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Stunning Audi Q8 Concept Will Morph Into an SUV-Coupe Flagship in 2018

Audi's SUV range gains serious traction at the Detroit Motor Show, with the Ingolstadt carmaker introducing the Q8 Concept. Any if you happen to fall for its styling tricks, you'll be thrilled to find out the Q8 will become the flagship member of the Audi SUV range next year.
Audi Q8 Concept 38 photos
Photo: Audi
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What meets the eye

Despite the Q8 sharing its platform, as well as its overall dimensions, with the Q7, all the styling efforts invested into the vehicle mean it can easily conceal its massive footprint - the thing is 16.5 feet long, while packing a features ft wheelbase

The coupe-ish roofline is just one of the aces up the Q8's sleeve, with this being joined by a signature singleframe grille that manages to appear wider by focusing on vertical elements instead of horizontal ones.

The muscular wheel arches, which are equally bold at both axles, highlight the quattro all-wheel-drive, while the carmaker talks about many design elements that are a nod to the 1980s Quattro go-fast machine. Want an example? The flat, broad C-pillars.

Hefty 23-inch wheels, shod in 305-section rubber allow the vehicle to hug the... NAIAS floor.

Hybrid power

While the production Q8 will offer a broader engine line-up (more on that below), the Concept is animated by a plug-in hybrid powertrain. A turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 is linked to an electric motor via an eight-speed automatic transmission, with the overall output of the system sitting at 442 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. The result is a 0 to 60 mph sprint time of 5.4 seconds, while the top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.

The electric motor, which relies on 17.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, allows the SUV to offer an all-electric range of 37 miles.

Cabin trends

The interior of the Q8 Concept offers precious hints on what to expect from future Audi models.

Audi has already accustomed us to its Virtual Cockpit, but the Q8 takes things one step further, displaying an impressive level of digitalization - the interior can easily be described as a melange involving leather and touch-sensitive displays, with the vast majority of physical buttons being found on the steering wheel.

The icing on the virtual cake is a head-up display unit that features augmented reality capability. For instance, the navigation system's instructions are projected onto the windscreen as if they were actual arrows on the asphalt.

We'll quickly go over the four-seater layout seen in Detroit, as the production model will probably leave this behind, or at least confine it to the list of optional extras.

The (production) future

We'll get to meet the production Q8 next year (here are some recent spyshots) and while you can look at the Q7 for clues on how the engine range of the high-riding flagship will look like, you should know an all-electric Q8 is also likely.

Ingolstadt's recent past has seen the German automaker making efforts to introduce two electric vehicles, both of which were based on the R8. And while the EV supercars failed to hit their target, the electron juice-animated Q8 has serious chances of achieving its goal.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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