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Audi is updating the Q8 for 2024 with a new face that combines a more streamlined grille with more expressive headlights and chunkier air intakes.The Q8’s turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 and the SQ8’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 carry over unchanged.The 2024 Q8 and SQ8 will go on sale in the United States this winter, with pricing and full U.S. specifications coming soon.The electric Audi Q8 e-tron received a handsome facelift for 2024 that introduced a sleeker grille and redesigned lighting elements. Now the German automaker is refreshing the gas-powered Q8, bringing the sporty crossover in line with its electric cousin with thinner headlights and a restyled grille. The high-performance SQ8 also returns for 2024 with its burly 4.0-liter V-8 powertrain.The changes to the 2024 Q8’s exterior are subtle but add up to give the crossover a slicker, more elegant front end. The grille is less chiseled than before and flows smoothly into the headlights, similar to how the Q8 e-tron’s grille is integrated into the lights. The air inlets in the front bumper have been enlarged and a new exhaust setup is fitted across the lineup. The SQ8 also wears a redesigned front spoiler and rear diffuser, while the grille, sideview mirrors, and air intakes are accented in aluminum. Optional packages can have the window trim, bumper trim, and grille finished in gloss black, creating a more sinister appearance.Audi also revised the layout of the Matrix LED headlights, and the Q8 will be offered with the high-tech laser lights that boost the range of the high beams. The daytime running lights on top-spec models can swap between four different lighting signatures via the infotainment screen, and the rear light bar has a simpler look and can now be had with Audi’s digital OLED lighting units. As with the electric e-tron models, the gas-powered Q8 now displays its model name and trim level on the B-pillar. Five new wheel designs are available, measuring between 21 and 23 inches in diameter. The Q8 also gains three new colors, including the eye-catching Sakhir Gold seen here. Inside, the Q8 offers several new materials and Audi has also expanded the list of apps that work with its infotainment system, including third party apps like Spotify.The Q8’s engines continues to be motivated by the same turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6, which routes 335 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels. The engine is also supplemented by a 48-volt hybrid-assist system that recoups energy under braking, smooths out the start-stop feature, and can allow the vehicle to coast for up to 40 seconds at a time with the engine off. The SQ8 still packs a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 that churns out a potent 500 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. Like the lesser Q8s, the S model uses an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, but also offers a torque-vectoring rear differential and active anti-roll bars. The Q8 continues to come with a steel spring suspension as standard, but buyers can still upgrade to adaptive air suspension and can add rear-wheel steering to make their SUV more nimble. The SQ8 gets air springs, adaptive dampers, and rear-wheel steering as standard. The refreshed Q8 will go on sale in the United States this winter, and pricing and more detailed U.S. specifications will be available soon. Given the subtlety of the changes, we don’t expect a major price hike for the 2024 model, with the Q8 expected to start around $75,000 and the SQ8 likely to start in the high-$90,000 range.More Audi CrossoversThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Associate News EditorCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

Volkswagen rolled out its ID.GTI concept in Germany this past weekend.The electric car has not yet been confirmed as coming to the U.S., but VW Group of America CEO Pablo Di Si was decidedly bullish on the idea.One problem to iron out first: it’s unlikely the ID.GTI will get all-wheel drive, and customers in the States may find that a sticking point.When we told you about the Volkswagen ID.GTI concept on Sunday, September 3, fresh from its unveiling at the Munich IAA auto show in Germany, the official line was that there were no confirmed plans to bring it to the U.S. But now Car and Driver has spoken with Pablo Di Si, Volkswagen Group of America CEO, and can report that he is pushing hard to bring the electric hot hatch stateside.Take a Good Look”Everybody wants the car in the U.S.,” Di Si told journalists at the IAA. “It’s a concept car, but we’re working very closely with the team in Germany in terms of the design and the specs . . . I think it could be a great car for the U.S. We just need to make sure that the touch and feel is going to be what the American consumer wants, and you achieve that by working with engineering from the beginning