The RS Q8 is a relatively new addition to Audi’s lineup, having only been on sale since 2020. The high-performance SUV builds on the Q7 three-row by removing a row of seats and adding huge power from a twin-turbo V8 engine.
2025 Audi RS Q8 Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2025 Audi RS Q8
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2025 Audi RS Q8
Audi gave the RS Q8 a mild upgrade for 2025, which brought subtle styling changes, new options packages, and revised interior packages exclusive to the RS model.
Design
The RS Q8 looks as beefy and as quick as it really is, which can’t often be said about performance SUVs. Though it’s based on the Q7, a three-row luxury family hauler, the RS Q8 is shorter, sleeker, and more muscular. Audi offers a range of wheel designs for 2025, up to the top 23-inch forged wheels. Buyers can upgrade with premium paint colors, and the RS gets red Audi sport brake calipers.
Powertrain
Audi equips the 2025 RS Q8 with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine making 631 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with standard Quattro all-wheel drive (AWD) and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The automaker quotes an astonishing 3.4-second zero-60-mph time, and the SUV sports a blistering 190 mph top speed. While it offers handling and engagement that rival many sports cars, the RS Q8 remains comfortable over a range of road conditions, and its interior is surprisingly quiet in most situations.
Interior
The Q7 seats seven people across three rows, but Audi cut a row for the sportier Q8. Leather upholstery comes standard, along with leather on the dash and center console. Other standard features include heated and ventilated front seats, power front seats, and more. Massaging seats and a synthetic suede headliner are available. Without the need to pack a third-row seat in the back, there’s a good amount of space across both rows in the RS Q8. Cargo space is decent, at up to 30.5 cubic feet behind the second row and 60.7 cubic feet with the back seats folded flat.
Technology
Audi equips a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a dual-screen infotainment system with 10.1- and 8.6-inch displays in the 2025 RS Q8. Wireless phone mirroring, navigation voice control, Bluetooth, HD radio, SiriusXM radio, and more are standard. Audi’s two-screen setup can be a bit confusing for some at first, but both are responsive and easy to see from both front seats.
Safety
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) hasn’t had time to crash-test the new RS Q8 yet, but it’s got a decent list of standard driver-assistance features. They include forward collision warnings, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and more. Buyers can upgrade with traffic-sign recognition, a head-up display, parking sensors, and a night vision camera system.
Pricing and Release Date
As of the time of this writing, the 2025 Audi RSQ8 starts at $136,200, a significant jump over the base Q8’s $74,400 starting price. The mid-range SQ8 may be a better option for many buyers, with a $97,600 starting price.