They will arrive in the summer.
All you SUV-crazy Motor1.com readers from America, grab your horsepower hats. Audi has already impressed us with the evil-and-awesome Avant stationwagon. We want the car to be the king of the highways, but we also know that American buyers are looking for SUVs. The high-performance SQ7/SQ8 and SQ8 are on the horizon for the U.S. markets. They will be slightly more powerful than their Euro-spec sibling. They’ll actually be much stronger.
This is because U.S. models won’t have a 4.0-liter twin-turbo TDI engine. The diesel engine is replaced with a gasoline-burning, 4.0-liter twin turbo V8 that produces 500 horsepower (373 megawatts) to power the open American highways. TDI models have 429 hp (320 kW), which is still impressive, but the diesel has a significant torque advantage. Audi claims that the power difference between the SQ7/SQ8 is sufficient to propel them to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, a half-second faster than the European equivalent. Electronically, the top speed is limited to 155 mph (250 km/h).
The SQ7 and the SQ8 in the U.S. are basically the same hi-po SUVs that you will find across the pond. This includes the all-wheel steering system, which allows for greater maneuverability at lower speeds and enhanced stability at higher speeds. The SQ twins can function on-road or off-road with a variety of driving modes. They also have the same technologies and visual updates. The standard model comes with an eight-speed Tiptronic transmission and all-wheel drive.
Audi has not yet announced the pricing of its U.S.-bound models. However, these SUVs are large luxury-performance SUVs and will be expensive. The Euro-spec SQ7 is priced at EUR94,900. In the U.S., the standard starts at $53,550. Audi states that the SQ7/SQ8 pricing will be announced closer to the date of on-sale.