Audi has revealed the new Q8 concept at the 2017 Detroit Motor Show. It essentially previews a new large flagship SUV from the German premium brand and a production version will launch in 2018 to rival the likes of the Range Rover and BMW X6.
Compared to the Q7, the Q8 concept shares similar underpinnings and is near identical in length and wheelbase size, although the Q8 rides 40mm lower than the Q7. The Q8’s roofline also slopes a lot more at the rear.
Other than its more coupe-esque profile, the Q8 concept has quite a few similar design cues to other current Audi SUVs, including the design of the headlights and the shape and look of the grille and front air vents.
Despite its sheer size, the Q8 concept only seats four, in similar fashion to BMW’s X6 and the Mercedes GLE Coupe. Highlights of the interior design includes the 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit display, which has featured in other Audis but in the Q8 it has a higher resolution and more functionality.
Powering the Q8 concept is a plug-in hybrid powertrain which combines a 3.0-litre TFSI petrol engine and an electric motor to develop 438bhp combined and up to 700Nm of torque. An eight-speed automatic gearbox and Quattro four-wheel drive are also utilised.
When using its engine and motor together, the 0-62mph sprint time is just 5.4 seconds and the top speed is limited at 155mph. CO2 emissions are at just 53g/km. An e-tron powertrain similar to this is likely to be made available for the production version of the Q8, alongside some more conventional petrol and diesel engine choices.
