Audi Suggests Q9 Large Luxury SUV Is Coming

The BMW X7 and Mercedes GLS will have to face a new rival.

It’s still rather puzzling why Audi has refrained from launching a fullsize luxury SUV. Mercedes has been selling the GL/GLS since 2006 while the BMW X7 has been around since 2018. It’s not like the Four Rings are a small company considering they sit underneath the VW Group corporate umbrella with huge resources at their disposal.

Reports of a Q9 have been swirling around the Internet for many years, but Audi’s SUV lineup still tops out with the Q7 and its swoopy Q8 cousin. However, it looks as though a flagship Q model will finally become a reality sooner rather than later. Audi Australia director Jeff Mannering alluded in an interview with CarSales that a flagship SUV is planned to arrive by 2026 at the latest.

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When asked whether a larger and more expensive Q model would make sense, the official said: “Yes of course. If you just look at volume versus different brands, we’re not in some segments that others are in. Let’s see what happens in the next 24 months.” When asked to talk about the model’s moniker, Jeff Mannering smiled and agreed “Q9” is a catchy name.

The Audi Q9 is likely to land before 2026 as Automotive News reported US dealers could have the luxobarge on sale in 2025. The report published in 2022 alleged the Q9 would be a true seven-seater SUV with ample legroom for third-row occupants. Its main markets are expected to be the United States and China.

Dealers in North America were informed about the model’s arrival more than a year ago. If planned, the Q9 will be among the last new Audi models to be launched with combustion engines. From 2026, all vehicles launched by the Ingolstadt brand are going to be EVs. In the long run, the goal is to stop production of ICE cars by 2032, with a potential extension in China depending on local demand.

The Q9 won’t be the only change to Audi’s SUV lineup since the not-for-America Q2 is going to be retired after just one generation. In the meantime, the fully electric Q6 E-Tron is coming out this year, and it’s bringing along a sleeker Q6 E-Tron Sportback. Confusingly, Audi already sells a gas-powered Q6 in China as a three-row SUV.