Audi’s flagship A8 may disappear as company pivots to EV platforms

It might be the end of the road for the Audi A8, as the brand’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series is facing an uncertain future.

New emissions regulations and shifting corporate priorities have thrown a wrench into the company’s plans, leaving its top-tier model without a clear successor.

Add in the rising popularity of small EVs, and there is serious doubt whether there’s still a place for the A8.

For a car that once defined understated luxury and cutting-edge tech, it’s an oddly quiet cliffhanger.

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The A8 was supposed to ride on Porsche’s EV architecture

Originally, the Audi A8 was supposed to glide confidently into the electric era.

The company had reportedly planned not one but two successors.

The first was a sleek, low-slung four-door called the Landyacht (inspired by the stunning 2021 Grandsphere Concept).

The other was a more practical, high-riding crossover known internally as the Landjet.

Both were meant to ride on the same EV architecture as Porsche’s upcoming K1 crossover.

However, this is where the brand hit a roadblock, as Porsche recently decided to put its K1 project on ice.

And since Audi’s A8 replacements were riding shotgun on that same platform, both got stranded in the digital desert.

The brand is unsure whether large luxury sedans are relevant

According to Germany’s Automobilwoche, Audi’s chief of technical development, Geoffrey Bouqout, admitted that the brand is ‘still looking for a platform for a possible successor to the A8.’

This is a pretty serious engineering dilemma.

On one hand, the current A8’s MLB Evo structure is too old and expensive to update.

On the other hand, the MSB platform, which is shared with the Porsche Panamera and Bentley Continental, is itself nearing retirement.

In short, there’s nowhere obvious left to go.

One option that’s still on the table is the upcoming PPC (Premium Platform Combustion), which is the same platform underpinning the camaker’s next Q7 and all-new Q9 SUVs.

It could keep the Audi A8 alive for a few more years, buying the brand time before making the leap to full electrification.

But the company is reportedly genuinely unsure whether it makes sense to keep a traditional luxury sedan in its lineup of cars.

If Audi pulls the plug, it wouldn’t be alone.

Jaguar famously canceled its all-electric XJ replacement mid-development, and Lexus is rumored to be phasing out the LS.

The automotive world is shifting fast, and big sedans are becoming the first casualties of the EV revolution.

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