The Audi family has gotten bigger (literally) with the Q9
The Audi family is getting bigger (quite literally) as the German luxury automaker unveils its newest flagship SUV and its largest offering ever, the Q9, designed mainly for the North American market, particularly the United States.
Being Audi’s newest flagship offering, the Q9 sits on top of the entire Audi SUV lineup, currently composed of the Q3, Q5, Q6 e-tron, Q7, and Q8. It will compete directly with the likes of the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class.
Design-wise, the Audi Q9 wears the latest of the brand’s design language as seen on the likes of the Q3, Q5 and Q6 e-tron, but in a much larger package that measures at 5,310mm of length, 2,121mm of width, 1,810mm of height, and riding on a 3,140mm wheelbase. It also features automatic doors which can open up to an angle of 90º.
Inside, the Audi Q9 comes with a seven-seater configuration as standard, with the option for a six-seater configuration. The latter gets a pair of electrically adjustable individual seats in the second row. Sport seats are standard, the door armrests and the center armrests in the front and rear can optionally be heated, and Audi says that it can provide “business class-like comfort.”
The dashboard is screen-filled with the latest Audi MMI, featuring an 11.9-inch instrument cluster, a 14.5-inch central infotainment screen, and a 12.3-inch passenger screen. Audi also brags that it has fitted its largest panoramic sunroof on the Q9, measuring at an area of 1.5sqm.
Multiple powertrains will be available for the Audi Q9, depending on the market.
In Germany, it will be getting a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 (TDI) that produces 299 horsepower and 630Nm of torque. Select markets will also be getting the same engine but with 245 horsepower and 500Nm of torque instead. This is also paired to a mild-hybrid system which provides additional assistance for acceleration and fuel efficiency.
The US market version will be utilizing a 2.9-liter twin-turbo gasoline V6 engine (TFSI) that makes 435 horsepower and 599Nm of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
On top of the range is the Audi SQ9 which is powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 gasoline engine that produces 498 horsepower and 800Nm of torque, and is estimated to go from 0 to 100kph in just 4.0 seconds. All V6 engines also come standard with quattro permanent all-wheel drive (rear-biased on the SQ9) with a center differential.
The Audi Q9 will be manufactured at the Volkswagen Group Plant in Bratislava, Slovakia. Deliveries are set to commence in November 2026 with a starting price of EUR 108,400 (~Php 7,588,000).
With Audi Philippines having historically offered pretty much every SUV model they have locally, do you think it will make sense for them to bring in the Q9 too?
