The Q8, which slots between the Q7 and the brand-new Q9, is in line to get a makeover of its own in a few years. Audi's SUV lineup has gotten more crowded after the introduction of the full-size Q9, but a report from Edmunds confirms the once range-topping Q8 isn't getting left behind. In fact, it's expected to get even more powerful.
Audi first introduced the Q8 as a sportier sibling to the larger Q7 in 2019. Since then, it's received mild upgrades to its standard features and package offerings and was refreshed in 2024. The Q8 swaps the Q7's third row for a fastback roofline, and carries a standard V-6 engine instead of the Q7's standard four-cylinder. It slots above the Q7 in price, and served as the top of Audi's SUV lineup until the Q9 entered the pack for the 2027 model year.
View Price on AmazonThe Q7 got a massive makeover for 2027, though, upgrading the standard powertrain to a 429-hp turbocharged 2.9-liter V-6. That makes the Q8's current 335-hp V-6 setup seem a little less exciting by comparison. Between the shiny new Q7 and Q9, the once-grand Q8 has started to look a little like the forgotten middle child.
It appears Audi might've been feeling that way about it, too. CEO Gernot Döllner told Edmunds that there weren't talks of overhauling the Q8 when he first joined Audi. Since then, however, the brand has committed to keeping the Q8 in its lineup, and Döllner says a new generation is coming soon.
This revamped Q8 is still a few years from production, but what we've heard so far is promising. The Edmunds report says we can expect the Q8 to be offered with a V-6 and, for a sportier SQ8, a V-8, which would likely be the same 591-hp 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 that powers the new SQ7 and SQ9.
There's no word on whether Audi plans to offer a next-generation version of the RS Q8, which currently packs a 631-hp twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8. Still, we wouldn't be surprised if the RS Q8 returns a couple of years after the next-generation Q8 arrives.
Source: caranddriver.com
