Audi’s e-tron lineup of electric vehicles currently sits as one of the most diverse offerings in the industry. With the recent launch of 2024 editions of the Q8 e-tron SUV and the Q8 Sportback e-tron, the German luxury automaker has shown that it doesn’t stop improving these two exceptional full-size flagship models.
Both received the auto industry’s coveted safety mark after the US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the highest 2023 Top Safety Pick+ rating to the Q8 e-tron SUV and the Q8 e-tron Sportback pure electric luxury rides.
The two, which debuted in the Philippines last August, fared excellently in crashworthiness, as well as other factors such as crash avoidance and lighting technology. The criteria for safety evaluations are basically the same for electric vehicles and combustion engine-powered counterparts.
But with its e-tron range, Audi goes further by ensuring the battery is safeguarded in the event of a crash. The e-tron models’ battery system consists of a rigid housing that not only protects its modules even during a major collision, but also acts as an additional reinforcement for the vehicle’s structure.
Since battery pack designs are critical for an electric vehicle’s overall safety, the IIHS updated last February its side crash evaluation which now has 82 percent more energy compared to the original test, along with a new nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention test. The standard crash avoidance systems on the Q8 e-tron SUV and the Q8 e-tron Sportback garnered a “Superior” rating for daytime use and an “Advanced” rating for nighttime use.
New Audi Vehicle Safety Center in Ingolstadt has significantly improved its crash-test facilities.
‘Good’ ratings
To qualify for the two highest 2023 IIHS awards, a vehicle must earn “Good” ratings in the driver- and passenger-side small front overlap and original moderate overlap front collision tests, and should come equipped with “Acceptable” or “Good” headlights across all its variants.
Audi Philippines offers two configurations for the Q8 e-tron SUV: The 55 and 50. Both carry the latest design elements, improved efficiency and range, revised motors, more progressive steering, and enhanced chassis control systems.
The Q8 e-tron SUV 55 produces 408 hp and 664 Nm of torque. Depending on weather, road conditions, terrain and driving styles, the model can travel up to 582 km when fully charged. The Q8 e-tron SUV 50 outputs 335 hp and 664 Nm, and has a driving range of up to 491 km when fully charged.
The Q8 e-tron Sportback has the same power and torque ratings as the Q8 e-tron SUV 55, but its driving range is longer — it can travel up to 600 km when fully charged — thanks to a more aerodynamic coupé silhouette found at the rear side of this exceptional vehicle.
