne Turbo, delivering 500 HP and 770 NM. Mated to an upgraded 8-speed Tiptronic gearbox and Quattro AWD system, the SQ8 is capable of propelling from nought to 100 KM/H in just 4.1 seconds, with its V-max also electronically-governed at 250 KMH.

Aside from peppier powertrain setup, the SQ8 also gets beefier stopping power, courtesy of 400-mm front and 350-mm rear discs with S-badged front brake callipers – the latter coming in either red or black.

The 2024 Audi Q8 and SQ8 facelift is now available for purchase in selected European markets, where it will be manufactured at the same Volkswagen Group’s Bratislava plant as the pre-facelift models. Prices for the Q8 facelift starts at €86,700 (RM434,733) for the baseline 45 TDI variant, while the SQ8 is priced higher at €119,500 (RM599,199).

For reference, the pre-facelift Audi Q8 is on sale in Malaysia by PHS Automotive Malaysia (PHSAM), with the sole 55 TFSI S-Line variant tagged at RM856,422 on-the-road sans insurance. However, the SQ8 is not officially for sale in Malaysia, with the next option available aside from the Q8 55 TFSI being the super-sporty Audi RS Q8 model, which is tagged at RM1.677 million on-the-road.