On August 5, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner confirmed that the second-generation Q8 has officially been approved for development. Döllner stated that when he assumed the role of CEO in September 2023, he found the company had not yet decided whether to proceed with a successor to the Q8; however, the new management team subsequently shifted direction and greenlit the project. The new model is expected to debut “in the relatively near future,” with a market launch as early as 2028 and no later than 2030. Road testing has not yet begun, and it remains uncertain whether the vehicle will adopt Audi’s latest design language showcased by the Concept C and Nuvolari concept cars. Since automotive styling is typically finalized years in advance, the Q8 may have already missed the window to incorporate this new aesthetic direction. If it fails to align with the design transition, the second-generation Q8 is expected to follow the current model’s approach—featuring a lower, more sloping roofline based on the Q7 platform—and offer a similar positioning at a price point below that of the Porsche Cayenne Coupe and Lamborghini Urus. Production of the new Q8 is slated to continue at Audi’s Bratislava plant in Slovakia, sharing assembly lines with other vehicles built on the same platform. Audi has already confirmed plans to introduce high-performance S variants for both the next-generation Q7 and the upcoming Q9, making it highly likely that a new SQ8—likely powered by a V8 engine—will also be offered. As for the RS Q8, there is currently no definitive information on its continuation, though reports note that mature technological foundations already exist in premium sibling models like the Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus, suggesting Audi may be reluctant to discontinue the high-performance variant.