Two days ago, we informed you that Audi is preparing to significantly expand its range of crossovers, introducing a new flagship - the Q9 model. Now, the German giant is about to explode the luxury SUV market with a new, monumental flagship. The official confirmation of the brand's ambitions came in the most categorical way - through the registration of the SQ9 trade name at the World Intellectual Property Organization in Madrid. This is not just another number in the catalog, but a request to create a “monster“ that will combine the aristocratic luxury of the discontinued A8 limousine with the brutal power of the brand's sports division.
So the Q7 will no longer be the biggest in the family! The new Q9 will be significantly longer and more spacious, offering three full rows of seats, wrapped in the finest leather and technology. Although the main target of the model is the American market, where “size matters”, its appearance in Europe will be a real event for connoisseurs of high speed. The premiere is scheduled for the end of 2026, with the car debuting as a 2027 model year.
Interestingly, under the hood of the SQ9 is expected to beat a hybrid or gasoline “heart” with mind-blowing characteristics that will put competitors of the rank of BMW X7 Alpina, Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 and Cadillac Escalade-V in their place. Audi is not just entering this niche, they want to dominate it. The technological platform of the new flagship is so promising that even its cousins from Porsche plan to use it for their future three-row crossover – proof that Ingolstadt has found the “magic formula“ for a balance between comfort and dynamics.
With the launch of the SQ9, Audi is practically completing its “sharpened“ line, closing the loop between the SQ5 and RSQ8. This will be a car for people who don't want to choose between the prestige of a representative sedan and the cross-country ability of an SUV. It seems that the era of huge, super-powerful cruisers is far from over, and Audi is yet to show what it is capable of when it decides to create the largest and most powerful vehicle in its arsenal.