2025 Audi SQ8 nonetheless has it, however Q7 falls behind

• Refreshed 2025 Audi Q7 three-row SUV follows updates from the refreshed 2024 Audi Q8 five-seater, which carries over for 2025
• A brand new entrance finish, up to date expertise, and 4 completely different DRL shows spotlight the adjustments
• Twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 and wonderful dealing with nonetheless grace the SQ7/SQ8

Maturity is filled with powerful choices. The place to reside? Who to reside with? Which Audi massive crossover to purchase—the SQ8 or the revamped Q7?

This was the query posed exterior of Salt Lake Metropolis within the Wasatch Mountain vary. Modifications to the brand new fashions are minor: a brand new entrance finish, customizable gentle signatures, new digital cockpit themes, and uncovered tailpipes return to the extra family-minded Q7 three-row crossover SUV. 

The adjustments are staggered, too. The refresh applies to the 2025 Audi Q7 and SQ7, however the identical refresh technically utilized to the 2024 Q8 and SQ8. Since 2024 is greater than half gone, and the 2025 mannequin arrives in weeks if not days, we have been suggested by Audi to deal with them each as 2025s, with a minor worth adjustment. 

The final time Audi launched its largest crossovers was peak pandemic, and the expertise was digital. Now it’s visceral. 

2025 Audi SQ8

2025 Audi SQ8

2025 Audi SQ8

2025 Audi SQ8

Audi SQ8 strikes like swagger

• 2025 Q7 55 TFSI: $66,995; 3.0-liter turbo V-6, 335 hp, 369 lb-ft; 0-60 mph 5.5 sec

• 2025 Q8 55 TFSI: $75,595; identical specs as above

• 2025 SQ7: $91,995; 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, 500 hp, 568 lb-ft; 0-60 mph 4.0 sec

• 2025 SQ8: $98,795; identical specs as above 

Driving the 500-hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 SQ8 could make the entire powerful grownup choices worthwhile. It was a pleasure to drive. The efficiency pinnacle for the Audi crossover lineup is nearly as good because it ever was, even with the arrival early subsequent yr of the RS Q8. That V-8 shall be tuned to 631 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, which is able to make this relation of the Lamborghini Urus probably the most highly effective manufacturing engine in Audi’s lineup. Audi’s concentrating on a 0-60 mph time of three.4 seconds. 

It’s laborious to think about how way more effortlessly it is going to really feel in comparison with the SQ8’s V-8 and its 568 lb-ft. From a lifeless cease, it takes a beat to bridle these horses, however attending to triple-digit speeds whereas nonetheless on the lengthy on-ramp exterior Park Metropolis occurs manner too simply. For extra instant activation, click on off stability management, press the brake for a second, mash the throttle, launch the brake, and launch. It appears faster to 60 mph than 4.0 seconds, and plenty of impartial exams corroborate that. 

The 8-speed automated transmission masters the shifts with the fluidity of an Olympic swimmer. The paddle shifters are enjoyable however pointless; in Dynamic mode the transmission already permits you to tip into the 6,800-rpm redline earlier than it shifts. The turbo whirs underscore the high-strung V-8 rumble, and whereas some EVs may launch with extra thrust, the V-8 nonetheless stirs souls. 

The SQ8’s and SQ7’s actual allure occurs out within the wild, not from a lifeless cease. The surge at concerning the 2,500-rpm mark induces a smile if not a giggle, and a downshift of the peerlessly sized wheel-mounted paddle shifters encourages single-lane freeway passing as if it have been a sports activities automobile. Equally outstanding is the way it tones down into quiet cruising for extra serene freeway driving. The duality is pleasant.

A part of that quietude comes from the acoustic glass on the aspect home windows, bundled within the Status trim for $7,000 extra (base SQ8 is $97,795, together with vacation spot). A observe on normal and elective options: All Q7s and Q8s include all-wheel drive, whereas rear-wheel steering is elective on Q7/Q8, however normal on the SQ fashions. 

All 4 fashions I examined had the expertise. The rear wheels flip counter-phase, or reverse the entrance wheels underneath 37 mph, just about shrinking the wheelbase and trimming the turning radius by 3.3 toes. I snapped off a u-turn on a slim entry street with out placing it in reverse, and it makes parking simpler. 

Handing over-phase with the entrance wheels at greater speeds has a extra pronounced impact, turning faster and tighter on the elegant valley roads winding via the Wasatch vary. 

The SQ testers’ Continental SportContact 285/35R23 summer season tires helped, however a few different applied sciences saved the religion round blind corners and steep drop-offs. Each the SQ8 and SQ7 testers got here with the elective $6,000 S Sport Bundle with an electromechanical limited-slip rear differential that put extra torque on the skin rear wheel for higher grip, and for rotating at pace when that concrete licorice unwound into the aspens. 

2025 Audi SQ8

The package deal additionally included two anti-roll bars back and front with a motor within the middle of every, successfully splitting the stabilizer bar in two. In elements the place the aspect of the street crumbled into gravel, the passenger aspect flexed extra whereas the motive force aspect on strong floor remained agency. On even pavement and in additional spirited driving, the 2 halves of every roll bar rotated in reverse instructions to counteract pitch and lean at every wheel.

The end result was wonderful grip at speeds defying the SQ8’s 5,214-pound curb weight. It drove extra like an Avant wagon. The SQ8 shredded all vacation spot estimates and blurred the gorgeous mountain surroundings. In a lesser automobile, I’d’ve stopped to take all of it in. Within the SQ8, I needed extra canyons to carve.

