The Audi Q8 will be receiving its mid-cycle refresh soon. Motor1.com reader Tom Ryan from Colorado sent new spy photos to us that captured the hotter SQ8 variant testing on public roads. The high-performance SUV continues to wear camouflage across its front and rear fascias, hiding the updated design.
The new photos provide an up-close look at the model’s styling changes. The SQ8 will feature revised headlights, new bumpers, an upgraded grille, and tweaked side skirts that will position it between the regular Q8 and the hotter RS Q8, which Audi will also update. The quad oval exhaust tips reveal this model is the S performance trim.
We have yet to see the updated Q8 interior, but we don’t expect Audi to make any significant changes. The latest photos show the top of the dashboard uncovered, indicating the company might only be making minor styling tweaks to the cabin. The Q8 E-Tron that debuted earlier this year sports an updated layout we’d love to see in the rest of the lineup.
The 2023 SQ8 packs a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine that makes 500 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. It can send the high-performance SUV to 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds and has a 155-mph top speed. Audi’s eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission feeds the power to the brand’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system.
We don’t expect Audi to significantly change the SQ8’s powertrain, which sits below the even hotter RS Q8 in the model lineup. The RS Q8 will likely receive updated styling with the twin-turbo 4.0-liter engine under the hood continuing to make 591 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque.
The rest of the Q8 lineup could see some changes. The automaker will likely make even bigger bets on electrification, with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains front and center. However, don’t expect a fully electric trim since Audi introduced the Q8 E-Tron late last year.
Audi has already revealed its updated 2024 portfolio, but information for the Q8 was missing. The company said it would offer details about the SUV later this year. The range-topping model launched in 2018 and is due for a refresh, which we should see break cover before the end of the year.
The revamped Q8 will likely receive a price bump. The 2024 SQ8 starts at $96,695 (the price includes the $1,195 destination charge), and we wouldn’t be surprised if that creeps closer to the six-figure mark for 2024. Audi prices the regular Q8 starting at $75,595 for 2023.
