While the facelifted Audi Q7 has introduced a four-cylinder variant for the first time in Australia to bring down the cost of entry, the German marque’s local arm isn’t looking to employ a similar strategy in the related Audi Q8.
Asked about whether there’s room for a more affordable Q8 following the introduction of the four-pot Q7 45 TFSI – which is nearly $10,000 cheaper than the 45 TDI six-cylinder diesel – Audi Australia product boss Matthew Dale said customers aren’t demanding such a variant for the sportier Q8.
“We always evaluate uptake on engines and customer demand, and that’s one of the reasons why we evaluated that 45 TFSI in the Q7 – because customers throughout our dealer network have been asking for a lower-grade car to step into at a lower price point,” Mr Dale told media at the launch of the updated Q7 and Q8 range.
“[For] Q8 we haven’t really had a lot of customers asking for a [cheaper entry model], because they’re more performance-focused. So we’ve kept those S lines and also the plug-in hybrid.”
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Audi Q8 lineup [Australia]
While the Q8 isn’t available in other markets with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol from the Q7 45 TFSI, it does offer a more affordable 45 TDI overseas which is a lower-tune version of the 3.0 TDI V6 turbo-diesel in the 50 TDI.
Displacing the same 3.0-litres as well as featuring the same eight-speed auto, 48V mild-hybrid system and quattro all-wheel drive, the Audi Q8 45 TDI outputs 170kW and 500Nm compared to the 50 TDI’s 210kW and 600Nm.
The less powerful tune is available in the Q7 in Australia, and a version without the mild-hybrid system is also offered under the bottom of the related Volkswagen Touareg Down Under.
Compared to the higher-spec motor, the 45 TDI is a second slower to 100km/h from rest (7.1 v 6.1 seconds) and quotes a lower top speed (226km/h v 241km/h).
In the related Audi Q7, there’s a near-$20,000 price gap between the 45 TDI and 50 TDI in Australia ($117,284 v $136,815), though the latter adds a higher level of specification including the S line exterior and interior packages.
German-market Q8 45 TDI ‘Basis’ 
The updated 2025 Audi Q8 range starts from $143,415 before on-road costs in Australia, with the most attainable 50 TDI and 55 TFSI S line models listed at identical price points much like the equivalent variants in the Q7 lineup.
So, if there was to be a Q8 45 TDI quattro offered in Australia sans the sportier S line styling, it could bring down the price of entry substantially – perhaps closer to the $128,900 starting point of the Q8 when it first launched in 2018.
In Audi’s home market of Germany, the 45 TDI is €3000 (A$4968) less than the 50 TDI in equivalent specification, with the S line sport package (exterior and interior) commanding a further €3700 (A$6127) – already over $11,000 in savings.
Still, the Q8 remains the more affordable of the German luxury coupe SUVs in Australia. The BMW X6 starts from $143,600 before on-road costs, while the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe kicks off from $161,700.
Even the most affordable Porsche Cayenne Coupe – which shares its platform with the Audi Q8 – with far less equipment starts from $149,500.
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