All-new Audi Q8 officially unveiled

KUALA LUMPUR:  The German car maker finally makes an entry to the coupe-SUV segment with the all-new Audi Q8. Offering the versatility of an SUV and the elegance of a 5-door coupe, the new Audi Q8 will be the new range-topper of the Audi’s Q family.

On the outside, the Q8 incorporates the new styling language just like the Audi A8. It can be seen from the single-frame grille with six vertical chrome strips, accentuated by a pair of matrix LED headlamps. While the side profile of the Q8 is characterized by the sloping roofline and the big C-pillar, the rear section gets an LED bar that connects the LED tail lights, an electrically-operated tailgate, and an integrated spoiler.

The interiors are as plush as you’d like. While there are two touchscreens on the centre console, an additional display is placed right in front of the driver’s eyes to get a view of the vehicle’s information and other necessary readouts. The two touchscreens are there to help you control the climate and infotainment functions. The wheelbase of 2997 mm makes it up for a generous cabin. It gets a boot space of 605-litre that can be extended to up to 1,755-litre, with rear seats folded down.

The Audi Q8 features a special Space Frame that is made up of die-cast aluminum (15%) and hot-worked high-strength steel (14.4 %). This not only keeps the weight of the car at just 2145kg (with engine) but grants it an aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.34.

Under the hood, it gets a 3.0-litre TDI V6 engine that produces a max power of 289 PS and a peak torque of 600 Nm, mated to an 8-speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox and Audi’s Quattro AWD system. The car can clock the 100 kmph mark in just 6.3 seconds. Additionally, the V6 diesel motor uses a mild-hybrid technology, which is a combination of a Li-ion battery, a 40V electric network and a belt-driven alternator-starter that allows the SUV to run at speeds of up to 160 kmph with the engine being completely off. A new 3.0 TFSI gasoline engine is also on cards with 343 PS of max power. It is likely to see the light of day in early 2019.

The Audi Q8 will mark its debut in Germany along with other European countries in the third quarter of the ongoing year, followed by the US in early 2019. It’ll directly compete against the likes of other two German-made cars, the BMW X6 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Coupe.