Auto review: 2019 Audi Q8 blends comfort and panache

Audi attempts to redefine the idea of what a luxury brand’s flagship is with its 2019 Q8 Quattro, and does it successfully enough that an Aloft hotel employee ran into the middle of the Grand Circus Park traffic circle to admire the shimmering coppery SUV as I drove by.

The Q8 has top-shelf looks, comfort and features, but driving one made me appreciate the A8L sedan that used to be Audi’s top model even more than I already did. SUVs are the rage of the age, however. The Q8 outsold the A8 four to one in the United States through March and will outearn the A8 substantially.

Before SUVs inherited the earth, it was easy to recognize a luxury brand’s flagship. It was the company’s biggest, most expensive and luxurious sedan.  But German brands are just catching up to a reality American luxury brands have lived for years: SUVs are the new kings of the road. The Escalade and Navigator, respectively, have been Cadillac and Lincoln’s flagships for decades.

The Q8 is an addition to Audi’s lineup. Audi builds it in Bratislava, Slovakia, alongside the bigger Q7. The Q8 has the same wheelbase as the Q7, but is 3 inches shorter.

Like many luxury SUVs, the Q8 is not intended for off-roading. Its all-wheel-drive system is engineered more for control on slippery surfaces than rugged terrain.

The Q8’s safety and driver assist features include adaptive cruise control; collision alert with pedestrian detection and automatic front emergency braking; blind spot alert; 360-degree cameras; automatic wipers and high beams.

The Q8 is recognizably an Audi, but it looks like nothing else on the road. Low and wide for an SUV, big tires and wheels at the corners make it look balanced, and LED running lamps and turn signals ensure it’s recognizable at night.

Steering is quick, with a good on-center feel. The Q8’s handling is admirable for a tall vehicle. There’s very little body roll on fast curves. The SUV feels nicely balanced when you push it hard into a corner. Braking is excellent.

The Q8’s EPA fuel economy rating of 17 mpg in the city, 22 on the highway and 19 combined falls in the middle of the pack. The combined rating trails the bigger and heavier X7 by a whopping 3 mpg. The EPA estimates that would save a driver $350 a year.

The rear seats have relatively little leg and shoulder room. Front accommodations are excellent. Headroom is good front and rear.

Flagship sedans like the 7-series and A8L promote their rear seats’ luxury, room and features as prominently as infotainment because the rear passenger is often the most important person in the car. Audi clearly thinks Q8 buyers are more focused on the driving experience.

Audi’s adoption of touch screens improved the usability of its controls enormously. Still, the screen could respond to touches more quickly, and dials probably remain the best way to adjust temperature and fan.

The Q8’s V6 does its best, but all the competitors offer more powerful engines, either standard or as options. While the Q8’s claimed acceleration compares well, passing and acceleration at highway speeds felt a bit leisurely. All the competitors but the X7 have a better power-to-weight ratio.

Don’t be surprised if an Q8 with a tweaked V6, or some other performance model, joins the lineup.