of the project.”There seem few reasons that such a plan couldn’t come to fruition. The production ID.GTI, which is confirmed for Europe, will sit on the MEB Entry platform, a front-wheel-drive version of Volkswagen’s existing MEB EV platform. The ID.4, which sits on the regular rear-/all-wheel-drive MEB architecture, is already being produced at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. U.S. Needs an Entry-Level EV Di Si confirms that Volkswagen is committed to launching a less expensive EV in the U.S. below the ID.4, a role the production GTI would seem perfectly suited for. “We are the people’s brand, so we need an entry-level electric vehicle, no ifs, no buts,” Di Si said. “Whether it is going to be the ID.2 or the GTI—whatever you want to call it—we need to have one. I like the GTI particularly because it brings the heritage of the brand in a smaller package, and a hopefully smaller price.”Mike Duff|Car and DriverWhich can be taken as a ringing endorsement from the boss, especially as Di Si added that his personal opinion is that the basic ID.2, which will sit below the ID.3 in Europe, will be too small and basic for U.S. buyers. One potential sticking point, according to Volkswagen insiders, is the ID.GTI’s front-drive layout, with the key question being whether U.S. buyers would expect their junior performance EV to come with all-wheel drive. That’s something that would be very hard to deliver given the concept’s dinky dimensions and tight packaging. But we’re definitely hoping the issues get ironed out on this one. The U.S. has long been one of the biggest markets for Volkswagen’s GTI variants, and we really don’t want to be denied this one. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior European CorrespondentOur man on the other side of the pond, Mike Duff lives in Britain but reports from across Europe, sometimes beyond. He has previously held staff roles on UK titles including CAR, Autocar and evo, but his own automotive tastes tend towards the Germanic, owning both a troublesome 987-generation Porsche Cayman S and a Mercedes 190E 2.5-16. More

After 56 years, Toyota appears ready to add a second Century model to its flagship range. This one is for Japan only, but with the Crown now on U.S. shores, perhaps we could dream of a U.S.-market Century?Like everything else these days, this new Century is likely to be a crossover, though not a direct rival to something like a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.Watch the debut at 12:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, September 6.Before ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne as emperor of Japan in 2019, Crown Prince Naruhito settled into a place with nearly as much prestige: the back seat of a Toyota. Specifically, that of a Toyota Century, long the automotive equivalent of Japan’s Imperial household. Handbuilt, luxurious yet incredibly reserved, just three generations of Century limousine have existed since 1967. It is a machine steeped in tradition. Now that tradition seems destined to change as Toyota readies an additional model in the flagship ultimate luxury vehicle category.It was initially hinted at in a projected silhouette at the launch of the Toyota Alphard minivan by Toyota chief branding officer Simon Humphries, and now the arrival of a Century SUV seems a sure thing. The most recent teaser image features the white-gloved hand of a chauffeur about to open the door of a crossover that bears the polished, squared-off styling of the current Century sedan.This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.A Legacy of PowerTo understand why an SUV/crossover bearing the Century’s phoenix badge is a big idea, here’s a snapshot of the breed. Initially launched in 1967 as a large V-8 sedan, the first-generation Century received only the most minor updates for some 30 years. If you were the kind of conservative Japanese executive to exile the racing-obsessed Yutaka Katayama to the fledgling U.S. market to sink or swim, then you might well have been ferried around in a Century. Well, no actually, you’d obviously have been in a Nissan product, but the point stands. The Century wasn’t flashy, but it projected power nonetheless.The Century in 2018.ToyotaThe second-generation Century resembled its ancestor closely but dropped the bubble-economy Toyota engineering mic by being Japan’s only production V-12 car, ever. Introduced in 1997, early models of these are now U.S. importable, and they are wonderful to drive. Imagine the imperious wafting of a Rolls-Royce, with engineering from the people behind the Mk IV Supra Turbo, and assembled by trained takumi who hand-chamfer the body panels by feel alone.Still Handcrafted, Now HybridThe current generation of Century is now a 5.0-liter V-8 hybrid with a powertrain shared with the Lexus LS600h. As such, it feels a little less special, but there’s still a handcrafted quality to the car, one that limits production to just 50 vehicles per month, and