Audi wants to compete with the new lineup of ultra-luxury SUVs from Bentley and Maserati with its new Q8 model.
Seen in these spy photos is a Q8 mule that is based on the current Q7, though its true identity is tipped by those wide fender flares, front end changes and wide body. When the Q8 arrives, it is expected to have an entirely different body from the current Q7 that will be wider and have a sportier look to it with a raked rear roofline, reminiscent of the BMW X6.
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Mechanically, the Q8 will share all of its gear with Q7, offering many of the same powertrains including new V6 and V8 engines being developed together with Porsche. Diesel and hybrid powertrains will also be options. Even a plug-in hybrid model will eventually join the lineup.
The Q8 is expected to arrive as a 2019 model, sometime after an ell-electric SUV from Audi hits the market.
