Launched: Audi SQ8 e-tron Range – 496 HP Tri-Motor, 513 KM Range, From RM519K

The new Audi SQ8 e-tron line-up arrives in Malaysia, priced from RM519,990.

Local Audi brand custodian PHS Automotive Malaysia (PHSAM) has expanded its e-tron all-electric lineup today by launching the new Audi SQ8 e-tron and SQ8 Sportback e-tron EV SUVs. Positioned as a sportier version of the existing Q8 e-tron duo, the SQ8 e-tron range features a peppier triple electric motor setup, making it the first two EVs with a tri-motor setup to be launched in our local market.

Similar to its non-S twins, you can have the SQ8 e-tron in two different flavours – either a traditional SUV or a sportier and sleeker Sportback coupe SUV body style. Though their overall body styles seem similar to the standard Q8 models, the SQ8 e-tron gets a slew of special S-line design bits and trims that give them a sportier and more muscular look.

Thanks to a slew of sporty 'S' touches, the SQ8 e-tron is wider and lower than its non-S-badged twins

Key highlights include the S-specifc body kit featuring wider bumpers and flared-out wheel arches, a functional rear diffuser, Audi’s signature Singleframe front grille with projector lighting, red-hued brake callipers, carbon fibre side mirror caps, black roof rails, as well as the 22-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels finished in titanium grey. Customers also get to choose from a wide range of exterior hue options, such as Magnet Gray, Ultra Blue, Chronos Gray, Mythos Black, Plasma Blue, Daytona Gray, and Glacier White.

The ‘S’ theme continues once we get inside the SQ8 e-tron’s cabin. For starters, the front sports seats are wrapped in special Valcona leather with the ‘S’ badge embossed on the backrest. Meanwhile, premium materials like fine leather, carbon fibre and aluminium trims are used to give the cabin a perfect blend of sportiness and luxury.

Standard cabin equipment like the Audi Virtual Cockpit featuring a digital instrument cluster and a head-up display (HUD), any Audi MultiMedia Interface infotainment display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a four-zone A/C system are all present inside the SQ8 e-tron. Topping off its luxury amenities list are the 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium 3D sound system and the optional Ambient Lighting Package.

Both the SQ8 e-tron and SQ8 Sportback e-tron get the same triple motor setup rated at 496 HP

Diving deeper into its novel triple motor setup, the SQ8 e-tron harnesses three asynchronous motors – one for the front axle, and the remaining two are placed on the rear axle, powering each wheel separately. In total, this tri-motor setup grants both the SQ8 e-tron and SQ8 Sportback e-tron a total system output of 496 HP (370 kW) and 937 NM, allowing a 0 to 100 KM/H sprint finish of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 210 KM/H.

Said triple motor setup is juiced by a sizable 114-kWh battery pack, which translates to WLTP range figures of 458 KM for the SQ8 e-tron and 471 KM for the sleeker SQ8 Sportback e-tron. A 170 kW DCFC allows the pack to go from 10% to 80% in just 31 minutes, while its on-board charger is capped at a decent 22 kW rate. For easier charging access, the SQ8 e-tron’s charging ports are located on both sides of the car’s front quarter panel, just beside the front wheel wells.

Besides peppy straight-line performance, the SQ8 e-tron boasts pretty good handling performance, too. Thanks to the two independent motors at the rear axle, precise and varied torque levels can be sent to each wheel. Also helping to boost its drive dynamics are both the MEB Evo platform this EV SUV underpins as well as its trick adaptive air suspension setup, with the latter allowing the SQ8 e-tron to have a decent 50 MM ground clearance – perfect for some light off-roading.

Safety-wise, the SQ8 e-tron gets a range of advanced passive and active safety systems, which include adaptive cruise control (ACC), lane departure warning (LDW), swerve assist and turn assist, and front and rear cross traffic assist (FCTA and RCTA). For ease of parking, the SQ8 e-tron has a Park Assist package with Park Assist Plus, which helps locate an available bay and then manoeuvres the vehicle in without any steering input by the driver.

Fully-imported (CBU) from the Audi Brussels plant in Belgium, the all-new Audi SQ8 e-tron range is now available for order in Malaysia, with prices starting at RM519,990 for the standard SQ8 e-tron and RM529,990 for the sportier SQ8 Sportback e-tron. Said prices are inclusive of the standard 2-year unlimited mileage vehicle warranty plus a separate 8-year or 160,000 KM warranty for the battery system – both provided by PHSAM.

Additionally, both SQ8 e-tron variants can be purchased with the optional Audi Assurance Package (AAP), which extends the vehicle warranty period to 5 years, with free scheduled maintenance for the first 3 years and complimentary roadside assistance for the first 5 years.