The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
The waiting’s almost over...
Audi’s much-anticipated Q8 is on its way at last.
Audi has revealed its “near production ready” new flagship SUV.
It says the car is about five metres long, two metres wide, 1.7 metres tall and has a three-metre wheelbase – almost exactly the same as a 2017 Range Rover but, unlike it, the Q8 will be a “luxury lounge for four”.
That means it shares a similar footprint to the current Q7, but is 40mm lower. A sloping roofline and tapered rear end mean the concept only has four seats, however the production version is expected to be available with a five-seat layout. The Q8 has a 630-litre boot. The concept adopts a wider version of Audi’s single-frame octagonal grille, which is flanked by new matrix LED headlamps.
At the back, the LED lights stretch across the width; Audi says this will be a signature on future models.
Inside, the Q8 concept comes with a new wraparound dash and a raft of new technology.
It is showcased as a hybrid but we don’t yet know what the final production model will be powered by.
The concept pairs a 3.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor, which runs from a 17.9kWh lithium-ion battery, which develops a combined 438bhp and 700Nm of torque.
On electric power alone, the Q8 can travel up to 37 miles, and the lithium-ion battery takes two and a half hours to fully recharge.
Those wanting more performance will eventually be able to upgrade to an SQ8, a high performance model that is likely to use the same 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 diesel as the SQ7, developing 429bhp.
The production version of the Q8 will be displayed at the Frankfurt motor show in September, with sales starting early in 2018.