The newest and possibly most hotly awaited Audi model is still doing the motor show rounds, still gestating as a concept car, though it’s rather certain that it will end up as a production model soon.
The Q8 sport concept seen now at the Geneva Motor Show is an evolution of the car the Ingolstadt automaker showed off earlier this year in Detroit, though it now sports some sportier cues. Still, the the same basic shape is retained and is easily identifiable as a spin on the earlier 2017 concept.
Expected to be the range-topper in Audi’s upcoming Q8 model range and possibly headed for an SQ8 moniker, the ‘sport concept’ here stands wider than the last time we saw it thanks to more pronounced wheel arches that accommodate huge 23-inch alloys.
The front fascia is also changed, dropping the chrome of the previous (and milder) concept for a single piece honeycomb mesh set within a more aggressively styled front bumper with larger air ducts and splitter.
At the rear, the single piece tail lamp takes up the car’s full width and set against a dark, almost carbon fibre like, panel. Below that there’s the angularity of the Q8’s bumper as well as a black diffuser as opposed to the silver treatment of the Q8 Concept from January. The dual oval exhausts suggests an RS high performance connection as it’s a key visual marker of an Audi Sport vehicle.
Driving all four wheels is a petrol-electric powertrain which could be retained all the way to the showroom version, even finding their way into other Audi models further down the road. It uses a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 TFSI motor that also uses a third electric compressor to help force air into the combustion chamber - tech borrowed from the SQ7’s 4.0-litre V8 diesel.
“The drive system of the Audi Q8 sport concept is a major step towards optimising efficiency and sustainability in large-volume series production. The combination of mild hybrid technology and a TFSI engine sets a new benchmark for the synthesis of electro-mobility and combustion engines. In the future, this combination will be used in many Audi models,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management at AUDI AG.
In this V6, Audi claims it can deliver 331kW and 530Nm on its own. Though, when augmented the 20kW/169Nm electric motor, produces a system output of 350kW and 700Nm. More impressively, this powertrain is said to be able to deliver incredible fuel efficiency too, sustaining 1,200km of travel between trips to the pump.
Should the production model be able to boast performance figures like that paired with that level of fuel efficiency, it does seem poised to be the consummate sports SUV of today. Foot down at a stop light, even able to shame some sports cars in a straight sprint, needing 4.7 seconds to climb to 100km/h. Top speed? 275km/h.
That range is really impressive, but the caveat is that its only possible with an optional 85-litre fuel tank fitted. In case you were wondering, energy is stored in a rather modest 0.9kWh lithium ion battery mounted under the Q8 luggage compartment.
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