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Audi is currently testing prototypes for an updated version of its Q8 mid-size SUV and the latest tester spotted is for the sporty SQ8 variant. The Q8 also comes in the guise of the high-performance RS Q8 and an updated version of this flagship variant should also be in the works.
The latest prototype features a revised grille at the front and a new interior for the headlamps. The front fascia is also a new design, featuring a more triangular shape for the side intakes compared to the current model. It’s unclear what changes are at the rear, but it’s likely a revised taillight design.
We know this prototype for the SQ8 because of the S-badged brake calipers, the large wheel and tire combination, and the unique mesh pattern with the large overall featured on the grille and side intakes.
The design changes made to the updated Q8 range are expected to better reflect elements found on last year’s updated E-Tron electric SUV and renamed the E-Tron Q8 in the process. The Q8 E-Tron is available for the 2023 model year. The updated Q8 is expected to be available for the 2024 model year, despite rumors that Audi will be discontinuing the gas-powered Q8 in the US to focus on the electric variant of the Q8 E-Tron.
2024 Audi Q8 facelift spy photo – Photo credit: Baldauf
It’s unclear what updates, if any, are planned for the powertrain. The current Q8, which arrives as a 2019 model, is offered in the US with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 in regular form and a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 in the SQ8 and Q8 RS. The SQ8 produces 500 hp while the RS Q8 boosts it to 591 hp.
The Q8 also comes with diesel and plug-in hybrid options in some markets.
Take note, with Audi planning to launch its final gas-powered vehicle in 2026, this will likely be the final petrol-powered version of the Q8. The redesigned Q8 likely offered in Q8 E-Tron guise alone is due sometime in 2026.
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