Barcelona, Spain - Imagine a hippopotamus who sign up to run a 400-metre race, while wearing a high-fashion tracksuit. That's what the 2025 Audi RS Q8 is all about: a behemoth that can crush you into your seat with one pedal stroke, but does so with disconcerting elegance.
This SUV belongs to that class of vehicles you love even as you wonder why. On Canada's pockmarked roads, does a monster like this really belong with its 23-inch wheels, or is it simply a muscle car looking for a reason to exist?
A performance version to top it all off
Think of this SUV as a truck that wants to do it all: be fast like a sports coupe, luxurious like a limousine and practical enough to transport half a hockey team.
With 631 hp under the hood and a price tag approaching that of a weekend cottage, the RS Q8 is an extravagance, and if you’re in that part of the stratosphere, one extravagance more or less won't make any difference. But that's precisely the point. Because when it comes to performance and luxury, practicality takes a back seat.
2025 Audi RS Q8 - What's new?
For 2025, Audi has kept the essence of its RS Q8, but with a few tweaks. The 4.0L twin-turbo V8 is still there (and who’s complaining), but it's been reworked to offer a little more oomph with 631 hp instead of 591. Which brings the output closer to the 657 hp of the Lamborghini Urus.
Audi has also updated some on-board technologies, including a new, even more responsive infotainment system and improved driving aids.
The chassis has been slightly adjusted to better handle the imposing weight in corners, although the idea of an SUV that attacks curves remains somewhat... contradictory.
Design of the 2025 Audi RS Q8 - 8.5/10
When it comes to design, the Audi RS Q8 looks good, if you’re not hung up on subtlety. This isn't an SUV that hides behind soft, subtle curves.
No, everything here is muscular. The gaping grille, aggressive air intakes and wide wheel arches clearly announce its intentions: this is a tank. But a tank with style! The 23-inch wheels look ridiculously large on any other vehicle, but here they seem perfectly in scale, adding a bad boy touch that suits it perfectly. And the air intakes? They're so huge you could almost fit a family of pigeons in there without them interfering with the airflow.
In short, the RS Q8 makes no attempt to go unnoticed. It's a behemoth that, from any angle, screams “I'm coming, get out of the way!”
2025 Audi RS Q8 interior - 9.0/10
Inside, it's a different world. You're immersed in a cocoon of absolute luxury. Finely stitched leathers, Alcantara, carbon and brushed aluminum inserts turn every drive into a five-star experience. Heated and ventilated front seats keep you firmly in place, even if you decide to go all out.
In back, there's enough room to make your passengers feel like they're in a limousine. Soundproofing is such that you'd almost think the noise of construction cones and potholes would magically disappear (almost... because the suspension eventually reminds you of reality, especially on 23-inch wheels).
Technology in the 2025 Audi RS Q8 - 9.0/10
The Virtual Cockpit digital dashboard is impressive, with customizable displays ranging from GPS navigation to performance data. The 10.1-inch central touchscreen is as responsive as your latest phone, and the MMI infotainment system is as intuitive as ever. As an added bonus, the Bang & Olufsen audio system shines with clarity.
But that's not all: like many Audi models, the RS Q8 is also equipped with a whole armada of driver assistance systems, including adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist and a 360° camera to help you park in town.
Powertrain of the 2025 Audi RS Q8 - 9.0/10
The heart of the beast is its 4.0L twin-turbo V8 engine, which now develops 631 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. That's enough to propel this pachyderm from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds. Yes, you read that right, an SUV weighing over two tonnes can accelerate like a two-seater coupe.
In Canada, in between the potholes, traffic jams and construction zones, it's almost obscene to have so much power without being to exploit it all. But the magic of the RS Q8 is that it makes you smile, even when you're driving at 30 km/h behind a tractor.
Driving the 2025 Audi RS Q8 - 9.0/10
Thanks to the adaptive air suspension, it can go from the comfort of a magic carpet to the stiffness of a sports car at the click of a button.
In comfort mode, the RS Q8 absorbs road imperfections relatively well, although the worst potholes will eventually make themselves felt. In dynamic mode, it is transformed, with handling that will make you question the laws of physics for a vehicle of this size.
We tested it on the racetrack, and the results were impressive. The steering is precise, and thanks to the rear-wheel steering system, it manoeuvres with surprising agility.
But let's face it: few people will push this machine to its limits on the way home from the grocery store. And nobody's going to splurge on a luxury SUV to go racing on a track.
2025 Audi RS Q8 fuel consumption - 7.0/10
Don't expect miracles from such a powerful V8. With a claimed fuel consumption of 16.0L/100 km in the city (and probably much more in reality if you’re aggressive with the gas pedal), it's not the most ecological option on the market.
But then again, does anyone buy an RS Q8 with the planet in mind? Let's say it's a compromise: you won't be able to pass the gas station without shuddering a little, but every litre of gas burned will offer you incomparable driving pleasure.
The final word
The 2025 Audi RS Q8 is a demonstration of raw power and refined luxury, all packed into an SUV capable of everything except being discreet.
On Canadian roads, it's a kind of rolling paradox. On the one hand, it's almost absurd to have so much power to drive on a road network in eternal repair, but on the other, it's hard not to succumb to its imposing charm and unparalleled refinement.
If you want an SUV that makes you feel like you rule the world, the RS Q8 is hard to beat.
Competitors of the 2025 Audi RS Q8
- – Aston Martin DBX
- – BMW X5M/X6M
- – Mercedes Benz GLE 63 AMG
- – Porsche Cayenne Turbo
