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Feann Torr29 Dec 2016
NEWS

Audi Q8 ushers in new design ethos

Luxury SUV previews evolving design language as design boss Marc Lichte says sausage factory days are over

Expect to see a lot more differentiation in Audi cars of the future.

That's the word from the company's design boss, Marc Lichte, who says the new Audi Q8 SUV will be the harbinger of change for the brand.

To be launched at the 2017 Detroit motor show in a matter of weeks, Audi's design chief revealed part of the car's front end during a highly-publicised photo shoot and interview with German website Welt, showing off a distinctive new design that's unlike any of the brand's SUVs to date.

The new Q8 concept car is almost production ready and in future it's unlikely that buyers will mistake an A4 with an A5, or a Q3 with a Q5 in future.

But it's not just Audi that's guilty of creating similar-looking cars.

The "sausage factory" syndrome has been prevalent with BMW and Mercedes-Benz too, where each car in the range is a different size but has the same appearance. For instance the new Mercedes E-Class looks almost identical to the smaller C-Class, the only differentiation being dimensions.

will be bigger and bolder than any SUV from Ingolstadt thus far

Audi's current design director, Lichte, had aesthetic control over recent vehicles such as the new A4, A5 and Q5, after taking over from his predecessor, Wolfgang Egger, in early 2014.

But in the Welt interview, Lichte said his predecessor "lacked the necessary differentiation" between models and also between replacement vehicles and says he plans to change that in the future, starting now.

What we can see from the Q8 grille teased in the photo by Lichte is a more daring design, with a bolder single frame grille marked by prominent vertical lines. The partial headlight and lower bumper have a more assertive visual too.

The four-seat luxury SUV will slot in above the seven-seat Q7 and will appeal to motorists who want the sporty flavour found in a coupe, with the tall ride and imposing footprint of a large SUV.

It's also likely to be offered with high-levels of electrification, including plug-in hybrid and potentially fully electric powertrains, along with petrol and diesel offerings.

The Q8 is tipped to enter production in early 2018 and will be a sure thing for Australia.

But more importantly it will be the forerunner of a new generation of dynamically designed – and more distinct – vehicles from Audi.

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