Photo: screenshot from Youtube
The 60 different models Audi promised us have really begun to take shape the past few months, with rumors of a new flagship called the A9 and previewed by the Prologue Concept, lots of smaller SUVs and even a four-door version of the TT coupe. But perhaps the most important upcoming model is the Q8, which deserves to be considered the flagship of the range, considering how many SUVs Audi is selling these days.
How do we know the Q8 is coming? Because it's been confirmed to British magazine Autocar by Audi's current technical chief Ulrich Hackenberg on the sidelines of the Los Angeles Auto Show.
"The Q8 will come," said Hackenberg. "It will be something new, following designs established on the Prologue concept. It will be positioned as something more emotional and more sporty than the Q7. The Q7 will be a car for seven people, the Q8 will be more coupe like."
He also said that the new Q7, to be revealed in January, will be one of the last Audi models with the current design language. The next ones will look a lot like the Prologue, the brainchild of new chief designer Marc Lichte.
As a more coupe-like, emotional vehicle, the Q8 will rival BMW's new X6 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, which is based on the ML.
Mister Hackenberg's statement is also accompanied by a clear timeline. The Q8's development has recently started and should be finished within the next 3 years. It's being envisioned as a product that appeals to buyers in China, the US and the Middle East. For now, the only tangible piece of tech information is the fact that a new platform called the MLB will help keep weight under 2 tons on all the Q8 models, something a Porsche Cayenne can't do today.
"The Q8 will come," said Hackenberg. "It will be something new, following designs established on the Prologue concept. It will be positioned as something more emotional and more sporty than the Q7. The Q7 will be a car for seven people, the Q8 will be more coupe like."
He also said that the new Q7, to be revealed in January, will be one of the last Audi models with the current design language. The next ones will look a lot like the Prologue, the brainchild of new chief designer Marc Lichte.
As a more coupe-like, emotional vehicle, the Q8 will rival BMW's new X6 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, which is based on the ML.
Mister Hackenberg's statement is also accompanied by a clear timeline. The Q8's development has recently started and should be finished within the next 3 years. It's being envisioned as a product that appeals to buyers in China, the US and the Middle East. For now, the only tangible piece of tech information is the fact that a new platform called the MLB will help keep weight under 2 tons on all the Q8 models, something a Porsche Cayenne can't do today.
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