Japan-only availability. Needless to say, the waiting list stretches to years.Sinking into the rich wool upholstery of a Century—it breathes better than leather in the humid Tokyo summer, and doesn’t squeak either—is a different kind of luxury. No flashy Maybach or Bentley, the Century embraces a subtlety not seen much in the luxury market these days. Akio Toyoda did have a GR version made, with less-reserved sporty tweaks, but that was more the exception that proves the rule.View from the BackWhat We Know So FarDetails on this new Century SUV have not leaked out ahead of the September 6 reveal (because of the time zone, it’s just after midnight in the U.S.), but camouflaged prototypes have already been spotted by Japanese magazine Car-Moby. The rumor among Japanese publications is that this new Century will ride on the same platform as the Toyota Grand Highlander, a variant of which also underpins that Alphard minivan.That means a transverse-mounted engine with front-wheel-drive architecture, a hard sell in the luxury segment. Given the Century’s use as a chaffeured livery car, hybridization is likely, and it’s possible that Toyota will be able to disguise any commoner roots with lashings of handbuilt quality.Coming Here? Wishful Thinking? What’s perhaps more interesting is the possibility of a Century on this side of the Pacific. Toyota bringing the Crown sedan to North America was an interesting move, and the crossover market is a safer bet. Lexus does have the Grand Highlander–based TX on the way, but perhaps there’s some room at the top for a flagship Toyota crossover without the L badge on the front.Whatever the case, the expansion of the Century range after nearly 60 years of staying the course is, like Emperor Naruhito himself, an indication that some traditions are going to be shaken up. And if those tremors remain Japan-market only, don’t forget to check those overseas auctions for any second-generation V-12 Centurys coming up for sale—there’s one on Bring a Trailer right now, although the auction ends September 6. They are just the thing to make you feel like an emperor, even when you’re just on the way to get takeout sushi. Contributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

The 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron’s interior debuts with screens galore and an available head-up display that augments reality.Predictably, the inside of Audi’s upcoming EV SUV also heavily features sustainable materials.The Q6 e-tron boasts 19 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats; that space expands to 54 cubes with the second row stowed.Audi has revealed the inside of the 2025 Q6 e-tron, the brand’s first EV that will be built on its new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture. Essentially, it’s the model that sets the tone for Audi’s future, and that future looks to feature a dashboard dedicated to displays, among other tech-centric content.First Look InsideAnyone who had hoped screen-packed interiors were merely a fad should probably put that dream to bed. The Q6 e-tron is the latest example of where new-car cabins are heading, with not one, not two, but three screens facing its occupants. The OLED gauge cluster and infotainment touchscreen measure 11.9- and 14.5-inches, respectively, and both reside under a single curved bezel that’s underlined by ambient lighting. Another 10.9-inch touchscreen is dedicated to the front-seat passenger, and it has a way of blocking the driver’s view of its contents, per safety regulations.AudiWith the Q6 e-tron, Audi introduces new Android-based infotainment software, which brings what the company calls a “self-learning voice assistant.” Much like with Mercedes’s MBUX system, Q6 users can summon the artificial intelligence by saying, “Hey, Audi.” The full extent of the voice assistant’s skillset is unknown, but Audi claims it can do everything from learn a driver’s preferences and make suggestions. How long will it take the AI to learn that we like the climate set to 69 degrees, the ventilated seats activated, and the heated steering wheel on? We’re interested to find out.Taking Audi’s in-car technology further is an optional head-up display with augmented reality. When the SUV’s speed, navigation directions, or traffic signs are reflected onto the windshield, their images are tilted forward to create the impression they’re floating in front of the vehicle. Audi claims this helps reduce distractions, particularly in low-visibility situations. However, that’ll be for individual drivers to decide.Ambient lighting is another polarizing interior feature that’s proliferating among new cars (personally, this author loves the theatrics). The Q6 e-tron, of course, offers customizable colors, but it also has interactive lighting elements such as a welcome action and the ability to notify people when the vehicle is locked and unlocked. Other neat tricks include mimicking the turn signals and visualizing the EV’s charging levels. Neat, right?Q6 