Next year, Audi will completely renew the Q8 e-Tron and e-Tron Sportback, two executive SUVs that once had the honor of becoming the first electric models of the firm with the four rings. Among other things, they are expected to adopt a more capable battery pack and more efficient powertrains, allowing them to achieve a range of around 600 km WLTP.
Despite the ambition of this renovation, thanks to which they will be able to remain competitive against rivals such as the BMW iX or the future Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, the truth is that they are still two models based on an adapted thermal platform (the known MLB that we can find in much of the manufacturer’s range).
For this reason, Audi is already working on the model that will replace them: the Q8 e-Tron, a large SUV that will also be manufactured at its Brussels plant, which recently reached eight million cars manufactured since its inauguration in the year 1949 (for a long time, it was a factory of the Volkswagen brand).
The Q8 e-Tron will rank above the Q4 e-Tron (based on the MEB platform) and Q6 e-Tron (based on the PPE platform). At the moment it is not clear if the new model will use this latest architecture or if instead, it will adopt the new SSP platform, a highly advanced architecture with great flexibility that will allow the Volkswagen Group to develop all kinds of vehicles, from affordable utility vehicles to luxury SUVs.
At the moment it is not clear if the Q8 e-Tron will remain in the E segment (executive SUVs) or if on the contrary, it will grow until reaching the F segment (representation SUV), placing itself at the height of the Audi «Landjet», an avant-garde luxury electric saloon that will indirectly replace the current A8 as the company’s flagship.
The Q8 e-Tron is likely to share all kinds of technological advancements with the Landjet, including an arsenal of driving assistants developed in collaboration with Argo AI, Ford’s autonomous driving company, and the Volkswagen Group. Two variants of the Audi model, Bentley and Porsche will also be produced.
