Audi's next-generation A8 flagship sedan may be built on the same platform as the Porsche Panamera and assembled at a Porsche facility, according to new reports on the automaker's product plans.

In the meantime, Audi intends to direct full-size buyers toward its upcoming Q9 SUV, positioning the three-row flagship as the brand's top offering until a revived A8 eventually returns to give large-sedan shoppers another four-door option within the lineup.

The arrangement being described would mark a notable shift in how Audi builds its halo sedan. Rather than continuing production within its own manufacturing network, Audi would effectively hand assembly duties to a Porsche plant, tying the A8's future to Panamera architecture and production lines. That kind of move would pull Audi output away from factories that have historically been dedicated solely to building Audi vehicles, raising questions about what it could mean for the workforce at those plants during what is already a turbulent stretch for the Volkswagen Group as a whole.

Despite the potential shake-up, the reports stop short of suggesting the change would spell the end for the factory that most recently built the outgoing A8. While no large-sedan production is currently slated to return to that site in the near term, there's nothing indicating the plant itself would be shuttered as a result of the A8's move to a Porsche-based platform and assembly location.

It's also worth noting that none of this has been confirmed by either Audi or Porsche. At this stage, the plan to merge A8 and Panamera underpinnings — and to shift sedan assembly to a Porsche plant — remains at the level of reporting rather than an official announcement from either brand or their parent company, Volkswagen Group.

If the plan does move forward as described, it would represent a significant restructuring of how Audi's flagship sedan fits into the broader VW Group portfolio, blurring the lines between Audi and Porsche manufacturing in a way that hasn't been typical for either marque's full-size models. For now, though, buyers looking for Audi's biggest sedan will have to wait, with the Q9 SUV expected to serve as the brand's flagship offering until the A8's return — on whatever platform, and wherever it ends up being built — eventually materializes.

Source: Autoguide.com

Before this, we covered: NCC Recalls 879 Audi, Hyundai and Hino Vehicles Over Safety Defects