Vs. Q5 Cargo Space The 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron’s exterior dimensions are said to be similar to the gas-powered Q5 SUV. We drove a prototype in the mystical land known as the Faroe Islands where that size comparison felt appropriate. While Audi hasn’t yet released the Q6’s full interior measurements, it did reveal the EV’s cargo space. There’s 19 cubic feet behind the second row; fold those seats flat and that area grows to 54 cubes. Compared with the Q5, the latter figure is identical to the max cargo capacity, while the former is 7 cubic feet smaller. At least the e-tron’s front truck contributes a separate 2 cubes. It’s possible the difference is also made up with more overall passenger space in the Q6.AudiGiving the Q6 e-tron’s interior a closer look will reveal its squared-off steering wheel, which is flat on the top and bottom and hosts a bunch of touch-sensitive controls. While we appreciate the physical volume knob, we’re less thrilled about the lack of real buttons and switches elsewhere. For example, the door panels have a plasticky panel of capacitive controls for the locks, lights, mirrors, and memory seat settings. Thanks, but no thanks.Some people will be able to look past those details and others will be disappointed. Final judgements can be made once the Audi Q6 e-tron and the higher-performance SQ6 variant hit the streets sometime next year.Tracking the Q6 e-tronThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

The VW ID.GTI concept comes ahead of a fully electric, front-wheel-drive GTI that will be going on sale in Europe, likely not before 2027—but is as yet unconfirmed for the U.S. Retro details on the ID.GTI include the ability to replicate the original Golf GTI soundtrack. The “I” in GTI now stands for Intelligence rather than Injection, says VW.We have already seen GTX branding used on the sportier versions of the ID.4 and ID.5 EVs, but now Volkswagen is set to take the next step with the creation of a fully electric car that will wear the GTI name. The ID.GTI unveiled at the IAA auto show in Munich is a concept car, but a production version is set to follow in Europe—and we’re told this is also under consideration for sale in the United States.Entry-Level EV for EuropeThe ID.GTI is effectively a hopped-up version of the regular ID.2 that Volkswagen previewed with the ID.2all concept earlier this year. This is set to be VW’s entry-level EV in Europe, positioned below the ID.3 (which isn’t sold in the States). The ID.GTI shares the same base bodywork as the vanilla ID.2 and sits on the company’s new MEB Entry platform, a smaller and simpler version of its existing MEB architecture, one which uses front- rather than rear-wheel drive. VW says its simulated sound system can replicate historic GTIs including the original 1976 Mk 1 and the 1986 Mk 2 16-valve version. Volkswagen hasn’t released any power figures for the ID.GTI, but we can safely assume it will have at least as much as the 223 horsepower that has been promised for the top-spec ID.2. Like the current gasoline-fired GTI, the ID.GTI will get an electronically controlled limited-slip differential to help it find traction and help alter its behavior in switchable dynamic modes. It also has a simulated sound system, which the company says can replicate historic GTIs, including the original 1976 Mk 1 and the 1986 Mk 2 16-valve version.We will have to wait for other mechanical details, although we predict that the production ID.GTI will use the larger of the two ID.2 battery packs, which stores 56.0 kWh rather than the entry-level 38.0 kWh. Volkswagen has previously said that the larger pack will support DC fast-charging at speeds of up to 125 kW and that it will have a range of up to 280 miles under Europe’s optimistic WLTP testing protocol. One interesting question is whether the ID.GTI will have a speed limiter; Volkswagen restricts the ID.3 to 99 mph in Europe and has said it will do the same with the regular ID.2. As a performance variant, will the GTI be allowed to go faster? Closer in Size to Polo Than GolfThe ID.GTI will be smaller than the existing GTI; at 161.6 inches in length and sitting on a 102.4-inch wheelbase, it is closer in size to the European Polo rather than the current-generation Golf. But Volkswagen promises that short overhangs and the lack of a combustion motor up front mean it will offer comparable passenger space to the gasoline-fired GTI. We can’t show you a finished interior yet. The IAA concept is an external styling model, but VW has released renderings of the cabin showing a squared-off steering wheel and a red color scheme, plus “Stop” and “Fast Forward” logos on the brake and accelerator pedals (the ID.2all was shown with “Pause” and “Play”). The renderings also show a minimalist plaid pattern on the seat trim, another GTI cue. Another neat detail is the ability to transform the display of the 10.9-inch digital instrument display to a rendered version of the Mk 2 Golf GTI’s