Audi Confirms Plug-In Hybrid Petrol-Electric Power For Next Year's New Q8

Audi has let slip some early facts and figures for the new Q8, along with confirmation that production of the uber-crossover will start in Slovakia next year
Audi Confirms Plug-In Hybrid Petrol-Electric Power For Next Year's New Q8

How we’ve managed it this far without a gargantuan Audi crossover-SUV-sports-luxury-thingy is something mankind will probably never know, but worry not, good CTzens, because the Q8 is finally almost here.

Audi has revealed some of the car’s specs and confirmed an early 2018 start date for production at its facility in Bratislava, Slovakia. It’s based on the same platform as the Q7 and will have much the same interior as the Q7, but the Q8 will have a lower, more sloping roof line, new and different styling and potentially even more technology, all of which is designed to position it as the firm’s new SUV flagship.

Audi Confirms Plug-In Hybrid Petrol-Electric Power For Next Year's New Q8

There will be diesel engines along the same lines as the Q7 range, and a plug-in petrol-electric hybrid powertrain that will be able to travel up to 37 miles in EV mode. It’s a combination of the familiar 3.0-litre V6 TFSI engine and a single electric motor, which together shunt 443bhp and 516lb ft to the four driven wheels. It will be good for 155mph and 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds.

The roof is 40mm lower and the seat count has been reduced to four for the ‘near-production-ready concept’, but a five-seat version is likely to be added for production. At 630 litres there’s more boot space than you get in a Skoda Octavia estate but less than there is at the back of the Skoda Superb estate, putting it firmly in family-friendly territory as long as the loss of headroom isn’t an issue.

Audi Confirms Plug-In Hybrid Petrol-Electric Power For Next Year's New Q8

It will have wheel-selective torque control, which is essentially powertrain-based torque vectoring, as opposed to the simpler braking-based types. It should help reduce understeer and make the big Audi corner more like a smaller, lighter car.

Rejoice, for it’s looking likely that there will also be an SQ8, powered by the same 429bhp biturbo diesel V8 you’ll find in the current SQ7. Don’t rejoice at the tyre replacement bills: the Q8 – at least in almost-production-ready guise – wears 305/35-section tyres on 23-inch wheels…

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Comments

Anonymous

I can’t W8…..
LOL. Sorry……

04/11/2017 - 15:04 |
44 | 2
Anton 3

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Please evaQ8.

04/11/2017 - 15:17 |
25 | 1
Matt W

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

You’ll get so much h8 l8er for this m8

04/11/2017 - 16:07 |
2 | 1
TheMindGarage

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Talking of that, a little part of me hopes they bring back the 4.0 W8 engine xD

04/11/2017 - 17:16 |
3 | 0
Erich Mohrmann

Audi, stop making the damn grilles so big!

04/11/2017 - 15:28 |
14 | 0
TheMindGarage

Forget the Mustang, this is the new crowd-eater car. Grille’s so big it could swallow anything!

04/11/2017 - 17:17 |
9 | 0

Q8 becomes ultimate crowd crasher and also eats crowds this time
Mustang: “Phew, what a relief, no ones scared of me now! :-)”

04/11/2017 - 19:54 |
4 | 0
Tomislav Celić

I ussualy hate Suv’s but I can’t wait for this

04/11/2017 - 17:32 |
2 | 0
FUGL_S60 (Tesla Lover 800)

Diesel option!? Come on Audi, it’s time to STOP building your horrible and hazardous environment heating TDI engines! Just stick to petrol please!

04/11/2017 - 19:53 |
4 | 1

Audi diesel gives good performance tho

04/18/2017 - 20:03 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

A little bit of 918 in an Audi? Hell yeah. XD

04/11/2017 - 20:35 |
2 | 0
faisal3398 فيصل (Crown Vic)

Soooo any Demon news coverage..?

04/12/2017 - 06:57 |
1 | 0
Anonymous

[DELETED]

04/12/2017 - 13:38 |
0 | 0
Nissan 420sx

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Bye

04/12/2017 - 17:13 |
1 | 0
V-Tech and EcoBoost kicked in yo

“305/35-section tyres”

Do big SUVs really need racing tires? Is Soccer Mom Sara going to make it to daycare quicker now?

04/12/2017 - 17:25 |
1 | 0