Audi Q8 Concept teased ahead of Detroit debut

The first teasers of Audi’s new Q8 have found their way onto the web ahead of its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

First shared by German publication, Welt, the sketches show a new interpretation of Audi’s single shield grille with vertical slates and a fastback profile, much like the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe.

However, according to Welt, the Q8 is believed to sit above those models in terms of size, pricing and features, which means that it may even be targeting the Porsche Cayenne and Bentley Bentayga – both underpinned by the same MLB-Evo platform as the Q8 (and also Q7).

The Q8 will reportedly comes with a range of new generation diesel and petrol turbocharged V6 and V8 engines.

According to the publication, Audi’s chief designer, March Lichte, admitted that the carmaker’s design language has becomes somewhat stale in recent years and that more differentiation between products is needed.

“From some customers’ point of view, we lacked the necessary differentiation. This will change in the future. Every new Audi model will have its own character and express it in its formal language – both in the exterior and in the interior,” he told Welt.

The production Audi Q8 is expected to hit the market in 2018.