instrument pack. A larger 12.9-inch display sits in the center of the dashboard, and as with the face-lifted versions of the larger ID models, Volkswagen is bringing back separate temperature and volume controls rather than integrating them into the bottom of the touchscreen. The concept also has a head-up display for both the driver and front-seat passenger, which is shown projecting performance data high onto the full height of the screen and allowing the passenger to see “lap times that have been completed.” That is a distraction that is hard to imagine making it to a road-legal version. Volkswagen design boss Andreas Mindt admits that he was already thinking of the design of the ID.GTI when he began work on the ID.2all, and the muscular front and rear bumpers make that obvious. So do plenty of details that reference earlier GTI variants, such as the black rear wing integrated into the top of the tailgate and the eight-spoke 20-inch wheels. It certainly looks more purposeful than the ID.2all concept did. It is still a way off being on sale. The production version of the regular ID.2 is set to go on sale in Europe in 2026, with the GTI following the following year. Both will be built in Spain alongside models from Škoda and Seat that are built on the same MEB Entry platform. We hope to be able to tell you that it will come to the U.S. at some point afterward.Deep Dive into VW’s MEB ArchitectureThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior European CorrespondentOur man on the other side of the pond, Mike Duff lives in Britain but reports from across Europe, sometimes beyond. He has previously held staff roles on UK titles including CAR, Autocar and evo, but his own automotive tastes tend towards the Germanic, owning both a troublesome 987-generation Porsche Cayman S and a Mercedes 190E 2.5-16. More

The Mercedes-Benz E-class All-Terrain station wagon follows the lead of its sedan sibling into a new generation for the 2024 model year. The new All-Terrain arrives with tons of new tech and debuts with the E450 sedan’s hybrid inline-six powertrain. Passenger legroom has grown for the new generation, with the All-Terrain growing 1.1 inches wider and 0.9 inch longer for the new generation. Despite many North American customers spurning the very idea of a station wagon, Mercedes-Benz is bringing the E-class All-Terrain back for a new generation. The E450 All-Terrain returns for 2024 following the footsteps of the E-class sedan with a technologically sophisticated design and a hybrid powertrain.Tech-Centric InteriorJust as with the 2024 E-class sedan, the wagon’s new-generation model will be extremely focused on technology. Also like the sedan, the wagon will come standard with two displays, though the high-tech interior can also be optioned with the passenger Superscreen that extends in front of the passenger. The setup integrates a 12.3-inch instrument cluster with available 3-D graphics, a 14.4-inch touchscreen, and the optional 12.3-inch passenger display. Properly set up, the new E-class All-Terrain will allow the passenger to stream videos and games even with the car in motion. The central display has several third-party apps, including TikTok and Angry Birds, and the driver can use video conferencing tools like Zoom while the car is parked.The rest of the cabin is finished with rich-looking leather and metal switchgear, with ambient lighting wrapping the dashboard. An option package allows the ambient lighting to pulse with the beat of whatever music is playing on the Burmester surround-sound system. Rear passengers also benefit for the new generation because the 2024 All-Terrain is 1.1 inches wider, and 0.9 inch longer than the previous generation. Hybrid Inline-Six-Cylinder PowerSince the All-Terrain is only offered in the E450 trim, the hybrid four-cylinder option from the E350 sedan is out. That leaves the E450’s turbo 3.0-liter inline-six, which in the sedan at least remains a wonderful tool for the E-class’s mission. Aided by the extra 23 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque from the electric motor, the six-cylinder provides smooth acceleration and stays impressively quiet at speed. Total output climbs to 375 horses (a 13-hp increase from before) and 369 pound-feet of torque.Air Suspension as StandardThe optional air suspension from the sedan comes standard on the wagon. This provides more ground clearance and continuously adjustable damping for the compression and rebound stages of the shock absorbers. With the car set to comfort mode, the vehicle is automatically lowered by 0.6 inch at speeds above 75 mph to reduce wind resistance and improve fuel efficiency.More E-Class NewsMercedes has not revealed pricing information for the new All-Terrain, but we expect the new model will start around $78,000 when it begins arriving at U.S. dealerships in 2024. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Associate News EditorJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More