Audi's biggest SUV used to be the Q7, which squared off against the BMW X5 and Mercedes GLE. Not anymore. With the new Q9, Audi is jumping up a whole size class, going head-to-head with the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS, a matchup that's basically owned the full-size luxury SUV world for years.Unveiled July 29, 2026, the Q9 is the biggest, priciest Audi SUV ever built. It's a seven-seater by default (six seats with captain's chairs is an option), stretching 208.9 inches long on a 123.5-inch wheelbase, big enough to make the Q7 look like an afterthought. The version headed to Germany runs on diesel, but American buyers get something different: a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 making 429 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque, good for 0-60 mph in a claimed 4.9 seconds. Standard gear includes an eight-speed automatic and quattro all-wheel drive. It lands at US dealers in the fourth quarter of 2026, starting at $87,700.That price puts it almost dead even with its rivals. The BMW X7 starts around $87,500, and it's a bit shorter at roughly 204 inches. The Mercedes GLS starts a touch higher at $90,250 and is closer in length to the Q9, at about 205 inches. Power-wise, the Q9's V6 actually beats the base engines in both rivals. It out-muscles the X7's turbo six and the GLS 450's six-cylinder, while still coming in cheaper than the V8 versions of either. All three lean on some form of mild-hybrid help and pair their engines with eight- or nine-speed automatics and all-wheel drive, so on paper they're closer than ever.View the 7 images of this gallery on the original articleWhere the Q9 Tries to Stand OutSpecs aside, Audi's real pitch here is the cabin. The Q9 is the first Audi ever with power-operated doors. They open and close themselves, with sensors that stop them if something's in the way, plus individually adjustable second-row seats. The panoramic sunroof is the biggest Audi's ever fitted, over 16 square feet, with an optional illuminated, switchable-tint glass roof. The X7 and GLS both offer big sunroofs and fancy captain's chairs too, but neither has power doors yet. That's still mostly a party trick you see on Chinese luxury EVs, so it could genuinely turn heads in an Audi showroom.AdvertisementAdvertisementLighting is the other flex. The Q9's third-generation OLED taillights are curved in three dimensions, using glass thin enough to wrap around the body, something no production car has done before, according to Audi. There are individually lit segments and "advanced turn signals" that project onto the pavement, so it's a noticeably more elaborate light show than what you get on the BMW X7 or Mercedes GLS. The Q9 also brings Audi's Digital Matrix LED headlights to the US for the first time, which dim selectively around other cars instead of blasting everyone with high beams, something neither German rival currently offers stateside.Where the three cars line up more closely is driver assistance. Audi's system allows hands-free highway driving in Germany, the US, and Canada, which is roughly the same idea BMW and Mercedes already offer with their own systems. All three also come with 360-degree cameras, trailer help, and self-parking.A Performance Halo Joins the Fight: SQ9 vs. M60i and AMG GLS 63Audi didn't stop at the regular Q9. It also dropped the SQ9, a performance version with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 making 591 horsepower and 590 lb-ft, hitting 60 mph in a claimed 3.8 seconds, which Audi says makes it the quickest three-row SUV out there. Both the Q9 and SQ9 arrive at US dealers this fall, with the SQ9 starting at $118,000. It gets a reworked, rear-biased quattro setup with an electronic rear diff lock, standard rear-wheel steering, and staggered tires, all aimed at making a three-row SUV actually feel sporty to drive.That lines it up against the BMW X7 M60i, which makes 523 hp from its own twin-turbo V8 and starts around $115,000, plus the flagship Alpina XB7 at roughly $156,000. On the Mercedes side, the natural rival is the AMG GLS 63, a 603-hp monster starting near $152,400. So the SQ9 undercuts both V8 rivals on price while claiming to beat them off the line, even though it gives up some horsepower to each. It also carries over the Q9's big sunroof, power doors, and OLED lighting, plus its own styling touches like quad exhaust tips and a more aggressive spoiler.AdvertisementAdvertisementBottom line: the Q9 and SQ9 land right in the size and price range of the X7 and GLS, but they're betting on things like power doors and next-gen lighting to actually get people to switch. Whether that's enough will come down to how the cabin feels in person, and how quickly Audi can actually get these into showrooms this fall.Audi SQ9 on-locationView the 8 images of this gallery on the original articleThis story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jul 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the Gear section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.