Photo: CarPix
As cool as this SQ8 looks, it might be forbidden fruit for America, due to that TDI badge on the back. However, that doesn't mean we can't enjoy spyshots of a brand new Audi that hasn't existed before.
The SQ8 started testing about two weeks after the RS Q8, which is unusual for Audi. Normally, the quattro brand takes its sweet time with the RS models, which in the past arrived late into the life cycle of a car. But performance luxury SUVs represent a huge potential source of profits.
As some of you Audi fans might remember, the Q8 Sport concept, which was supposed to preview the SQ8, came with a 450 HP turbocharged V6 hooked up to a 27 HP electric motor for a combined output of 476 HP and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft).
So why are we saying that the SQ8 prototype is powered by a diesel V8? Well, for starters, it's got a TDI badge on the trunk. That could be there just as a diversion, but during the regular Q8's launch, Audi said a V8 diesel would eventually be added to the range.
The same goes for the 2019 VW Touareg, suggesting that the 4.0 TDI is safe and sound, despite new emissions regulations. The downside to all this is that the SQ8 might not make it to America.
And it's a real shame because we love the white sports 4x4 in these spyshots. It's got a nice stance, big wheels, and quad exhaust. As for performance, the 435 horsepower, 900 Nm V8 TDI might give it a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of under 5 seconds.
But you never know; Audi might actually make two versions of the SQ8, just as it did with the old SQ5. BMW also has both M50i and M50d versions of the X5, but the types of engines they used are reversed: big V8 burning gasoline and six-cylinder diesel. This should be an interesting one to follow!
As some of you Audi fans might remember, the Q8 Sport concept, which was supposed to preview the SQ8, came with a 450 HP turbocharged V6 hooked up to a 27 HP electric motor for a combined output of 476 HP and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft).
So why are we saying that the SQ8 prototype is powered by a diesel V8? Well, for starters, it's got a TDI badge on the trunk. That could be there just as a diversion, but during the regular Q8's launch, Audi said a V8 diesel would eventually be added to the range.
The same goes for the 2019 VW Touareg, suggesting that the 4.0 TDI is safe and sound, despite new emissions regulations. The downside to all this is that the SQ8 might not make it to America.
And it's a real shame because we love the white sports 4x4 in these spyshots. It's got a nice stance, big wheels, and quad exhaust. As for performance, the 435 horsepower, 900 Nm V8 TDI might give it a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of under 5 seconds.
But you never know; Audi might actually make two versions of the SQ8, just as it did with the old SQ5. BMW also has both M50i and M50d versions of the X5, but the types of engines they used are reversed: big V8 burning gasoline and six-cylinder diesel. This should be an interesting one to follow!
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