AS IF ANY further proof was needed as to the popularity of SUVs, Audi has announced that two more high-riding models will enter production within the next two years.
Due to arrive later this year, the company’s new range-topping sports SUV, called the Q8, will begin production at Audi’s Bratislava factory, in Slovakia.
The Q8 was first shown as a concept earlier this year at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Apart from some minor cosmetic and practical features, the concept was essentially production-ready and it is believed little will change visually with the car by the time it begins arriving in dealerships.
It is unlikely that the Q8 Concept’s high-performance plug-in hybrid powertrain will enter production from the outset. The new model will more likely be offered with petrol and diesel engines from the start, but a plug-in hybrid, or e-tron as it is known in Audi nomenclature, will surely arrive further down the line.
Another SUV that is now set to enter production is the Audi Q4. Loosely based on the TT offroad concept that was shown Beijing Motor Show back in 2014, this new model will sit between the recently introduced Q5 and smaller Q3 models, and will have a more coupe-like style.
The company has been in legal discussions with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for some time over the rights to use the Q4 name, as this has been used by FCA for some of its all-wheel drive models.
Now that some kind of settlement has been agreed upon, Audi is pressing ahead with the Q4. The car is scheduled to begin production in 2019 at the company’s plant in Hungary.
Audi’s Board of Management Member for Production and Logistics, Dr Hubert Waltl commented:
We will integrate two completely new Q models into the existing production network and will thus increase our competitiveness in an extremely important segment.
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