Audi Q8 showcased privately, confirmed to debut in June this year

Audi's Technical Development chief Peter Mertens has confirmed that the new Q family model will have its world debut in Shanghai in June 2018.

The Audi Q8 was introduced in concept form at NAIAS 2017. A sportier variant called Audi Q8 Sport followed at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show soon after. Like the Audi Q2, the Q8 will have a much more individual design than the rest of Audi models. Spy shots have revealed that features like flat, wedge-shaped headlights, the wide Singleframe grille and the connected rear lights in a familiar design will still make it look like a typical Audi, though.

The Audi Q8 will utilise the same platform as the Audi Q7 – MLB-Evo. The coupe SUV is expected to arrive with V6 and V8 petrol and diesel engines featuring conventional gas-driven turbochargers. It may adopt electric turbocharging at a later stage, though. In addition, a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid powertrain consisting of a 2.9-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine and an electric motor is also expected, borrowed from the third-gen Porsche Cayenne. An Audi SQ8 may follow at a later stage, sporting the Audi SQ7's 4.0-litre triple-turbo V8 diesel engine.

Audi will manufacture the Q8 in Bratislava, Slovakia. It will compete with the BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE Coupe.