The new 'utes, which will include the Q2, Q4, Q6 and Q8, will be sleeker and more coupe-like companions to the current models, according to an Automobile report. The existing Q3, Q5 and Q7 crossovers will be redesigned after an "allroad-plus" theme that will entail rugged SUV cues such as elevated ground clearance and body cladding. Hard-core off-road gear like a low-range transfer case is not part of the plan, however.
Next up is the Q8, which will ride on the next-gen Q7 platform (codenamed MQBevo). Aside from a range of conventional gas and diesel engines, the Q8 will reportedly get not one but two hybrid models: in addition to the electric motor, one will get a 2.0-liter gasoline four-cylinder while the other will use a diesel V6.
The Q6 is expected to bow in 2017 and share a host of components with the upcoming Porsche Macan as well as the next Audi Q5. Finally, the Q4 is tentatively scheduled for 2018, meaning it will precede its platform-mate, the redesigned Q3, by a year.
Rival automakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz (in addition to corporate sibling Porsche) also have ambitious plans to expand their crossover lineups over the next few years, meaning the luxury crossover segment may well reach its saturation point within the next decade.
