Audi plans to launch a luxurious SUV that would rival the Range Rover Sport, according to research and development boss Wolfgang Durheimer. The model will most likely be called the Q8 and will be released by mid-2016.
Believe it or not, it could be even longer than Audi’s largest SUV, the Q7, but lower. “Could we go bigger than the Q7? Yes we could definitely do this,” Durheimer told Auto Express magazine. “Bentley has proved there is definitely room for more expensive SUVs, and I wouldn’t mind giving them a challenge,” he added.
According to the exec, inter-brand competition is apparently allowed in the VW Group. “If the product is good, the customer clinics are positive and the finances add up we’re always happy to go ahead,” Durheimer said. He added that he hopes Bentley would launch its SUV and that he is fighting for the Lamborghini Urus to enter production too – naturally, since Lamborghini is under Audi’s umbrella.
The Q8 is not the only Q model Audi could bring to market, though. Durheimer said an entry-level SUV is needed, which could be called the Q2 or even Q1. According to Auto Zeitung, this 4.2-meter (165.3 in) long Audi SUV will be based on VW’s MQB architecture and will borrow its styling from the Crosslane Coupe study (pictured here). Aimed at competing with the Mini Countryman/Paceman, it will be 100mm (3.94 inches) lower than the Q3, sporting a more dynamic look. Launch date is likely to be mid-2015.
Add the Q6 crossover model that will slot in between the Q5 and Q7 in spring 2016 to compete with the BMW X6, and Audi’s Q family will be complete. If you’re wondering what happened to the Q4, there are no plans for such a model in the near future.
By Dan Mihalascu
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