Audi lobs diesel-powered Q8 50 TDI from $129,900

AUDI Australia has added a second, diesel-powered option to its flagship Q8 SUV range with the introduction of the Q8 50 TDI.

Priced from $129,900 plus on-road costs, the 50 TDI costs exactly the same as its petrol-powered counterpart with the only difference between to the two being the powerplants under the bonnet.

In the 50 TDI’s case, power comes courtesy of a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine good for 210kW and 600Nm with the engine then backed by a 48V mild-hybrid system.

Audi quotes a 6.3-second sprint to 100km/h for the diesel mill, just 0.4 of a second slower than the 250kW/500Nm petrol variant with both models coming as standard with Audi’s famed quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Gear shifting duties are left to an eight-speed automatic.

While down on outright performance, the diesel claws back some ground in terms of fuel economy with a claimed improvement of “up to 0.7 litres per 100km” compared to the 55 TFSI – 8.5 litres per 100km vs 9.2L/100km for the petrol.

Visually, there is nothing to distinguish the Q8 50 TDI from its petrol sibling other than the 50 TDI badging on the rear tailgate with the whole package riding on the same 21-inch alloy wheels and brandishing the same S line exterior package.

The standard features list reads the same as well, meaning LED headlights with high beam assist, adaptive suspension with damper control, power tailgate, MMI Navigation plus with MMI touch response and Audi virtual cockpit, Audi Connectplus, smartphone interface and wireless charging, DAB+ digital radio, 10-speaker sound system, Audi music interface with two rear USB outlets, heated and folding exterior mirrors with memory function, heated and cooled electric seats finished in Valcona leather, 40:20:40 split-fold rear seats and convenience key.

On top of the already generous spec, an $11,100 ‘premium plus package’ adds unique 22-inch alloy wheels, adaptive air suspension, HD Matrix LED headlights, privacy glass, 17-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system, four-zone air conditioning with rear touch control panel and coloured interior lighting package.

A ‘full leather package’ is also available for an additional $8900 and adds a few extra goodies and full Nappa leather interior.

In terms of safety, the Q8 50 TDI sports every one of the 39 driver assistance systems as found on the 55 TSI, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive drive assist with adaptive cruise control and traffic jam assist, lane departure warning, pre-sense front and rear, lane change warning, cross traffic assist rear, head-up display and a batch of surround-view cameras.

Audi Australia product planning and pricing director Shawn Ticehurst said the Q8 was “characterised by its aggressive and contemporary design language” while boasting “an incredible level of standard features inside and out”.

“We are pleased to now offer the 50 TDI variant in the Q8 range, given the popularity of powerful and efficient diesel engines in this segment,” he said.

Audi has managed to shift 68 Q8s so far this year ending April, accounting for 6.1 per cent of the $100,000+ upper large SUV segment.

Over the same period last year, it chalked up 128 sales and accounted for 10.1 per cent of the segment, marking a 46.9 per cent slip year-on-year.

2020 Audi Q8 pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs