If you thought the recently revealed all-new Audi Q7 would be the brand's range-topping SUV, you were wrong. As luxury brands such as Bentley and Rolls-Royce prepare to launch SUVs of their own, Audi has announced it'll have the first-ever Q8 on sale by the end of the decade. Such a model, according to Audi CEO Rupert Stadler, "would strengthen the brand. I'm convinced we need the car by 2020." Last year Audi arch-rival BMW announced an X7 full-sized SUV was on the way. Begun the bigger and pricier SUV war has.

Obviously at this point Q8 details are next to none, but we wouldn't be surprised to learn that it'll share a general platform with the new Q7. Audi has a goal of overtaking BMW as the world's largest maker of premium cars by 2020, and a Q8, which would specifically target the US, Chinese, and Middle Eastern markets, is a key component of that strategy. At the other end of the spectrum, the Q1 will arrive next year, increasing the Audi SUV lineup to four models. Wait, no. Make that five, including the eventual Q8.