Photo: S.Baldauf/SB-Medien
Audi has tried to introduce a production electric car two times in recent years. Both EVs were based on the R8, and both seem to have failed miserably.
Thinking that maybe third time's a charm, Ingolstadt is now preparing to launch yet another production electric car, only this time we're talking about a gigantic crossover with plenty of range instead of a two-seat supercar.
We're not going to spill too many beans about that model, though, but more about the car it will be based on, otherwise known as the 2018 Audi Q8. We have the very first spyshots of it featuring a production-ready body, unlike last time, when it was just a mule hidden underneath an Audi Q7 body.
This time, the somewhat swooping roofline and L-shaped headlights are pretty visible, despite the Q7 similarities still in place when viewed from a distance. The similitudes with the Q7 aren't exactly arbitrary since the upcoming Q8 will share the exact same underpinnings, including most of the big SUV's engines.
Speaking of which, the top of the range Q8 version will also feature the tri-charged diesel V8 from the Audi SQ7, and there are rumors that an RS Q8 might also be in the works to battle the BMW X6 M and the Mercedes-AMG GLE63 Coupe. Expect that one to be powered by the same twin-turbocharged V8 that's found in the 2017 Porsche Panamera.
On the green side of things, the Q8 is said to offer both a plug-in hybrid and a full-electric option. The electric model is expected to feature a battery that will give the somewhat sporty behemoth at least 500 km (311 miles) of range at the cost (pun intended) of becoming the most expensive Audi SUV in history.
If the exterior design will probably fuel the flame in some of Audi's detractors, the interior should bring a revolution in Ingolstadt, particularly as it will have more things in common with the upcoming 2018 Audi A8 than with the Q7.
First previewed by an electric concept car at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, the production version of the Audi Q8 should arrive in dealerships at the beginning of next year, with prices slightly higher than those of the Q7.
We're not going to spill too many beans about that model, though, but more about the car it will be based on, otherwise known as the 2018 Audi Q8. We have the very first spyshots of it featuring a production-ready body, unlike last time, when it was just a mule hidden underneath an Audi Q7 body.
This time, the somewhat swooping roofline and L-shaped headlights are pretty visible, despite the Q7 similarities still in place when viewed from a distance. The similitudes with the Q7 aren't exactly arbitrary since the upcoming Q8 will share the exact same underpinnings, including most of the big SUV's engines.
Speaking of which, the top of the range Q8 version will also feature the tri-charged diesel V8 from the Audi SQ7, and there are rumors that an RS Q8 might also be in the works to battle the BMW X6 M and the Mercedes-AMG GLE63 Coupe. Expect that one to be powered by the same twin-turbocharged V8 that's found in the 2017 Porsche Panamera.
On the green side of things, the Q8 is said to offer both a plug-in hybrid and a full-electric option. The electric model is expected to feature a battery that will give the somewhat sporty behemoth at least 500 km (311 miles) of range at the cost (pun intended) of becoming the most expensive Audi SUV in history.
If the exterior design will probably fuel the flame in some of Audi's detractors, the interior should bring a revolution in Ingolstadt, particularly as it will have more things in common with the upcoming 2018 Audi A8 than with the Q7.
First previewed by an electric concept car at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, the production version of the Audi Q8 should arrive in dealerships at the beginning of next year, with prices slightly higher than those of the Q7.
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