Audi’s Q range of SUVs and crossovers will have a new flagship in the form of the Q8. Shown first as a concept at the Detroit Motor Show, this all new sporty looking SUV will go on sale next year.
Here are our best images yet of the Q8 during its testing. What you see here is the real deal, undergoing winter testing in Lapland. Going by the pictures, its design appears to be inspired by the Q7 albeit with a few aggressive styling cues.
The production-spec Q8 will be toned down compared to the concept released a few weeks ago. The latter featured a large octagonal grille with a black finish and fang-like chrome strakes while the bonnet showed off four large creases taken from the latest A5.
The Q8, however, will retain the concept’s sporty roofline compared to the Q7. Mechanically, it will be offered with the same hybrid drive system as the Q7 e-tron. This means a 3-litre V6 diesel engine with 270bhp that’s mated to a 126bhp electric motor. Besides it, the Q8 will also get a range of petrol and diesel engines including the SQ7’s 435bhp 4-litre V8 motor.
The Q8 will be priced similar to the Mercedes GLE Coupe and the BMW X6. We expect it to reach showrooms sometime next year.
