2025 Audi SQ7 And SQ8 First Drive Review: Spicy Seven-Seat SUV vs. Five-Seater Fury

The Audi SQ7 and SQ8 sit somewhere between the luxury, practicality, and athleticism of the regular crossover models and the outright lunacy of the RS Q8. Like the RS Q8, the seven-seat SQ7 and the five-seat SQ8 boast a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, but making what we’re tongue-in-cheek going to call a saner 500 horsepower, rather than the 2025 RS Q8’s 592 or (or 631 hp in the Performance trim). 500 hp is still quite a bump up over the regular Q7 and Q8’s outputs 261 hp and 335 hp, respectively.

To go with that hefty dose of power over the regular Q7 and Q8, the S models get a nice list of performance-enhancing features intending to make them family cars with one hell of an edge. In a market segment full of competitors, like the BMW X5 M60i and M50i models and its platform-sharing Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus siblings, the SQ7 already stands out as a seven-seater rather than five.

Audi brought us to Utah to drive both models back-to-back so we could explore the differences following their respective refreshes as it prepares to roll them into 2025 models. All the models we experienced were upgraded from the base models with the Prestige package and S Sport package, as well as other options and packages.

First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under certain time constraints. Keep an eye on DrivingOnRoad for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow soon.

Exterior: Under The Radar Performance Models

Neither the SQ8 nor SQ7 screams about their performance credentials based on their looks, and instead, both simply exude confidence in their abilities – particularly with the flared wheel arches adding shape. The SQ8’s slope-back coupe-like roofline hints at its sportier intentions, as opposed to the SQ7’s boxier outline. The latter shape is necessary to include the third row of seats in the back. Given its more traditional look and how Audi has put in a lot of detail without going over the top, the SQ7 is the sleeper model here, in our opinion.

A lot of detail has been given to the new Audi Singleframe grille, but the highlight is Audi’s obsession with headlights and taillights. The Matrix-design LED headlights and digital OLED rear lights with four selectable lighting signatures are pure luxury. We found ourselves transfixed by how the rear lights glow and shift around without keeping an overall consistent level of light.

Audi’s laser light technology is available, giving a much brighter main beam than any other technology available. That’s a decent benefit, but Audi is ready to open up the full benefit of its system through a software update when US law advances to allow it.

Although Audi promotes the SQ7 as the largest S model, it comes as standard with 21-inch wheels, which can be upgraded to 22-inch units, while the SQ8 arrives with 22-inch wheels that you can switch out for 23-inch units.

Infotainment: Best In The Business

Audi is right up there with the best in the business with its latest MMI system and even better with its less fussy input responses. We didn’t find ourselves having to remember to hold on the icon we wanted to activate, and the response is super-sharp. However, like all automakers, Audi’s navigation system is a step down from Apple and Google’s on-phone offerings. Thankfully, we found wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto ready to go.

We had to flip back and forth on the dedicated screen for operating the climate controls, but it worked well for us spending the day in the summer desert. The main screen is just large enough not to be too big, but the highlight is Audi’s Virtual Cockpit Plus for the driver: It’s sharp, the right size, pretty, and customizable. We never found ourselves looking down to hunt for information that should be readily available.

Interior: Choose Wisely

Both models are spacious up front, and the interior is of the upmarket quality and style you should expect from Audi. However, the SQ7 loses some legroom in the second row of seating to help make room for the tight third row. As we mentioned in our regular Q7 and Q8 review, the Q7 needs a longer wheelbase to become a three-row crossover for a large family. As it stands, the third row has no air vents and is too cramped to expect kids to get into every day.

In terms of styling and materials, there’s little to no difference between the SQ7 and SQ8. Our test models were fitted with the Luxury package, which takes the sporty interior and adds elements like extra leather covering the dashboard and a Dinamica microsuede fabric headliner. This package is only available to top trims, however, and on the SQ8 costs more because it also adds massage function to the front seats.

The overall effect is a plushness that softens the feeling of sportiness when just cruising. However, the steering wheel’s sport-focused design constantly reminds us that it has aces up its sleeve for later.

Under The Hood: Twin Turbo V8 Goodness

The first of those aces is the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with its 500 hp and bucketloads of torque. While the SQ8 doesn’t shove so hard that the front lifts like the RS Q8, it shoves hard off the line to not be embarrassed by its close kin, the much more expensive and outrageous-looking Urus. The SQ7 is no different, and the Tiptronic eight-speed transmission is crisp and assuring around town and on the freeway, then snappy when exploring the all-wheel-drivetrain’s athleticism.

On The Road: A Satisfying Smile Per Mile Ratio

On the road is where the two models separate themselves, although you need some corners to find the tangible differences. The SQ7 and SQ8s we drove were fitted with the $6,000 S sport package, which adds active roll stabilization and a sport differential for performance and red brake calipers for the look. On the freeway, both cars are smooth and deceptively fast – as in 75 mph feels like 55 mph.

Around town, they’re not too much different from the regular Q7 and Q8. However, get out into long, winding, and tightly curving roads, and the difference is palpable. Both models want to turn in and hold a corner, then eject out the other side with more urgent vigor. The bigger difference we perceived was between the Q7 and SQ7, which were night and day. It’s more nimble and eager to change direction and holds on with more confidence through a corner.

On the other hand, the SQ8 feels like a logical athletic progression of the Q8 rather than two different models, and holds its line more confidently on a back road in comparison to the SQ7. It likely has to do with the Q8’s extra few inches of width, lower height, and being engineered to be sporty in the first place rather than upgraded to become a performance vehicle. That’s not a slight, though. The increase in power and performance is demonstrable, and we had much more fun in the SQ8 when picking up the pace.

Conclusion: Some Interesting Propositions

The SQ8 is an easy recommendation for someone with the means and urge for a performance crossover without going to the bonkers craziness of the RS Q8, but the SQ7 requires more thought. It’s way more fun behind the wheel than the regular Q7, but the Q7 already has its flaws, and our conclusion is that it should find a home with a family that only needs occasional use of the third-row. Being that busy family and then spending the extra initial cost as well as the running cost of a twin-turbo V8’s fuel consumption seems, well, extravagant.

Of course, the SQ8 is extravagant as well, but it offers more legroom in the second row as well as excellent cargo capacity behind that. As the non-primary family car or the fun yet practical set of wheels for empty-nesters, it makes more sense to us. A key factor, of course, is pricing: The 2025 SQ7 starts at $90,800 for the base Premium Plus, before options and destination, while the top Prestige trim goes for $96,900. The SQ8 is priced from $96,600 to $103,600, so it is the more expensive vehicle by quite a bit.

Both, however, are excellent performance crossovers without straying across the line into absurdity. The big selling point for the SQ8 is you’re getting most of the performance of a Lamborghini Urus at near half the price and nothing close to the obnoxiousness. The SQ7 isn’t so clear-cut but, if it fits the use case, then we wouldn’t stop anyone from visiting an Audi dealership.