AUDI TO MAKE Q8 AS FLAGSHIP SUV

High-tech five-seater takes on the BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe and Range Rover Sport

Audi is set to extend its line-up with a luxurious new SUV called the Q8 when production starts after mid-2018.

The Q8 will be positioned at the top of the German car maker’s burgeoning SUV line-up. It is set to go head to head with the likes of the BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe and Range Rover Sport.

The Q8 is one of many new SUV models currently under development at Audi and scheduled for launch before the end of the decade. The first style-led SUV was the justlaunched Q2.

The intensive focus on SUV models in Ingolstadt comes after recent worldwide sales figures revealed that every third car sold by Audi hails from its existing line-up of Q models.

Stylistically, the five-seat Q8 is said to depart quite radically from the current seven-seat Q7, although both share the same mechanical package. Insiders say it eschews the upright stance of its sibling for a much more rakish shape.

A more sporting roofline reduces the Q8’s height by some 50mm over its more practical sibling. As well, expect the track widths to be wider. As with the Q7, the Q8 is based around the latest evolution of Audi’s MLB platform, complete with a 2,990mm wheelbase.

The new flagship SUV will come with an extended range of petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains. These include a secret new plug-in petrol-electric system that is being developed in partnership with Porsche and is claimed to give the Q8 an all-electric range of up to 50km.

Other engines include a new range of V6 and V8 petrol units to also be used by Bentley, Porsche and Volkswagen. They will be based around a shared 90-deg architecture and will feature a common 500cc individual cylinder capacity and gas-driven turbochargers in the first stage of production. Electric turbocharging may be introduced at a later date.

Also planned is a sporting SQ8 model with the advanced triple-turbocharged 4.0litre V8 diesel recently revealed in the SQ7.

Inside, the Q8 is set to receive a reworked version of the Q7’s excellent cockpit, featuring a more driver-oriented middle console.