- Design & Interior
- Release date
- Audi Q9 FAQs
- What is the Audi Q9 release date?
- What will be the Audi Q9 price?
- Which models will be Audi Q9 rivals?
In the U.S., full-size SUVs with three rows, such as the Mercedes GLS and BMW X7, are in high demand. So far, Audi has managed with a three-row seating option in its lower-segment Q7, but it is working on a proper competitor named Audi Q9 to take on the two flagship German SUVs, according to a report from Automotive News filed last year.
Design & Interior
It’s expected that the Audi Q9 will feature an exterior design that’s more aggressive and powerful-looking than the current Audi Q7. Expect an octagonal Singleframe grille, which has been the calling card of the upper-class Audi SUVs since the launch of the Q8, slim wedge-shaped headlamps connected to the Singleframe grille, and rear combination lamps connected by a narrow light strip.
We expect inspiration to be drawn from the Q4 e-tron, but the Audi Q9’s dashboard could be spartan compared to the highly digital future Audi EVs. Image Source: Audi
Inside, expect familiarity with inspiration from new electric vehicles like the Q4 e-tron but features arranged in a traditional way. The Q9 is likely to offer three rows of seats in a standard 2+3+2 layout as well as an optional 2+2+2 layout. Audi would have to focus on electrification to reduce emissions and fuel consumption due to the larger dimensions and the load of the extra passengers or luggage in the third row.
Specifications
Platform
Audi hasn’t confirmed, but reports say that the Q9 will ride on the same platform as the Q5, Q7, and Q8 – MLB Evo or what Audi recently terms as the PPC (Premium Platform Combustion). The Q9 will likely be the largest SUV on this platform, larger than the Bentley Bentayga (201.8 inches). Rather than offering outright performance and uncompromising luxury like Bentley, Audi will likely concentrate on aspects like space and value.
Dimensions
A new large SUV was being tested by Audi in 2021, which was mistakenly referred to as the Audi Q9 in the media. It was actually a China-only SUV, the Audi Q6, which is based on the MQB platform and is slightly larger than the Q7 (5.1 meters long). A regional model, this isn’t related to the Audi Q6 e-tron (electric) that will be introduced in 2020.
Audi’s gas-powered Q9, with the U.S. market in mind, is likely to be much longer than the Q7, probably around 5.2 meters (204.7 in.). There are no signs that Audi intends to compete against the large Cadillac Escalade ESV, Lincoln Navigator L, or Jeep Grand Wagoneer L. American automakers dominate those segments, and even BMW and Mercedes-Benz have stayed away. Additionally, we doubt that the platform of the Q9 would be able to accommodate the dimensions of these American SUVs.
Performance
As Audi plans to introduce one last new generation of engines by 2026, we expect it to use those in the Q9. They will be the company’s best engines ever made, according to the brand.
Audi’s last internal combustion engine will be the best we’ve ever built.
Markus Duesmann, CEO, Audi (Berlin climate conference in June 2021)
Audi could offer 3.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engines with mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid technologies in the Q9. The company could target an EPA-est. electric range of 40-50 miles from the plug-in hybrid variant. A 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 gasoline engine with plug-in hybrid technology is also likely to be a part of the powertrain line-up of the Q9. It could be related to the Lamborghini Urus Evo’s plug-in hybrid system, which as per a CAR report dated March 4, 2021, will consist of a Porsche-developed engine internally called ‘LK5.’
Release date
With the next-gen Q5 due in 2023 and the next-gen Q7 scheduled for launch in 2024 as per media reports, plus the Q6 e-tron and new e-tron families also in the pipeline in 2023, we think Audi can program the Q9’s world premiere in 2025. It is likely that the Audi Q9’s release date in the U.S., the second-biggest market after China, will be in early 2026, at an approximate starting price of USD 80,000.
Audi Q9 FAQs
What is the Audi Q9 release date?
The Q9 could debut in 2025, targeted at the U.S., China and the Middle East.
What will be the Audi Q9 price?
The Q9 could cost around USD 80,000 onwards. It is expected in electrified versions.
Which models will be Audi Q9 rivals?
The Q9 will compete with the likes of Range Rover, BMW X7, and Mercedes GLS.
Featured Image: Audi
Sagar Parikh Web Editor
With a Master’s Degree in Business Management & Administration, I’ve been working as an International Automotive News Editor since 2014, and have gained a wealth of knowledge and insight into hybrid and electric vehicles.
Keyword: Audi Q9 to be a proper three-row SUV for the U.S.: Report