Prestige, presence and impeccable Audi quality in every detail: the all-new Q8 is ready to combine the best of both worlds by offering the elegance of a four-door luxury coupé and the convenient versatility of a large SUV.
Remaining faithful to the dramatic styling of the original Q8 Sport concept first revealed at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, the series production car will join UK roads this summer featuring a generously dimensioned interior with a variable luggage compartment, state-of-the-art drive and suspension technologies and intelligent assistance systems that make it a convincing companion for business and leisure.
A strong yet efficient 3.0 TDI with a mild hybrid system provides the dynamics which are implied by the muscular exterior design. With the permanent quattro all-wheel drive and a ground clearance of up to 254 mm, the SUV coupé can continue when paved roads end.
At 4,986 mm long, 1,995 mm wide and 1,705 mm high, the new Audi Q8 exudes a presence on the road like no other SUV from the brand with the four rings. With its coupé-style roof line it appears much lower than its Q7 sister model. It is 66 mm shorter, but has become 27 mm wider. The distinctive front end, the short rear overhang and the mighty 21-inch wheels with a diameter of 795 mm paint a picture of powerful dynamics. In the UK, S line specification that is equipped with a host of standard features ranging from sport-configured adaptive air suspension and MMI Navigation Plus with MMI Touch to HD Matrix LED headlights, will be available from market launch. Soon after, an even more comprehensively specified Vorsprung version will join the line-up.
With a wheelbase of almost three metres, the Audi Q8 offers ample space for five people. The interior space exceeds that of the direct competitors in almost all relevant dimensions.
With its large luggage compartment and generously sized storage compartments and tray areas, the Q8 is ideal for longer journeys. The luggage compartment of the SUV holds 605 litres as a standard, which increases to 1,755 litres with the rear backrests folded down. Two golf bags can easily fit in diagonally. The tailgate can be opened and closed electrically as standard. The electric luggage compartment cover is another convenience option. Guided on rails, it automatically retracts when the tailgate is opened and is extended again upon closing.
The Audi Q8 is a representative of the progressive design language that Audi first brought onto the road with the new A8. Strong contours and athletically tight surfaces convey a feeling of power, sophistication and the special dynamics of the permanent all-wheel drive. The Q8 interprets this in its very own way, as the fusion of an elegant four-door luxury coupé with a large SUV, and with echoes of an Audi icon – the original quattro.
With the imposing Singleframe in octagonal design, the Audi Q8 debuts the new face of the Q family. Six distinctive vertical chrome fins make the radiator grille appear upright and solid.
A wide mask connects the Singleframe to the distinctive headlights. The spoiler, which protrudes at the front, and the large, strongly contoured air intakes further highlight the aggressive look of the Q8.
Thanks to the frameless doors, the coupé-type roof line stretches low across the vehicle body visually, ending in the a long roof spoiler. The roof line arches slightly towards the flat sloping, strong D-pillars, which are supported by wide, muscular contours – the quattro blisters, reminiscent of the original Audi quattro. The shoulder line stretches the SUV, elegantly connecting the powerful wheel housings.
Compact proportions, paired with a very low roof and a flat window form the rear end. A narrow, black high-gloss element with an integrated light strip extends between the rear lights. This is a feature of top Audi models, accentuating the width of the Q8. It creates an independent light signature day or night, just like on the original quattro back in the day. The distinctive rear diffuser has four vertical fins and an integrated tailpipe trim on each side.
The upper MMI touch response display is the central element of the interior of the Audi Q8. With its black-panel look, it almost dissolves into a large, black surface when switched off. Simple, easy-to-understand symbols stand for the digital precision from Audi and for the high level of integration of the architecture and operation – simplicity replaces complexity. All fundamental lines originate from the large display, for example the continuous air vent strip with integrated chrome fins and an elegant aluminium-look strip.
The slender dashboard and the calm lines with a strong horizontal focus highlight the impression of width conveyed by the interior of the Audi Q8. The styling in the interior is deliberately clean and simple. All elements have a logical connection and harmonise with one another: from the “wrap around” – the large arch running from the front doors across the instrument panel – to the operating unit for the light, which is finished in a black-panel look with a touch surface. All this combined gives the interior a feeling of calm.
Designed as an independent geometric body, the console of the centre tunnel with its generous area visualises the robust character of the SUV. In the dark, the contour light traces the distinctive design lines of the interior and provides backlight for the three-dimensionally lasered quattro badge above the glove compartment – an example for the love of detail at Audi.
UK introduction scheduled for summer 2018
