GermanyAudi will build a second-generation Q8 after all. Brand chief executive Gernot Döllner told Edmunds that the project had not been approved when he arrived at Audi in 2023, and that the company later reversed that decision.
The positioning does not change. The next Q8 keeps five seats and the sloping coupe roofline, staying the sportier alternative to the Q7 rather than a rival to it. That distinction has held since 2018: the Q7 carries up to seven seats and a squared-off tailgate, the Q8 trades the third row and the boot height for the roofline.
Engines. Edmunds reports that the range is expected to include V6 and V8 petrol engines, among them the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 already fitted to the new SQ9, where it makes 591 hp and 800 Nm. Audi has disclosed nothing about the car’s own hardware, so the split between combustion, mild-hybrid and plug-in versions is unknown.
Timing. Döllner would only say the car is coming “in the near future”. No premiere date has been given, no camouflaged prototypes have been photographed on public roads, and reporting on the project points to a 2028 debut.
Platform. The new Q8 is expected to share its underpinnings and much of its hardware with the third-generation Q7, whose European deliveries start in September 2026. That car is offered in Europe with a 3.0 V6 turbodiesel and 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance at 245 or 299 hp, and in the United States with a 435 hp 2.9-litre twin-turbo petrol V6, with a 600 hp V8 in the SQ7 above it. None of those figures has been confirmed for the Q8.
The current Q8 remains on sale in the meantime, built in Bratislava on the MLB Evo platform and facelifted in 2023, with V6 diesels from 228 hp, a 335 hp petrol V6 and two plug-in hybrids reaching 483 hp.
Audi's coupe-roofed five-seat flagship SUV, built in Bratislava on the MLB Evo platform since 2018 and facelifted in 2023. Europe gets 3.0 V6 turbodiesels with 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance (228 or 282 hp), a 335 hp 3.0 petrol V6, and two plug-in hybrids of 389 and 483 hp sharing a 25.9 kWh battery. The United States takes the petrol V6 only. Boot space is 605 litres, or 1,755 with the rear seats folded. From 86,700 euros in Germany and $75,600 in the US.
Third-generation Audi flagship SUV on the MLB Evo platform, built in Bratislava. Europe gets a 3.0 V6 turbodiesel with a 48V mild-hybrid system (245 or 299 hp), 8-speed Tiptronic and quattro; the US gets a 435 hp 2.9 twin-turbo petrol. Five, six or seven seats and three displays. Pre-orders from June, deliveries September, from €87,900 in Germany.
Audi's first full-size flagship SUV, built in Bratislava on a stretched platform. Europe gets a 3.0 V6 turbodiesel with 48V mild-hybrid assistance (245 or 299 hp), 8-speed Tiptronic and quattro; the US gets a 435 hp 2.9 twin-turbo petrol V6. Air suspension, three cabin displays and a panoramic roof with switchable opacity feature throughout. Orders open from July 2026, deliveries from November, from €108,400 in Germany.
High-performance version of the Audi Q9, sold in the United States. A 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 producing 591 hp and 800 Nm, quattro all-wheel drive, and the same three-screen cabin and switchable-opacity panoramic roof as the standard Q9. Priced from $118,000, alongside orders opening from July 2026.
