Audi CEO Gernot Döllner has confirmed that a successor to the Q8 is in development, ending months of uncertainty over the flagship SUV coupé. In an interview with Edmunds, he said Audi had decided to continue the line after its future was still undecided when he took over in 2023: “When I joined Audi, to my surprise, there was no decision on the successor, but we changed that. There will be a successor in the near future.”
The current Q8 is Audi’s first-generation model, internally designated 4M/4MN, and has been built in Bratislava, Slovakia, since June 2018. It competes in the large premium SUV-coupé segment, where its sloping-roof format sets it apart from more conventionally shaped SUVs. The BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé are its closest conceptual rivals.
Audi’s expanding large-SUV range has complicated the Q8’s place in the lineup. The Q7 has been renewed, while the larger Q9 is being positioned above existing models as Audi’s flagship SUV. Handelsblatt reported that Döllner presented the Q9 in New York as part of the company’s effort to strengthen its position against BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the large-SUV market. The Q7 and Q9 are built in Bratislava, the report said.
The Q9’s arrival does not, by itself, mean Audi is ending the Q8 nameplate. Hindustan Times Auto reported that the Q9 is intended to take over the brand’s global flagship position, while describing it as a full-size luxury SUV focused on cabin space and comfort. Audi’s decision to develop a Q8 successor so points to two distinct roles in the range: the Q9 at the top, and the Q8 continuing as a coupé-style SUV.
For months, the German automaker had rolled out new models and prototypes while remaining silent about the Q8. The Q7 and larger Q9 drew attention with their latest versions, while the lack of news about the Q8 raised questions about whether Audi would quietly retire one of its most prominent models. A typical seven-to-eight-year vehicle cycle would put a conventional replacement window for a model launched in 2018 around 2025 to 2026, helping explain why the successor question became increasingly urgent.
The uncertainty also grew amid Audi’s broader shift toward electrification and its review of product strategy. The company’s fully electric Q8 e-tron was a separate model from the combustion-powered Q8, despite sharing its name. Built in Brussels, Q8 e-tron production was scheduled to end by the close of February 2025 as Audi planned the plant’s closure. Its discontinuation added another dimension to questions about the future meaning of the Q8 badge.
The new Q8 is expected to follow the evolution seen in other recent Audi models, combining an updated design with a more digital interior that integrates broader technology. Audi has not publicly set out the next generation’s technical specification in the material surrounding Döllner’s confirmation, so expectations about its powertrain remain projections rather than announced product details. The decision to proceed establishes the model’s continuation; Audi has yet to explain exactly how it will fit alongside the brand’s electrification plans.
This decision reflects a broader trend among European automakers balancing the demands of electrification with continued interest in traditional SUVs. Volvo is also expanding its electric SUV lineup, with a new model in development positioned between the EX40 and EX60, information from recent industry reports.
As Audi prepares the next Q8, the move shows the brand plans to maintain a diverse SUV range during its transition toward electric mobility. With the Q9 taking the flagship role and the Q8 retaining its coupé-SUV identity, Audi has yet to detail how the next generation will balance those positions as the lineup evolves.
