The 2025 Audi SQ8 is FAST but not too FURIOUS, it's a subtle sledgehammer

We test the 2025 Audi SQ8 and find out if it's FAST but not too FURIOUS, Subtle sledgehammer CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:33 Exterior 1:36 Cargo Space 2:02 Wheels and Tires 2:36 Under the Hood 3:11 Price 4:32 Rear Seat 5:18 Interior and Tech 9:34 Driving 15:04 Verdict In a world of eco-hybrids and soft-touch family wagons, one car dares to shout, “I’m wealthy, angry, and probably late to a meeting.” This is the 2025 Audi SQ8. It’s an SUV for people who want practicality, luxury, and just a pinch of V8-fueled rage.  From the outside, the SQ8 is unmistakably Audi, with aggressive lines, massive air intakes, and Audi’s signature grille, now so wide it probably qualifies for its own postcode and enough LED lighting to double as a mobile Christmas display. It looks just like a regular Q8, except it’s been to the gym for a workout.   The 2025 update brings slightly tweaked bumpers, new wheel designs, and—wait for it—blacked-out badges. Because nothing says “serious performance machine” like removing a bit of chrome. Oh, and it sits low. Aggressively low. Like it’s squinting at the road in disapproval. It’s perfect for the school run... if your school run includes the Nürburgring. Wheels and Tires These wheels are 23 inches of pure, unapologetic overcompensation and are wearing these 285/35 Continental Cross Sport 6 summer tires. Discs are 15.8 inches at the front and 13.8 inches at the rear.   Under The Hood It has a 4.0L Twin-turbo direct-injected DOHC 32-valve 90-degree V-8 with 500 hp @ 5,500 rpm and 568 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm driven through an 8-speed auto.  It's a bit of a porker, though, weighing in at 5,448 lb., but that doesn't stop it from reaching sixty from a stop in 3.9 seconds.   Rivals The BMW X6 M60i has 523 horsepower and does the sprint in 4.2 seconds, but it looks like it’s been designed by someone who really likes nostrils. The Porsche Cayenne S will do it in 4.1 seconds but costs more, and you’ll spend every dinner party justifying why you didn’t “go Turbo.” 2025 Audi SQ8 Numbers BASE PRICE: $97,600 PRICE AS TESTED: $127,490 VEHICLE LAYOUT: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door SUV ENGINE: 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged DOHC 32-valve V-8 POWER: 500 hp @ 6000 rpm TORQUE: 590 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode CURB WEIGHT: 5,500 lbs  0-60 MPH: 3.9 seconds TOP SPEED: 155 mph BRAKES FRONT: 15.8-in BRAKES REAR: 13.8-in WHEELS: 23-inch with matte titanium finish TIRES: Continental SportContact 6 285/35 EPA CITY/HWY/COMBINED: 15/17/21 mpg OUR OBSERVED: 17.1 mpg CARGO SPACE: 30.5 ft³, 60.7 ft³ with seat area PROS: Incredible chassis, quicker than you would think, beautiful interior. CONS: Small cupholders, annoying stop/start system