2026 Audi Q9 revealed as GLS rival

The 2026 Audi Q9 has just made its debut as the German marque's biggest and most opulent SUV to date, measuring 5.31m long, 2.21m wide, 1.81m tall and sitting on a 3.14m wheelbase.

Pitched as Audi’s new luxury and technology mothership – like the S-Class is to Mercedes-Benz – the new Q9 was revealed with only one engine: a mild hybrid 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 pinched from the Q7, outputting a waft-friendly 220kW/630Nm.

A watered down 180kW/500Nm version will be offered in some markets. The hot SQ9 meantime outputs 435kW/800Nm courtesy of a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 – enough for 0-100km/h in 4.0 seconds.

Power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission in both instances.

Inside the cabin, after entering through the automatic power doors, you’ll find the traditional 2:3:2 three-row seating arrangement, however a captain’s chair second row (six seats) will be optionally available.

Up front, occupants are greeted by power-adjustable heated, cooled and massaging sport seats, heated armrests and a curved MMI panoramic display comprising an 11.9-inch virtual cockpit, a 14.5-inch infotainment system – which plays through a 22-speaker sound system – and a 12.3-inch passenger display.

The second- and third-row seats are individually power-adjustable, with Audi claiming the third row to be big enough for two adults to travel in comfort.

A panoramic glass roof floods the cabin with natural light as standard, with switchable transparency?to be offered as an optional extra.

Other equipment highlights include 20-inch alloys, digital OLED rear lights, digital Matrix LED headlights, ChatGPT integration, adaptive air suspension, all wheel steering, and Dinamica microfiber, leather and leatherette trim elements.

Both the standard Q9 and SQ9 are expected to land Down Under sometime in 2027 as a direct answer to the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS – and their respective performance versions.

Pricing and local specifications will be announced closer to launch, though an intriguing detail for Aussies is the 3500kg braked towing capacity of both versions.

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