Imposing Audi Q8 expected at year-end
We have encountered camouflaged versions testing on Namibian and South African roads, seen various spy shots, and have been sent numerous teaser images, but last month the Q8 flagship SUV coupé from Audi has at last been officially introduced, to be released here at the end of 2018.
According to Ingolstadt, the Q8 combines the spaciousness and ergonomics typical of an SUV with the elegant body line of a four-door coupé. At 4,99 meters long, two meters wide and 1,71 meters tall, it is wider, shorter, and lower than its Q7 sister-model, but with a wheelbase of nearly three meters, it offers a spacious interior and a 1,755 litre luggage compartment.
With its imposing Singleframe grille in octagonal design, the Q8 is the new face of the Q-family, with numerous details echoing the design lines of the Ur-quattro. With up to 254 mm of ground clearance, short overhangs, quattro drive, and hill descent control, the Q8 can keep going when paved roads end. Its powerful 3.0 TDI engine develops 210 kW and 600 Nm of torque, and with mild hybrid technology (MHEV) this is good enough for a 0 to 100 km/h time of 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 245 km/h.
Mated to an eight-speed tiptronic transmission, the 48-volt main electrical system can recover up to 12 kW of power and feed it back into the battery. This can reduce consumption by up to 0,7 l/100 km. Expect it to land in South Africa at around R1.3 million.
