Key Points
- Audi officially approved a next-generation Q8 after briefly considering ending the model after one generation.
- The redesigned Q8 will remain a sportier, five-seat coupe-SUV positioned between the Q7 and Q9.
- Expected shared hardware could include Audi’s combustion and electrified platforms, but specifications remain unconfirmed.
The most interesting thing Audi’s current CEO, Gernot Döllner, revealed about the next Q8 wasn’t simply that it is coming; it was how close the model apparently came to being axed after just one generation. During a small boardroom meeting I attended at the launch of the all-new Q9 and SQ9, Döllner confirmed that Audi had officially approved a new Q8. He also indicated that the next-generation model would share styling cues with the newly redesigned Q7 and the larger Q9. Döllner has since discussed the Q8’s future publicly, explaining that no successor had been decided upon when he took charge of Audi in 2023. Under his leadership, that decision was thankfully changed.
Audi hasn’t yet shown the vehicle, announced its specifications, or provided a firm reveal date. That leaves plenty still unknown—but also enough information to start imagining what comes next. These independent, unofficial renderings combine the Q8’s familiar coupe-like proportions with the design vocabulary already appearing on Audi’s newest three-row SUVs.
The Q8 should remain the extrovert
The present Q8 has always been the more expressive sibling to the Q7. It trades the latter’s third row and more upright body for a lower roofline, a wider-looking stance and a stronger emphasis on style. Its closest rivals include the BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, and Porsche Cayenne Coupe. Nothing Audi has said suggests that basic positioning will change. The Q9 now offers the brand a larger flagship SUV, while the redesigned Q7 remains the practical three-row choice and is now an even more effective rival to the BMW X5 than ever before. That leaves a clear opening for the Q8 to serve as the family’s sportier five-seat alternative.
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Cole Attisha/Gemini 3 Pro
Our renders retain that division of labor. The roof arcs more dramatically toward the rear than it does on the Q7, but it doesn’t collapse into an exaggerated fastback shape. Pronounced rear haunches and a relatively short rear deck give the body a sense of visual muscle, while Q9-inspired lighting elements modernize the overall design significantly.
Cole Attisha/Gemini 3 Pro
New Q7 cues, tailored to a sleeker shape
Up front, the render borrows the new Q7’s split-light arrangement. Narrow daytime running lights sit high beneath the hood, while the main lamps are housed vertically below. A broad, heavily patterned Singleframe grille dominates the nose, flanked by large lower openings that lend the Q8 a more performance-oriented appearance. This is where Audi will need to exercise some restraint. Split headlights have become common in the luxury market, and the original Q8’s appeal came in part from how clean and cohesive it looked. A new model should be recognizable as part of the Q7 and Q9 family without simply becoming a lower-roofed copy of either one.
The rear could offer more room for distinction. Our interpretation uses a full-width lighting signature with segmented graphics inspired by Audi’s latest digital OLED taillights, plus vertically oriented elements at each corner. The broad lower bumper and four exhaust-style outlets lean toward SQ8 territory, but they help balance the visual weight of the tall rear bodywork.
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Cole Attisha
Familiar hardware is the logical bet
Audi hasn’t confirmed the next Q8’s platform or powertrains. Still, sharing its underlying Premium Platform Combustion architecture with the new Q7 and Q9 would be the logical outcome. That architecture supports combustion engines and electrified powertrains, giving Audi room to offer several versions without reinventing the SUV underneath. The new Q7 and Q9 both use a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 producing 429 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque in North American specification. That engine would make an obvious starting point for a Q8. Meanwhile, the 591-hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 found in the latest SQ7 and SQ9 provides a ready-made foundation for a future SQ8. Plug-in-hybrid and RS Q8 variants would also fit the model’s established range, but neither has been announced. Audi’s eventual mix will likely depend as much on emissions rules and regional demand as on engineering capability.
Audi
The Q8 still has a job to do
The Q8’s survival says something clear about Audi’s priorities. The luxury SUV market is not short on options, and coupe-shaped utility vehicles sacrifice some practicality in the name of appearance. Yet design is precisely what gives models such as the Q8 a reason to exist—and what can make a premium brand feel aspirational rather than merely sensible. Audi now has a chance to sharpen that formula. The new Q7 establishes the technical base, and the Q9 pushes the lineup into more imposing territory. The next Q8 must take those ingredients and produce something lower, cleaner, and more desirable. These renders are only one interpretation, not a preview supplied or endorsed by Audi. But the underlying idea is now official: the Q8 will return, and its next act will wear the face of Audi’s newest SUV family.
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About the author
Cole Attisha
Staff Writer, Autoblog