Like mother, like son. Princess Diana caused quite a stir when she ditched her British wheels for something German – most famously an Audi 80 Cabriolet – and her youngest son has certainly followed in his mother’s footsteps.

Scan the gossip columns and you’ll spot Prince Harry behind the wheel of a number of Audi models, including this: a 2017 RS6 Avant. It was used by Harry and Meghan Markle on the way to Pippa Middleton’s wedding reception last year, and now, it could be yours.

So which car will be the choice for the #royalwedding ?

Will Harry and Meghan drive away in his father's 1969 #AstonMartin DB6 Mk2 Volante as Prince William did with Kate, or maybe his own #Audi RS6?

What car would you choose ❔ pic.twitter.com/jKCYJXmk6p

— Supercar Cat (@SupercarCat) December 3, 2017

For sale on Auto Trader for a not unreasonable £71,900, the superfast wagon comes with £11,330 worth of options and 4,464 royal miles on the clock. Factory-fitted accessories include a panoramic sunroof, privacy glass, night vision and – because Harry is a lad – a speed limiter removal.

Well, you need to get a wiggle on if you’re being hunted by the paparazzi.

Refreshingly, the dealer doesn’t appear to be charging a premium for the connection to the Duke of Sussex, and is offering “excellent funding solutions to suit your needs.” Needless to say, Harry wouldn’t have struggled for funding when he took delivery of the Audi, even if he was saving for a rather lavish wedding.

A ‘roaring exhaust’

Erin Baker, Auto Trader’s editorial director, said: “This is a smashing car perfectly suited to any aspiring Royal. The Audi RS6 Avant is one of the fastest estate cars on the market doing 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, and it has a roaring exhaust to excite any petrol head.”

“The car boasts a 17 reg and low mileage, so it begs the questions why is the Prince selling so soon?”

While you spend all of four seconds pondering that question, we’ll leave you with a warning against buying the RS6 in the hope of making a quick dollar. In 2014, independent dealer Baron Cole paid over the odds for Harry’s old Audi RS3, before selling it to another dealer without making a profit.

We suspect Baron was royally flushed with embarrassment and he won’t be going anywhere near this RS6. You, on the other hand, can view the advert on Auto Trader here.

The way Audi opens the news on the reveal of the cabin of its forthcoming e-tron all-electric model is rather telling: “New interior pictures show how the fully electric series production Audi will push digital boundaries without feeling alien to drivers”.

That’s the aim, really, for anyone hoping to bring EVs to market and make them go mainstream. Make the future, now and tomorrow, today, in a way that isn’t going to scare off consumers. That means blending current motoring conventions with the powertrains of tomorrow. Jaguar did it, can Audi?

So, how is this Audi of the future also the Audi of today?

Hiding in plain sight

One of the most critical things Audi has to get right when feeding us the future is the looks. It has to be contemporary and agreeable by today’s standards, not tomorrow’s. Fortunately, Audi knows a thing or two about how to make a good looking car. We’re relatively familiar with the outsides of the e-tron prototype, but it’s nice to revisit given the context of the cabin.

It’s sure to be a fine-looking thing when the disguises drop, with sharp lighting, a muscular stance and a Velar-rivalling sporty SUV rake. It’s Audi, so the Instagram appeal is almost implied at this point.

New tech that won’t scare you off

Perhaps the most groundbreaking piece of technology the e-tron looks to take to the showroom is the virtual mirror system. That’s right, cameras instead of wing mirrors – previously the preserve of the pie-in-the-sky concept car starter pack.

Cameras feed their image to high-contrast 7-inch OLED displays recessed into the front of the door above the handle. The screens aren’t dissimilar in shape to that of a conventional mirror – it’s just that they reside in the cabin.

Naturally, with new tech comes an array of features. The screens are touch sensitive with pinch-to-zoom. Different display options can be selected from within the MMI (Multi Media Interface) per the driving you’re doing – motorway vs urban or parking manoeuvres, and everything in between.

However, for all the advancement and added features in place of something as simple and conventional as mirrors, Audi is adamant the implementation is geared for quick learning and integration into a driver’s life on the road. This isn’t tech for tech’s sake – it has to actually improve and ultimately blend into our every day driving experience.

Typical Audi quality

The e-tron cabin isn’t short on token reminders that you’re driving the future. Audi is keen to point out “the stitching on the seats creates a motif reminiscent of [an] electric circuit board… as an option, contrasting stitching and piping in orange stand out brightly – taking their cue from the high-voltage electrical system”. You didn’t think there were gimmicks in the future?

Looks wise inside it’s an advancement of familiar Audi – swathes of interactive, high-quality control surfaces and materials with a forward-looking take on its angular cubist design philosophy. It’s sure to be a lovely place to while away the hours on a long, range anxiety-free journey.

