Just over five meters in length, the Audi Q7 is a fairly large sport utility vehicle. But as it happens, the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS are larger still. Given these circumstances, Audi is developing a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle of its own.
Spied for the first time ever, the Q9 is expected to hit dealer showrooms in 2025 for the 2026 model year. The flagship model is meant for the US market as well, and that shouldn't come as a surprise. Not only does North America have a great appetite for large SUVs, but BMW and Mercedes assemble the X7 and GLS in the United States.
BMW produces a helluva lot of CLAR-based sport utility vehicles at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina, whereas the Stuttgart-based rival makes the GLS at MBUSI in Vance, Alabama. Without a shadow of a doubt, Audi's behemoth is based on the MLB Evo platform of the Q7 and Q8. The Volkswagen Group doesn't produce MLB Evo-based vehicles in the United States, meaning that the Q9 is likely going to be made in Slovakia.
Both the Q7 and Q8 are put together at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant. In addition to said utility vehicles, the plant also produces the MLB Evo-based Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, as well as the MQB-based Volkswagen Passat and the technically similar Skoda Superb.
Back in January 2023, the four-ringed automaker announced that it would launch more than 20 new vehicles by 2026. After that, every new Audi will feature zero-emission powertrains exclusively. This, in turn, means that the Q9 will be one of the final internal combustion-engined Audi models.
Photo: Baldauf
Similar to the Q7 and Q8, the Q9 is believed to pack six- and eight-cylinder muscle. At least one plug-in hybrid is a given as well. In Audi vernacular, both 55 TFSI e and 60 TFSI e stand for 3.0-liter V6, an electric motor, and a 17.3-kWh battery pack. The 60 summons up to 335 kW and 700 Nm (that would be 449 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of twist).
The X7 and GLS can be had with twin-turbo V8 muscle, and chances are that Audi will follow suit with the all-new Q9. The only twin-turbo V8 available in Audi's catalog as of January 2024 is the Porsche-Audi V8 we all know and love, with said engine rated at 500 horsepower in the SQ8. The RS Q8 is punchier still, with Audi quoting 591 horsepower.
This prototype may be heavily camouflaged, yet we can see a pair of large rear quarter windows. Gifted with split headlights, the 2025 Audi Q9 further sweetens the deal with a truly massive radiator grille. Its roofline is mostly flat, as expected from a sport utility vehicle with three-row seating.
Audi registered Q9 with the EUIPO back in 2013. According to the EUIPO, the German automaker holds the rights to this nameplate until 2033.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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