We’ve seen all but one of the refreshed Audi Q8 family members and today we can finally take a look at the range-topping model. The RS Q8 has been caught by our spies testing at the Nurburgring with only a small amount of camouflage. That’s not to say that everything is exposed but we can take an early look at some of the exterior details already.
Starting at the front, the most notable change has to be the new grille pattern which now features larger rhombus openings. The lower section of the front fascia with the bumper and the lower grille also has some tweaks. The camouflage seems to be hiding new internal graphics for the headlights and that’s all we can tell about the front end so far. It’s a similar story at the back where it appears that the taillights will receive new graphics that are more in line with the latest Q7.
Gallery: 2024 Audi RS Q8 facelift spy photos
Not much can be said about the interior at this point, though. We don’t have photos of the cabin but logic tells us Audi will probably give the large SUV new trim and upholstery options to complement the existing range. Don’t expect layout changes, though, as previous spy photos have revealed the dashboard design won’t be touched. However, tweaks borrowed from the refreshed Q8 E-Tron are likely.
Word on the street is the current Q8 family will stay in production until 2026 when an all-new successor will debut. Given that timeframe, we don’t expect big changes under the hood of the range-topping RS Q8, which is expected to carry over with its existing 4.0-liter twin-turbo engine under the hood. In its current form, it produces 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque and while those numbers could be boosted a little, don’t look for huge hardware revisions.
As for when we might see the facelifted RS Q8, we assume this will happen for the 2024 model year. Whether that means the end of the current calendar year or early next year, we can’t say for now, though the performance SUV will probably have about three years on the market before its successor arrives.
