Audi finally responds to BMW X7 and Mercedes GLS with the Q9, its first three-row SUV

Audi has opened orders for the Q9, the largest car the brand has ever produced and its new flagship. It is 5.31 m long, 2.21 m wide, 1.81 m high and 3.14 m between axles — a three-row SUV that Audi had never had in its portfolio. Deliveries in Germany start in November, starting at €108,400.

The launch has a clear reason: Audi’s sales in the United States fell by 17% in the first half of 2026, and the brand spent a decade watching BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS and G-Class divide the large luxury SUV segment with no German rival to match. There is still another void: the A8 sedan, the historic flagship, is discontinued, and the Q9 inherits the post.

Until now, Audi’s largest SUV was the Q7. In the comparison released by the manufacturer, the Q9 is 25,4 cm longer, has 12,7 cm more wheelbase and offers an extra 113 liters of trunk with the third row in use. The platform is PPC, the same as the new Q7 — while Q8, despite the higher number, remains in the old MLB. The production is in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Engines

In Europe, the debut is diesel. The top 3.0 V6 engine delivers 299 hp and 64,2 kgfm in selected markets there is a version of 245 hp and 51 kgfm. Both use the MHEV plus mild hybrid system, with a generator coupled to the gearbox, alternator-belt start and lithium iron phosphate battery, which adds up to 24 hp when starting and overtaking and allows stretches in electric mode.

The most interesting detail of the mechanics is the electric compressor, which works together with the two-stage supercharging: it builds up to 3.6 bar of absolute pressure in 1.2 seconds, practically eliminating the turbo response delay. Eight-speed automatic transmission and quattro permanent all-wheel drive are standard, and declared consumption is 13.5 km/l.

In the United States, the line changes: the entry-level version features a 2.9-liter twin-turbo gasoline V6 with 435 hp and 61,1 kgfm, with 0 to 96 km/h in 4,9 s. At the top is the SQ9, with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 599 hp and 81,6 kgfm, 0 to 96 km/h in 3,8 s and a top speed of 249 km/h. A plug-in hybrid is expected in 2027.

Suspension and brakes

The adaptive air suspension is standard, with a total height range of 9 cm – and the car can lower 6.2 cm to facilitate entry. Four-wheel steering steers the rear axle up to 5 degrees: in the opposite direction to the front at low speed, to reduce the turning radius, and in the same direction on the highway, to stabilize lane changes. Drive select has seven modes and an assistant that chooses itself according to the floor and driving.

The front ventilated discs are made of lightweight composite, with 400 mm; the rears, 350 mm. The six-piston fixed calipers come in gray, with optional red.

Technology and luxury items

• Electric doors — first in an Audi. They open and close by key, the myAudi app , the central screen, the brake pedal or by fastening the belt, with assisted soft closing. Sensors lock the opening if they detect an approaching person, object or cyclist
• Largest sunroof ever made by Audi – more than 1.5 m² of glass, continuous opening and adjustable transparency option in nine segments. Parked, the glass darkens on its own to block the view from outside. The laminate blocks more than 99.5% of UV radiation, which does not require a curtain. On top finish, 84 LEDs illuminate the glass in 30 colors
• Third-generation digital OLED flashlights — the outer panels are curved in three dimensions, a world first according to the brand, on a glass substrate of just 0.1 mm. There are 512 segments distributed in six panels; Only the external one has 99
• Digital Matrix LED headlights with micro-LED module that project warnings on the asphalt: stylized arrow on the ground when changing lanes, involuntary lane departure alert and even a snowflake when the system identifies a risk of ice on the road
• Communication light — the taillights display a warning triangle to warn those behind of accidents ahead
• Welcome projection – modules on the sills draw a white diamond on the floor under the front doors and dashed under the rear, a reference to the Audi Sport graphic motif
• Screens — 12.3″ virtual cockpit, 14.5″ OLED curved center and a third 12.3″ passenger cockpit, with privacy mode that blocks video from the driver’s angle
• Android Automotive system with its own app store, which dispenses with the cell phone, and voice assistant that triggers ChatGPT only when it doesn’t know how to answer. Factory Dashcam is optional
• Hands-free assisted driving on approved highways, up to 130 km/h, with a camera on the steering column monitoring eyes and head. Automation Level 2 – Driver Remains Responsible
• Emergency assistant that pulls over the car — if the driver does not respond to the alerts, the Q9 slows down and, between 50 and 30 km/h, drives the car to the free shoulder and stops, triggering the emergency call
• Bang & Olufsen 4D Audio — 22 speakers, 1,360 W, four speakers in the headrests and actuators in the front seats that reproduce the bass as vibration. The panel’s LED strip even synchronizes color with the album cover that is playing
• Seven seats as standard, six as an option. In the third row, each backrest folds down by button
• Surface-heated armrests, five-zone air conditioning, electrically adjustable air diffusers via the screen and noise cancellation built into the headrest

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•