How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2021 Audi SQ8?

Editor’s note: This Car Seat Check was written in March 2021 about the 2020 Audi SQ8. Little of substance has changed with this year’s model. See what’s new for 2021 or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.

The verdict: Audi’s Q8 is a five-passenger SUV with coupelike styling and seating for five. We tested the performance-oriented SQ8 version with a twin-turbocharged V-8 engine that makes 500 horsepower. With its wide backseat and easy-access Latch anchors, the SQ8 can not only haul families fast — it also excels as a family hauler if you have car seats. 

Does it fit three car seats? No, but three may fit with different car seats. 

Take a look at how the Latch system and each car seat scored below in our Car Seat Check of the 2020 Audi SQ8.

Related: Search Car Seat Checks

A Grade

• Latch: The two sets of lower anchors are exposed; they’re a breeze to find and use. Three top tether anchors sit midway down the seatbacks. They’re clearly marked with good clearance for easy connection, but caregivers should make sure not to confuse them with the many cargo hooks nearby. 
• Infant: This seat was easy to install, and our 5-foot-6-inch-tall front passenger had a comfortable amount of legroom with the seat installed behind them. 
• Rear-facing convertible: Again, this seat went in without any problems, and the front passenger again had ample legroom with the seat installed behind. 
• Forward-facing convertible: We did not need to raise the head restraint to situate the convertible flat against the seatback. Installation using the lower anchors and top tether anchor was easy.
• Booster: After raising the head restraint to get a good fit, the booster fit well. The SUV’s stable buckles should be easy for kids to grasp and use independently.

B Grade

• None

C Grade

• None

Grading Scale

A: Plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn’t impact driver or front-passenger legroom. Easy to find and connect to Latch and tether anchors. No fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. Easy access to the third row.

B: One room, fit or connection issue. Some problems accessing the third row when available.

C: Marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. Difficult to access the third row when available.

D: Insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues.

F: Does not fit or is unsafe.

About Cars.com’s Car Seat Checks

Editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman are certified child safety seat installation technicians.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Chicco KeyFit 30 infant-safety seat, a Graco Contender 65 convertible seat and Graco TurboBooster seat. The front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a shorter passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver’s seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.

We also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row’s middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. If there’s a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. Learn more about how we conduct our Car Seat Checks.

Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that Latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.