The Audi Q9 is the largest vehicle the company has built, a full-size SUV developed specifically for customers in the United States and sitting above the Q7 at the top of the range. Order books open at the end of July 2026, with the entry-level 220kW TDI priced at €108,400 (US$123,600) and deliveries from November.

The powertrain split is the notable part. Germany gets a 220kW V6 diesel with a mild hybrid system, while the US receives a three-litre turbocharged petrol V6, with a 4.0-litre V8 in the SQ9 for selected markets including the US and Canada.

A combustion-led flagship sits awkwardly beside corporate messaging built on electric products. Audi is indicating that near-term profit in the premium full-size class still comes from engines, and that the US, its second-largest market after China, is where that class matters most.

Chief Executive Gernot Döllner said in a statement that the model expands the portfolio with a large SUV intentionally developed for US customers. Vito Paladino, President of Audi of America, added that it completes a range also gaining new Q3, Q5 and Q7 models.

Production runs at the Volkswagen Group plant in Bratislava, which has built the Q7 since 2005 and the Q8 since 2018. The Q9 measures 5.31m long, seats seven as standard and offers hands-free driving at up to 130km/h on approved routes in the US, Canada and Germany.

Source: Audi