2023 Audi Q8 E-Tron: New name rumoured for updated electric SUV

The 2023 Audi Q8 E-Tron may be the new name for the Audi E-Tron, according to a new report out of Germany.

German industry publication Automobilwoche says Audi will be renaming the E-Tron as the Q8 E-Tron when the facelifted electric SUV makes its debut in the latter part of 2022, clearing up the carmaker’s confusing model names.

The E-Tron was Audi’s first electric production car, but the badge was quickly adopted to represent other battery-powered models in its stable, such as the Q4 E-Tron and Q5 E-Tron.

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The current situation could be confusing for Audi buyers, as it may not be immediately obvious where the Audi E-Tron sits within a portfolio with typically easy-to-understand naming conventions: A1 to A8 for passenger cars, Q2 to Q8 for SUVs, S for performance variants, and RS for high-performance vehicles.

However, news from last month pointed towards the Q8 E-Tron name being applied to a future flagship SUV from the German luxury carmaker in 2025, which will likely replace the current E-Tron.

If the latest report comes to fruition and Q8 is added to the E-Tron from 2023, it appears as if it could be a deliberate strategy employed by Audi, rather than a mere lack of foresight.

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Other manufacturers have worked from the same playbook in recent years. The Hyundai Genesis and Hyundai Ioniq models allowed the company to introduce those names to consumers – linking them with the premium segment and battery-electric powertrains respectively – without the large investment required to launch each as a new brand.

Due to arrive in Australia this year, Volkswagen Group’s Cupra brand originally started life as a badge on sporty models from Spanish carmaker Seat, before also being spun-off as its own entity.

Audi has yet to confirm whether the E-Tron will indeed become the Q8 E-Tron for 2023, but we should get an answer when the facelifted model is unveiled in the third quarter of this year (July to September inclusive).