Audi Q8 is not dead. New generation coming. CEO Gernot Döllner confirmed it to Edmunds — V-6 standard, V-8 likely for the SQ8, no timeline beyond a few years, RS Q8 status unknown.
Q8 launched in 2019. Fastback roofline over the Q7’s upright shape. No third row. V-6 standard while the Q7 ran a four-cylinder. Higher price. That was the pitch.
Q9 landed for 2027. Now the Audi Q8 costs more than the Q7 but makes 94 fewer horsepower than it. Below the Q9. Outgunned by the Q7. Not a great place to be.
Döllner told Edmunds that when he first took over as Audi CEO, nobody was discussing a new Audi Q8. The brand has since changed course. The Q8 stays. New generation confirmed.
How the Q8 Got Squeezed
Q8 launched in 2019. Fastback roofline over the Q7’s upright shape. No third row. V-6 standard while the Q7 ran a four-cylinder. Higher price. That was the pitch. Higher price. Range-topper.
Q9 arrived for 2027 and pushed the Audi Q8 into the middle. Above the Q7 in price, below the Q9 in size and status. And the Q7 now makes 429 horsepower while the Q8 sits at 335. That is the wrong way round.
The Q7 got a full makeover for 2027. The Q9 launched new. The Audi Q8 got a 2024 refresh. The Audi Q8 got a refresh. Everything else got rebuilt.
Döllner told Edmunds that when he first took over as Audi CEO, nobody was discussing a new Audi Q8. The Audi Q8 stays. New generation confirmed.
What the Next Audi Q8 Gets
V-6 standard. That much is confirmed from the Edmunds report. Which V-6, at what output, in which states of tune — not specified.
V-8 for the SQ8. Expected to be the same 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V-8 making 591 horsepower that powers the new SQ7 and SQ9. Audi uses this engine across its performance SUV range, so pulling it into the next Audi Q8 for the SQ variant is the logical move. Not confirmed — likely.
The RS Q8 question: open. Currently the RS Q8 packs a 631-horsepower version of the same 4.0-litre V-8. Audi has not said whether an RS variant returns with the next generation. Pattern says yes — Audi always brings RS variants to performance SUVs. Comes after the standard launch, usually a year or two. Expect the RS Q8 to follow the launch of the next Audi Q8 by a year or two if it returns.
The next Audi Q8 sits in price between the Q7 and Q9. That positioning is confirmed by Döllner. The Q7 currently starts around $62,000, the Q9 comes in above $90,000. The Audi Q8 occupies the space between — current base around $73,000 for the standard, higher for SQ8 and RS Q8.
Audi Sells a Sportier SUV With Less Power Than the Family Hauler Below It
Five SUVs in the Audi range: Q5, Q7, Q8, Q9, Q5 Sportback. Q7 and Q8 sit next to each other — Q7 has three rows and an upright roof, Q8 has two rows and a fastback. Different buyers, same brand, same general price band.
BMW does this with the X5 and X6. Same platform, different roofline, sport version commands a premium. Audi runs the same play with Q7 and Q8. The logic works — when the power numbers make sense.
Right now they do not. The Q8 costs more than the Q7 and makes 94 fewer horsepower. Sportier body, slower engine, higher price. That is a hard sell on a showroom floor.
Next generation fixes it or the positioning falls apart. Audi has not confirmed output targets for the new V-6. But shipping a premium fastback SUV that loses a horsepower comparison to the three-row family hauler below it is not something the brand will repeat twice.
When Does It Arrive
“A few years” is Döllner’s timeline. Audi refreshed the current Q8 in 2024. Typically a refresh buys two to four years of production life before a full replacement. “A few years” from 2025-2026 puts the next Audi Q8 somewhere in the 2028 to 2030 window.
No confirmation of platform. The Q7 and Q9 both ride on Volkswagen Group’s MLB Evo architecture. The next Audi Q8 will likely stay on the same platform or its successor — Volkswagen Group is not building entirely new architectures for one vehicle.
Electrification is the open question. The current Audi Q8 e-tron is a separate electric-only vehicle sharing the Q8 name but nothing else mechanically. Whether the next generation gets a plug-in hybrid option alongside the V-6 and V-8 is not specified. Given Audi’s broader electrification targets and Volkswagen Group’s platform capabilities, a PHEV variant is plausible but not confirmed.
What Buyers Should Do Right Now
Shopping for an Audi Q8 today means buying the 2024-refreshed current generation. That refresh added updated technology and minor exterior changes — the car is not stale. But a full new generation is in development, and the Q7 now has a significantly more powerful standard engine.
Buyers who need a vehicle now: the current Q8 is capable and refined. The 2024 refresh is recent enough that it will not feel dated for several years. If 335 horsepower and the current technology are sufficient, buying now is rational.
Buyers who can wait two to three years: the next generation should bring a power upgrade, updated technology, and a new generation platform. The SQ8 V-8 is already in the SQ7 and SQ9 — buyers can evaluate it now.
Buyers specifically interested in the RS Q8: wait. If the RS returns with the next generation, it comes after the standard model launch. That means waiting until likely 2029 or 2030 at earliest for the RS Q8 in the new generation.
The Edmunds Report and What Döllner Said
The confirmation came through an Edmunds interview with Döllner. His statement on the Q8’s future: when he first arrived at Audi, there were no discussions about overhauling the Q8. The brand has since committed to a new generation.
What Döllner did not say: specific launch year, specific powertrain outputs, specific pricing targets, whether the RS Q8 returns. The Edmunds report adds V-6 and V-8 powertrain expectations from sources familiar with the plan, but Audi has not confirmed those details officially.
Next Audi Q8 is real and coming. Specifics follow when Audi is ready to share them.
FAQs
Is Audi making a new Q8?
Yes. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner confirmed a next-generation Audi Q8 is in development in an interview with Edmunds. No launch date given beyond “a few years.”
When does the next-generation Audi Q8 come out?
No specific date. Döllner said a few years. Based on the 2024 refresh timeline, the next Audi Q8 is likely in the 2028 to 2030 window.
What engine will the next Audi Q8 have?
V-6 for the standard model, likely a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V-8 for the SQ8 — the same 591-horsepower engine in the new SQ7 and SQ9. Not officially confirmed.
Will there be a next-generation RS Q8?
Not confirmed. Historical pattern suggests yes, likely arriving after the standard and SQ8 variants.
How does the Audi Q8 differ from the Q7?
Audi Q8: two rows, fastback roofline, V-6 standard, higher price. Q7: three rows, upright roofline, recently updated to 429 horsepower. Same brand, different buyer.
Where does the Audi Q8 sit in the lineup?
Above the Q7, below the Q9 in price. Confirmed by Döllner. Fastback body style differentiates it from the traditional Q7 and Q9 shapes.
Is the current Audi Q8 still worth buying?
Refreshed in 2024, still in active production. If you need a vehicle now, the current Audi Q8 is not a bad choice. If you can wait two to three years, the next generation brings updated power and technology.
Also Read: Ram 1500 Kills the Hybrid Hemi and Stop-Start for 2027 — Pure V-8 Lands This Fall
