Audi unveils first teaser of new Q8 flagship SUV

By RELAXNEWS | 26 April 2018


INGOLSTADT: It's been known for a while now that Audi has been working on a new Q8 flagship SUV to sit in its range above the highly successful Q7, but the German luxury automaker has been reasonably tight-lipped about it until now.

Audi still hasn't given us too much to go on, except we know it will be built on the same MLB platform as the Q7 but will be a little sleeker. Now, the manufacturer has released its first teasers of the Q8.

Audi has released a 28-second video via Twitter that shows only a suggestion of the new model's outline, highlighted by luminous green tape glowing in almost total darkness, resembling something from a sci-fi TV series. What it does show is that the Q8 will have a much more rakish roofline than the Q7, which isn't much of a surprise as this coupe-like styling is the way a lot of manufacturers are going to squeeze a little more out of the luxury SUV market.

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A lot of commentators scoffed at the idea when BMW first came up with this SUV-coupe concept in the shape of the X6, but buyers didn't take any notice of what the media said. Instead, they showed their appreciation by snapping-up more X6s than anyone expected, possibly even BMW itself.

Audi has stated that the Q8 is going to be a combination of a luxury coupe and a sporty SUV, and like a number of its rivals it's expected to seat either four or five people with a full back seat centre console, instead of adopting the three-row, seven-passenger configuration of the current Q7.

This type of vehicle is designed for those who want a large, imposing SUV but with an element of sportiness, and not for those looking for a more luxurious and stylish take on a people carrier for family duties.

Even though the Q8 is being teased ahead of the Beijing Motor Show, it's not expected to be making an appearance at this point as Audi has previously said it will get a June reveal. When it is finally unveiled it's expected to come with petrol, hybrid and diesel powertrains depending on the market it's sold in, and there's likely to be an RS Q8 at some point, probably powered by a Porsche-derived 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8.

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