The testers additionally got here with an air suspension and adaptive dampers that’s normal on the Q7/Q8 Status and the SQ8/SQ7. The delta within the air suspension is simply 30 mm, or 1.2 inches, so it may get to just about 10 inches of floor clearance in off-road mode, however a gravelly entry street must be the top of your off-road intentions.

Every thing within the SQ fashions felt extra tightly wound, sport-tuned suspension, bolstered bucket seats, and steering. As a lot as I liked the chunky steering wheel, the steering appeared to stray from middle greater than within the Q7/Q8, however the delicate inputs matched the SQ’s angle. 

Because the 4 fashions examined have been outfitted equally, except for the $6,000 S Sport Bundle completely out there on the SQ fashions, that twin-turbo V-8 turns into a few $24,000 query over the Q7/Q8 TFSI 55. The V-6 was pleasing in its personal manner, however if you happen to’re going to improve with the rear-axle steering and air suspension, get the V-8.  

2025 Audi Q7

2025 Audi Q7

2025 Audi Q7

2025 Audi Q7

Audi Q7 and SQ7 three-row seating proposition

• Q7 inside specs: second-row legroom and headroom 38.8 in 

• Q8 inside specs: second-row legroom 40.2 in; headroom 38.1 in

• Q7 cargo quantity behind third, second, entrance: 13.6 cubic toes, 68.1 cu ft

• Q8 cargo quantity behind second, entrance: 30.1 cubic toes, 60.7 cu ft

Whereas the SQ7 rivals the 0-60 mph occasions of the Rivian R1S and Tesla Mannequin X, and even the Dodge Durango SRT, I haven’t pushed a greater dealing with three-row SUV, when correctly outfitted at $116,540, in my tester’s case. If you need the efficiency, however want the limited-use third row, it’s a troublesome name right here. The Q8 has higher legroom in again, however the Q7 has higher headroom.

The Q7’s third row solely provides 77 kilos, but the sexier roofline of the Q8 provides $9,000 to the TFSI 55 and about $7,000 to the SQ8. That alone may lead some customers to select the Q7, even when the third row is extra circumstantial than sensible. 

The Q7 second-row seats cut up 35:30:35 however the center part doesn’t flip ahead out of the way in which, it simply folds flat. Stick the surly teen within the third row and it may turn into a leg relaxation, however the passengers within the outboard seats may not respect it. The third row power-folds down from the door or cargo space, however the second row is a guide fold then flip. If heads match within the third row, toes may not, at the very least not with out some negotiations with the second row. It’s extra cumbersome and cramped than different luxurious three-row SUVs, starting from the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLE to the Rivian R1S. 

One observe for entrance passengers with the massaging seat choice: You don’t want to make use of the touchscreen. Press and maintain the middle button on the seat-side management panel to activate. It’s a pleasant comfort.

2025 Audi Q7

2025 Audi Q8

2025 Audi Q8

Audi Q7/Q8 expertise and 2025 updates

• 2025 Q7 follows the refresh of the 2024 Q8, with a brand new entrance finish

• Updates embrace 4 DRL signatures to select from, in addition to new inside themes

• Apple CarPlay connectivity stays an issue

Revisiting these most necessary fashions within the U.S. market jogged my memory how good the in-car expertise is, even when the Apple CarPlay connection opens up the tech gremlins. A number of occasions, and with a number of different journalists, connecting with a wire to ACP resulted in my house display on the ten.1-inch higher touchscreen going darkish, although the aspect menu let me entry media and navigation. It required a tough reset. Audi is conscious of the issue and says it’s being addressed. 

2025 Audi Q7

Nonetheless, Audi’s expertise and crisp HD shows render smartphone connectivity as archaic, apart from textual content messaging. The 3D coloration mapping in both the touchscreen or the peerless 12.3-inch instrument cluster shines brighter and is extra intuitive than rivals. 

The clear steering wheel structure lacks bizarro sliders or haptic buttons, making it straightforward to alter views within the cluster or entry related information. On this age of maxiscreens, the Q7 and Q8’s nonetheless look progressive and engaging with out being overloaded with visible distraction. A part of the uncluttered feeling comes from the adaptive cruise management stalk on the underbelly of the steering column. The wi-fi smartphone charger sits beneath the middle armrest, lessening the visible litter but additionally requiring me to notice the no-phones-left-behind warning after shutting off the engine. 

The twin touchscreens within the middle stack, together with an 8.6-inch local weather management display beneath the touchscreen, was inoffensive as effectively. The haptic suggestions and button-like responses made it straightforward to make use of, although I nonetheless choose dials and toggles. Nonetheless, Audi’s cockpit is way cleaner and intuitive than rivals, particularly fellow Germans, although all of the touchiness and glossy black surfaces home all of the fingerprints. Maintain the glass cleaner useful. 

New for 2025 are customizable inside themes that costume the touchscreen in pure landscapes, like wallpaper for a smartphone, and the automobile’s ambient lighting matches every theme. The Northern Lights theme casts a purplish glow across the sprint, doorways, and foot wells, as an illustration. There are additionally MLS soccer themes out there for $17.99, whereas the landscapes begin at $12.99 as a one-time price. 

Because the Q7 hasn’t modified dramatically, its cramped third row makes it a tough suggestion towards the current explosion of three-row crossovers and SUVs within the luxurious phase. However the SQ7 and, extra alluringly, the beautiful SQ8, attraction for his or her easy efficiency, for a worth. 

Audi offered airfare and lodging for Motor Authority to revisit the 2025 Q7/Q8 fashions.