Audi Q8 vs Land Rover Discovery vs Mercedes-Benz GLE (2026)
The classic luxury suv shortlist, settled with numbers (October 2026):
- Pick the Audi Q8 as the balanced middle path — it wins no single spec outright but concedes little anywhere.
- Pick the Land Rover Discovery if you want the most seats (7).
- Pick the Mercedes-Benz GLE if you want the lowest starting price (₹1.00 Crore), the most power (443 bhp), the biggest boot (630 L).
Three-Way Specification Comparison
Audi Q8 in short
The Q8 is Audi's flagship coupe-SUV in India, sold since its August 2024 facelift as a single 55 TFSI quattro variant at ₹1.131 crore. It pairs the Q7's V6 petrol underpinnings with a sportier five-seat coupe body and a still-practical 605-litre boot. Rivals are the BMW X5's top trims and the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupé — the Q8 is the style pick that stays this side of the performance-SUV price jump.
Full Q8 prices & variants →Land Rover Discovery in short
The Discovery is Land Rover's dedicated seven-seater, updated for MY26 in October 2025 with a new trim walk: Gemini at ₹1.26 crore, Dynamic HSE at ₹1.30 crore and the new Tempest flagship at ₹1.39 crore, all powered by the 350 PS D350 mild-hybrid diesel. Prices are from Land Rover India's official pan-India list. Unlike the five-seat Range Rover Sport it shares showrooms with, all three rows here are genuinely usable — its rivals are the Mercedes GLS, BMW X7 and Volvo XC90.
Full Discovery prices & variants →Mercedes-Benz GLE in short
The GLE is Mercedes' large luxury SUV for India, running from ₹1.00 crore for the 300d AMG Line to ₹1.52 crore for the 449 PS AMG GLE 53 Coupé. In between sit six-cylinder petrol (450) and diesel (450d) variants plus Night Edition trims, all with 4MATIC and a 630-litre boot. India-spec cars are five-seaters. It competes with the BMW X5 and Audi Q7 — the Q7 counters with seven seats, the GLE with its engine breadth.
Full GLE prices & variants →Head-to-head pairs
Frequently Asked Questions
Q8 vs Discovery vs GLE — which should I buy?
Pick the Audi Q8 as the balanced middle path — it wins no single spec outright but concedes little anywhere. Pick the Land Rover Discovery if you want the most seats (7). Pick the Mercedes-Benz GLE if you want the lowest starting price (₹1.00 Crore), the most power (443 bhp), the biggest boot (630 L). Test-drive at least two before deciding — ride and dealer experience differ by city.
Which is the cheapest among Q8, Discovery, GLE?
The Mercedes-Benz GLE starts lowest at ₹1.00 Crore, against ₹1.13 Crore for the Q8 and ₹1.26 Crore for the Discovery (ex-showroom, October 2026).
Which is the safest of the three?
Audi Q8: not yet NCAP-tested; Land Rover Discovery: not yet NCAP-tested; Mercedes-Benz GLE: not yet NCAP-tested.