The handling of an SUV, the styling of a coupe, and the efficiency of a hybrid—the #AudiQ8 concept is a plug-in trifecta. #NAIAS pic.twitter.com/vFNE3X0Z0T
— Audi (@Audi) January 9, 2017
You saw it first at the 2017 North American International Auto Show, but the Audi Q8 appeared again in sporty, upgraded variant form at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show to the acclaim of the auto industry news, information, data and analysis supplier WardsAuto, who donned it "a beast" to top off the lineup.
And its excited preliminary praise seems telling: the hybrid Q8, soon to have the moniker SQ8, weighs in at a road-commanding 469 horsepower, wowing with 0-62 mph acceleration in up to 4.7 seconds as well as a range of up to 746 miles thanks to the combination of a 22.5-gallon fuel tank and 0.9kWh lithium-ion battery pack. This setup will enable the SUV to move slowly in stop-and-go traffic with engine at idle as well as allow maneuvering and parking using electric power exclusively, and during braking, Q8's newly developed energy regeneration system plans to use the electric motor as a generator to help recharge the battery, making it truly a model for the long haul.
And there's head-turning style to match: upgrades include a single-black-frame, honeycomb lattice insert-bedecked grille, enlarged, bumper-housed air ducts and a prominent lower-edge black blade splitter to sharply accent sleek headlamps with distinctive darkened, X-shaped, LED-graphic inserts, as well as widened housings for Q8's 23-in. intertwining-spoked alloy wheels, a lowered ride height and oval exhausts for performance suggestiveness.
As with any concept vehicle, the big release will herald further advancements and surprises, and we at Audi Fairfield will have to await it with bated breath. But that doesn't mean you have to forego seeing what it's like behind the wheel of a comparable 2017 Audi Q3, Q5 or Q7 SUV. Our Commerce Drive showroom is a short trip from Stamford, New Haven, Westport, Weston and Wilton, so come by and see us for a test drive today.