Space and refinement

One significant benefit of an EV is cabin space, and the e-tron shouldn’t buck the trend, claiming “interior length, headroom in front and rear as well as knee room in the second seat row are top-class in the full-size SUV segment”. The lack of a drivetrain tunnel adds to the open-plan feeling of the rear, with what Audi calls a “flat plateau” instead.

Without the dulcet tones of an internal combustion engine thrumming away, the final hurdle any viable electric car worth its salt (the range and charge times are a given, right?) has to face, is refinement. With no engine, that’s a lot of silence for road and wind noise to disrupt.

Audi is adamant this won’t be a problem. “Acoustic comfort is one of the strengths of all Audi models. The Audi e-tron prototype raises this level even further: its body has special soundproofing and sealing in all zones that could transmit noise interference. The wind noise, which dominates the acoustic perception at speeds from around 52mph, barely gets through to the occupants”.

So has Audi done it? We’re in no doubt it’ll be a superb effort. Whether it can impress in the company of the new Jaguar I-Pace is another question. We eagerly await the production car’s reveal…

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Audi’s growth strategy appears to be focused on climbing every sales mountain and fording every niche, which is why we’re faced with the imminent arrival of the Q8. Yes, it’s yet another SUV.

Although it’s based on the Q7, the new Q8 features a lower, coupe-like roofline, as Audi guns for the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, Range Rover Sport and BMW X6.

Blending elegance with convenience. The new Audi #Q8 is here. pic.twitter.com/FFGlYe34Fe

— Audi UK (@AudiUK) June 5, 2018

In a nutshell, the Q8 boasts an interior and a level of technology influenced by the new A8 luxobarge, with a body that fuses “an elegant four-door luxury coupe with a large SUV”. You may or may not agree with the ‘elegant’ part of Audi’s statement, but you’ll almost certainly struggle to the grasp Ingolstadt’s claim that it echoes the original Quattro. Wait, what?

But we’re not here to be judge and jury on the latest vehicle to jump on the bandwagon – we’ll leave that for when we see it in the metal. Instead, we’ll pick the bones out of one of the longest press releases on record to bring you the facts that matter.

At launch, the Audi Q8 will be powered by a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbodiesel engine developing 282hp and 442.5lb ft of torque. That’s enough to propel it from rest to 62mph in just 6.3 seconds before hitting a top speed of 144mph.

The engine features mild hybrid technology, enabling it to coast between 34mph and 99mph with the engine switched off, with a start-stop range that starts as low as 13mph.

Two further engines will become available in 2019, with the 50 TDI joined by a smaller 231hp 3.0-litre turbodiesel (45 TDI) and a 340hp 3.0-litre petrol (55 TFSI). No, we haven’t come to terms with Audi’s new naming strategy yet, either.

At 4,986mm long, 1,955mm wide and 1,705mm high, the Q8 is 66mm shorter and 40mm lower than the Q7, but 27mm wider than its stablemate. The hunkered-down, aggressive stance is enhanced by a set of 21-inch alloy wheels. Subtle, it isn’t.

Vorsprung durch Bling

Initially, all models will be available in S Line trim, but a new high-end Vorsprung edition will follow, offering Valcona leather, all-wheel steering, head-up display and – wait for it – 22-inch rims as standard. Vorsprung durch Bling.

In the meantime, standard kit includes adaptive air suspension, MMI Navigation Plus, Matrix LED headlights and three-dimensional daytime running lights, which are mimicked on the back, similar to the approach used on the new A8.

The interior also borrows heavily from the A8, featuring a clean and simple design, two large touchscreens and a choice of interior finishes.

Unlike the Q7, the Q8 will not be offered with a seven-seat option, but interior space is on a par with its longer and narrower sibling. Boot capacity with the rear seats in place is 605 litres, but this can be increased to 1,755 litres with the seats folded down. The tailgate opens and closes electrically, as you’d expect.

Naturally, Audi buyers will be offered the chance to select from many options, including a 23-speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system to deliver music “exactly how it was recorded at the concert hall”. David Hasselhoff in crystal-clear clarity, which will be music to the ears of German drivers.

And, while The Hoff would invite you to jump in his car, the Q8 will offer drivers the opportunity to get out of the vehicle to park it using their smartphone. That’s one for the future, but in the meantime, Audi will offer four driver assistance packages, with a range of systems that all but drive the car for you. Who needs KITT, eh?

Prices have yet to be announced, but we’d expect the range to start from around £65,000. The Q8 will be manufactured in Bratislava, with the first deliveries expected in the summer.

Read more:

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