2024 Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron

The electric SUV formerly known as Audi e-tron Sportback gets a rebrand and update for 2024. Now called the Q8 Sportback e-tron, this is the electric SUV that's mechanically identical to the Q8 e-tron. The main difference between the two is styling. The Sportback has a more coupe-like roofline that provides a sportier look at the expense of some rear seat and cargo space.

Audi was among the first to take on the Tesla Model X, but the funky BMW iX and frumpy Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV present fresher — and quicker — challenges. And despite the Q8 e-tron's battery enhancements for 2024, its two German rivals continue to offer superior range. The Genesis GV70 falls well short in the latter regard but boasts an impressive interior design and excellent road manners at a base price that starts about $10,000 lower.

In the context of electric vehicle batteries, size usually refers not to the actual dimensions of the pack but to its energy-storage capacity. In the case of the Q8 Sportback e-tron, the 2024 model's pack is not physically bigger, but it can store 23% more energy than last year's. This means increased range without a dimensionally larger battery intruding into the cabin and eating into passenger space. Audi increased the energy density of the Q8 Sportback e-tron's battery through improvements in chemistry and the packaging of the individual battery cells within the pack. Along with a more efficient motor on the rear axle and aerodynamic enhancements, this means the 2024 Q8 Sportback e-tron can go some 30% farther on a charge with a battery that is the same size … but bigger.