Audi's Biggest Sedan Has Some Life Left After All

Alas, representatives from the automaker's US operations have shot down that rumor in some happy news for fans of the stately luxury sedan, saying that the A8 and its sporty, V8-powered S8 sibling would remain on sale in our part of the world for "quite some time."

Signs Of Life In The US Market

The rumor that the A8 would get killed off worldwide was a pretty sad one, considering the flagship sedan market has suffered some unfortunate losses already. The Jaguar XJ, for example, has been gone from this world since 2019, and the Lexus LS – arguably the reason that modern luxury cars are so well engineered – is going to be discontinued after 2026. As we reported earlier this month, German orders for the sedan ended on February 18, with retailers in that country getting rid of existing stock before sales end entirely.

The A8 remains on sale in the US for quite some time and there is no end date defined yet.
–Audi USA spokesperson

At the time, an Audi USA representative said that end-of-life announcements would be made for individual markets as appropriate, a statement that had us concerned that the A8 was just awaiting its fate in the guillotine's lunette. However, the automaker recently confirmed to CarBuzz that its flagship would forge onward in the US market, with no specific discontinuation set in stone. That might change if the A8 and S8 suddenly become less profitable, but until then, we're glad to see the sedans receive a stay of execution.

Audi's Future Flagship Plans

The current-generation Audi A8 is by no means the only range-topper that the company has in mind. Company CEO Gernot Döllner acknowledged that the company's future portfolio could include an internal-combustion flagship sports car in the vein of the mid-engined R8, as well as a potential rugged SUV that would face off against the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and rumored Lincoln off-road SUV. Audi is also planning a range-topping Q9 full-size SUV, which many thought could be the de facto replacement for the A8.

But reporting from Motor1 suggests that a more direct successor to the top-dog sedan is in the works and due by the end of the decade. The outlet believes that the Q9 won't directly take up the A8's parking space, instead serving as a SUV-shaped foil to the four-door sedan. Audi told Motor1 that it would announce plans for the luxury car's successor by the end of the decade.

The newest A8 – which we hope will continue to offer a hi-po S8 counterpart – could potentially take the form of the 2023 Audi Grandsphere concept, whose graceful curves and intricately designed grille motifs have already shown up in current models like the A5 and A6 sedans. But while the Grandsphere was an EV, we presume Audi will bring either a plug-in hybrid or range-extended powertrain to the flagship, especially considering worldwide sales of premium EVs have stagnated a bit.

We hope the company will follow BMW's lead and just put multiple powertrains into the next-generation A8, including a torquey and spacious electric and a hot-headed, V8-powered über-sedan. As long as it keeps its weight in check, the forthcoming A8 replacement could be a snappy, technologically advanced sportster.