Driving Audi’s upper luxury SQ8 SUV – a coupe style SUV now with 4.0-litre twinturbo petrol V8 power. Unlike the seven-seat Audi SQ7, the sportier SQ8 is a five-seater with a sloped rear roof line, the SQ8 61mm shorter, 25mm wider and 85mmlower. An upper luxury SUV at $168,800 it sells in relatively small numbers. Adistinctive SUV with four-wheel steering, four-wheel drive powered as I said by a4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 driving through an 8-speed automatic. Visually bigand imposing with a wide stance sitting on 22 wheels it tips the scales at 2480kilos with a braked towing capacity of 3,500kilos. The interior best described assumptuous and built for comfort, Nappa leather quilted power heated and cooledseat, lashings of black piano finishes and two large touch screens, in this casesurprisingly user friendly. With a gutsy 770Nm of torque between 2 and 4,000 revsthe Audi SQ8 is a very docile driver about town with a cosseted ride andsurprisingly fuel efficient. But with its adaptive air suspension on an openwinding road it transforms into a taut driving machine offering amazing corneringstability and performance. Expensive yes but just so competent. I’m DavidBerthon See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.