(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – It hardly matters where you look on the internet or which car enthusiast you ask – SUVs with coupe-like bodies are almost universally rejected by car lovers. However, in the real world, where people actually buy vehicles with their hard-earned money, the situation is different. What started as a trend in 2007 with the first BMW X6 has developed into a highly lucrative segment, especially for premium manufacturers.
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Audi is no exception here and offers several Sportback variants of its SUVs. The Q8 goes one step further as it is marketed as a standalone model. The rival to the Mercedes GLE Coupe, Porsche Cayenne Coupe, and BMW X6 is now in its eighth year of production. A successor should therefore slowly appear on the horizon. We have heard little about it so far, but that is now changing. A second Q8 generation has now been personally confirmed by the Audi CEO.
When Gernot Döllner took over as CEO in September 2023, Audi had not yet decided whether it was worth continuing the Q8. Now Edmunds spoke with the company chief and learned that management has given the green light for a new generation: “When I came to Audi, to my surprise there was no decision for a successor, but we have changed that.”
The new Audi Q8 is coming in the foreseeable future
Although there are no spy photos of the new Q8 yet, Audi’s number one says it will appear in the “near future.” This suggests that the market launch will take place before the end of the decade, but we expect it no earlier than 2028. It is unclear whether it will already adopt the new design language shaped by the Concept C and Nuvolari, as the design of a future model is determined years before the actual market launch.
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If not, it will again be a Q7 with a more steeply sloping roofline, serving as a significantly cheaper alternative to the Porsche Cayenne Coupe and Lamborghini Urus. As before, the new Q8 is likely to be produced in Bratislava, Slovakia, together with its platform siblings.
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Since Audi has already shown S models with eight-cylinder engines in the new Q7 and the first Q9, it is not unreasonable to assume that another SQ8 with a V8 engine is on the way. It is still too early for a clear statement about a new RS Q8, but we would not rule it out, especially since there is already a solid foundation with higher-positioned models like the Cayenne and Urus.
Motor1 thinks: The confirmation from Audi that a second Q8 generation will come surprises us because the manufacturer has recently discontinued several models. The A1 and Q2 recently ended up in the automotive graveyard, as did the A5 Coupe/Cabriolet, TT, and R8 – part of a larger plan to streamline the model range. The flagship sedan A8 is also facing discontinuation, and there are no short-term plans for a successor. Instead, the large Q9 with three rows of seats will become the new flagship.
Apparently, the Q8 still has its raison d’être in Audi’s eyes. On the other hand, the investment is likely to be manageable since it will probably be largely based technically on the 2027 model year Q7 and mainly receive a different body. It would be interesting to see it with the new design philosophy “The Radical Shift” – instead of the still current design language, for example, of the new Q7.
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Source: Edmunds
