Audi reveals its flagship SUV, the Q8

Design of the Audi Q8

Audi has revealed the new Q8 SUV. The company says that the Q8 will be the new face of its Q series and the SUV sports a really cool design. It now sports an octagonal grille with six vertical slats that is surrounded by matte-grey block which lends an aggressive and bold tone to the front fascia. The headlamps are more sharp and compact. You also get an option of HD matrix LED lights as option. The Q8 also features frameless side windows. The side profile of the Q8 has a sporty stance due to its gently sloping roofline, high shoulderline and the sloping rear windscreen which give it a coupe-like look. The Q8 gets massive 22-inch alloys. There is a thin LED strip that runs horizontally above the four rings. The taillamp section is comprised of vertical strips of tightly packed LEDs. The rear design complements the overall look of the SUV, with the spoiler and twin quad exhausts.

Interiors

Interiors look futuristic and clutter free with controls giving it an elegant look. Buttons and control knobs are replaced by two large screens on the centre console. The car gets a big 10.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system which also displays navigation. The smaller 8.6-inch screen sitting below it is for accessing and controlling creature comforts like air-conditioning, text messages, etc. The Q8 gets a chunky flat-bottomed steering wheel. The driver information system on the instrumental cluster can be changed to different views through buttons on the steering wheel. You also get a head-up display on the Q8. It also gets a Bang & Olufsen audio system. Optional package include contoured massage seats and a four zone automatic air-conditioning system with air quality enhancement.

Chassis

The Q8 is based on the Q7 and the chassis makes use of generous amounts of aluminum to keep the weight in check. Cold formed steel and hot formed steel are used in critical areas like front part of the shell, parts of roof lining, front door frames etc. The SUV is pretty long at 4990mm. Though the Q8 is shorter than the Q7, the wheelbase, at 3000mm, is 6mm more than the latter. The SUV is equipped with Audi’s Quattro technology and additionally, gets rear wheel steering as well with a maximum angle of 5°. Power is distributed to the front and rear axles in 40:60 ratio. Ground clearance is 254mm and ride height can be adjusted up to 90mm depending on the terrain and driver selection. The SUV also sports shorter front and rear overhangs as compared the Q7 for better off-road ability. Suspension duties are taken care by adaptive air suspension system and you can opt for controlled damping system that can be configured for comfort or sport setup.

Engine

Audi hasn’t revealed the powertrain options for the Q8 yet. It has however stated that the SUV will get a 48-volt mild hybrid system with a lithium-ion battery and a belt alternator starter. Audi claims that the battery pack can recover 12kW of energy during braking.

Driver aids

The Audi Q8 packs in a lot of tech features and driver aids like adaptive cruise assist, efficiency assist, crossing assist, lane change warning, curb warning along with a 360 degree camera assist. Audi will introduce its ‘garage pilot’ feature in 2019, where the SUV can park and also come out of the garage autonomously, with the driver’s supervision via the myAudi app.

More details regarding the engine, transmission and power figures will be revealed later during the launch of the SUV for European markets. Stay tuned for more updates.