5 Things You Need to Know About the 2025 Audi RS Q8

When the Audi Q8 first arrived back in 2019, I was instantly smitten with its styling. The coupe-SUV craze was in its infancy and Audi’s designers had created the best-looking car in its class. A two-week road trip through England, Wales and Ireland in a burnt orange example left me equally impressed with its driving dynamics. It was big, confident, and handled with a lightness that didn’t make sense for something its size. Since then, I’ve driven the SQ7 — its sportier, more stately sibling — and the Lamborghini Urus, which shares most of its hardware with the RSQ8 but takes it in a more extreme direction.

The new 2025 RSQ8 Launch Edition is the point where all of that experience converges. It’s familiar, powerful, and polished. It looks like a regular Q8 to most people, which is part of its appeal. But press the start button and you’ll know it’s something else entirely.

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1. It’s the Mature Side of the Urus

The similarities with the Lamborghini Urus are obvious. Both use the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and share most of their underpinnings. What’s different is the delivery. The RSQ8 doesn’t shout about its performance. It’s fast — 0–60 mph in 3.8 seconds fast — but it does it quietly, cleanly, and without the drama.

Where the Urus is all sharp edges and noise, the Audi feels measured. You still get that deep V8 soundtrack when you push it, but it’s less show and more substance. The new Launch Edition looks the part with its Daytona Grey paint and gold 23-inch wheels, yet it still flies under the radar compared with most $130,000-plus SUVs.

It’s the same powertrain, same potential, but with a teutonic edge. That restraint actually suits it. You sense the performance is there, but it never feels like it’s trying to impress you.

2. It Handles Better Than It Should

The RSQ8 shouldn’t be this capable. At more than 5,000 pounds, it’s a large luxury SUV that somehow manages to shrink around you when the road turns interesting. Audi’s engineers clearly know their way around suspension tuning — the adaptive air system and 48-volt active roll stabilization make sure the car stays level and composed even when you’re pushing hard.

Steering is accurate and nicely weighted but light on feel, just as it was in the SQ7. The difference is that here, everything happens faster. You can carry an absurd amount of speed through corners before the tires even start to hint at their limits. The all-wheel steering tightens up the car’s turning radius in town and gives it a calm stability on the highway.

It still feels heavy but the RSQ8 hides its size well enough that you can enjoy driving it, not just commanding it.

2025 Audi RS Q8 Launch Edition — At a Glance

3. The Cabin Feels Built, Not Designed

Audi interiors have always leaned more toward precision than personality, and the RSQ8 follows that same logic. Everything you touch feels solid and expensive. The driving position is spot-on, and visibility is better than you’d expect for something with this much roofline and stance.

The Launch Edition’s mix of carbon twill, black Dinamica headliner, and Nappa leather is what you’d expect of the RS badge, but it never feels overdone. The digital gauge cluster and twin touchscreen setup are sharp and responsive, though I still wish Audi would find a better solution for fingerprints.

Having spent time in the SQ7, I can say the difference here isn’t night and day, but there’s a sharper edge to everything. The seats are more sculpted, the driving environment feels tighter, and the atmosphere is more focused. It’s the same premium experience, just turned up to match the performance.

4. Everyday Ease in a 600-Horsepower SUV

The best part of the RSQ8 is how approachable it is. Around town, it’s calm and comfortable — even on massive 23-inch wheels. The suspension can soften enough to take the sting out of potholes and rough roads, and the steering stays light at low speeds. You sit high with a clear view all around, and the turning circle is surprisingly tight thanks to the rear-wheel steering.

Out on the highway, the RSQ8 settles into a quiet, composed cruise. The engine can deactivate half its cylinders to save fuel, and the cabin stays impressively insulated from road and wind noise. I drove from London to the Lake District and back again. That’s the same distance as L.A. to Vegas and it managed it without breaking a sweat, though you’ll definitely visit a few gas stations along the way. In normal driving, I averaged around 20 mpg, dropping into the low teens when using more of the throttle.

It’s this dual personality that makes the RSQ8 so appealing. It’s as comfortable as the regular Q8 or SQ7 on the daily grind, yet it can match a supercar for pace when the opportunity arises. That’s not a combination you get often.

5. Verdict: Peak Audi RS

At around $140,000, the 2025 Audi RS Q8 sits in a crowded part of the performance SUV world. The BMW X6 M and Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S cost roughly the same, while Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo GT asks for another $50,000 on top. All three are excellent, but the Audi feels like the most rounded of the bunch.

It’s brutally fast, beautifully built, and easy to live with. The downside is that it’s not the most engaging car to drive — the RS3 still wins on connection and character — but the RSQ8 makes up for that with its everyday comfort and sheer capability.

After spending time in the Q8, SQ7, and Lamborghini Urus over the years, the RSQ8 feels like the most complete version of all three. It takes the Urus’s performance, the SQ7’s comfort, and the Q8’s composure, and blends them into something that works.

It’s not subtle, and it’s definitely not cheap, but it’s proof that Audi knows exactly how to do fast without making a scene.

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