Audi will reveal the Q8 in Shanghai this June
Audi will unveil its Q8 in June, R&D boss Peter Mertens said on Thursday during the automaker's annual press conference.
The reveal will take place at a special event to be hosted in Shanghai and celebrating 30 years since Audi started its hugely successful strategy of producing cars in China.
That was with just one model, the Audi 100. Today, together with its local partners, Audi is producing six models in China and plans to double this within the next five years.
Mertens also revealed that the Q8 represents the “new face” of Audi's Q family of SUVs, suggesting we'll see elements of its design on other upcoming Audi SUVs like the e-tron and Q4, entering production in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
The Q8 is a coupe-like SUV closely related to the Q7. The two will also share a production line at Audi's plant in Bratislava, Slovakia.
We’ve already published spy shots of prototypes for the Q8. They reveal a vehicle similar in size to the Q7 but with a wider footprint and a much lower roofline. Audi has also previewed the design with a pair of concepts. Potential rivals for this model are the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe.
The base powertrain in the United States is expected to be a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 delivering 354 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Expect it to be paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Above this will likely be an e-tron plug-in hybrid model, likely pairing the 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 with an electric motor for a combined output of 442 hp and 516 lb-ft.
More potent offerings will include an SQ8 and perhaps even an RS Q8.
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