Audi Q8 Long Term Report - Q7 in a Party Dress

I had the pleasure of driving the Audi Q7 from Delhi to Ladakh over the summer last year, and it reinforced all the virtues I had always known the Q7 had – an extremely refined drivetrain, an amazingly comfortable ride, and a supremely capable chassis. All the virtues that it shares with the Q8, except one – the Q8 also adds a pretty svelte and rakish roofline. And the best part is that it does so without compromising headroom or cabin space. Sure, it does lose about 150 litres of boot space, but unless you’re transporting a cactus (or cacti for that matter), it doesn’t materially affect practicality. The only real issue, then, is the fact that the Q8 will set you back an extra 15 to 30 lakhs over the Q7, depending on the best deal you can negotiate for either one. And that’s a pretty substantial sum for what is essentially the same machine under the skin. 

Personally, I know which one I would choose – that is, the Q7 every day of the week. Frankly, I happen to like the way the Q7 looks. Plus, it’s more honest in the way it presents itself. There are no airs and graces, just a no-nonsense style for an excellent no-nonsense machine. It does have some shortcomings, though – all of which the Q8 inherits. The Q7 is more than a little long in the tooth. Audi has been struggling with modernising its model line-up in India, and the Q7 is a striking example of that. Internationally, the Q3 and Q5 are all-new, and a new Q7 can’t be too far behind – but Audi’s product planners had to go back to the drawing board since their electrification strategy didn’t quite play out the way they had hoped. EV demand has ebbed and flowed, and many automakers have had to realign priorities to suit market realities.

The Q7 is just one such casualty. As a result, neither the Q7 nor the Q8 have wireless Apple CarPlay, for instance, something that you would expect in even the most entry-level vehicle today. That said, if the Q8 drove differently from its more sedate-looking sibling, it might make a stronger case for itself. As it stands, it’s virtually indistinguishable from behind the wheel. If it had inherited some of the RS Q8 dynamics – which enabled it to win our 2025 Performance Car of the Year title – the Q8 would make a more compelling case for itself. As it stands, I would save a bit of cash and choose the Q7 every day of the week.