When A Q7 Is Not Enough
We wouldn't call the Audi Q7 small by any means. At about 200 inches long, it can easily handle a family holiday or a quick dash run to the nearest Costco. That said, if there's room for expansion, Audi will gladly occupy that space. After all, that's how we've ended up with a whole battalion of the company's Q models today.
The German automaker practically has every crossover size class covered, from the Euro market-oriented Q2 to the chunky Q8. So, where to go next? That would be up, of course.
That brings us neatly to the Audi Q9. It has long been rumored that it's coming soon, and there are even spy shots of it circulating. And now we have official confirmation.
Audi has finally acknowledged it by literally squeezing it in a one-liner in its sales report press release. It's a 'blink and you'll miss it' affair, but at least we can now say with full confidence that the Q9 is, indeed, just around the corner.
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When is It Coming?
According to Audi, the Q9 will make its world premiere sometime in 2026, so the wait is not too long anymore. It wasn't mentioned when exactly the company will unveil it, but it was previously reported that it will coincide with the premiere of the redesigned Q7.
The Audi Q9 will ride on the brand's new Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture, and the same will be true for the upcoming Q7. PPC replaces the long-running MLB platform that has underpinned several Audi models, as well as a variety of vehicles with longitudinally mounted engines within the Volkswagen Auto Group, such as the Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus.
Mind you, the Q9 won't be the first Audi product to use the PPC architecture. The A5 (also known as the sedan/liftback/Avant, formerly the A4) was the first to utilize it. It was then followed by the A6, and most recently, the Q5. With that, the Q9 is expected to be the largest application of this platform to date.
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The Competition
Given that Audi calls it the brand’s "first SUV in the prestigious D segment," it should come as no surprise that the Q9 has the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS in its crosshairs. But let's not forget that there's also competition outside of Germany. Some prime examples include the Range Rover, as well as the truck-based rivals from the US, the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator.
Audi is late to the party in the full-size luxury SUV market, as most have rolled out their respective six-figure models years prior. What the folks from Ingolstadt have to do now it to give the Q9 more distinction, especially against the X7 and GLS.
