Update (May 25, 2026): ‘Design’ revised.
In the U.S., full-size three-row SUVs such as the Mercedes GLS and BMW X7 remain in steady demand. The X7 recorded 31,575 sales in 2025, its highest annual total since its 2019 market launch.
Audi has so far offered three-row seating in the Audi Q7, but it is preparing a dedicated flagship SUV, the Audi Q9, to compete directly with those larger German rivals, starting later this year.
Here is what we expect from the new three-row Audi SUV:
Confirmation
Audi has formally confirmed plans to launch the Q9 in the summer of 2026. It is part of a trio of all-new Audis coming out globally in the second half of the year.
This summer, the new Audi Q9 will be launched as the first full-size flagship SUV, targeting customers in North America.
Audi, while disclosing its Q1 2026 global performance on May 5, 2026
The company has spoken about the new future flagship on a few occasions since the Volkswagen Group Product & Tech Update on September 9, 2025. It is clearly targeting markets like the U.S. and Canada with the three-row SUV.
Audi is planning to extend the model portfolio in 2026 to include the Audi Q9, a prestigious full-size SUV, and a new edition of the Audi Q7. The company is therefore focusing on the globally growing SUV segment, which plays an important role especially in the North American market.
From the Audi Report – Combined Annual and Sustainability Report 2025 published on March 17, 2026
Design
An official camouflaged preview of the Audi Q9 has revealed that it possesses the brand’s familiar European luxury SUV identity.
Despite its large footprint, the Q9 takes a more car-like approach than American full-size SUVs, leaning closer to the Q7 than traditional body-on-frame rivals such as the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator, as well as the Lexus LX and Infiniti QX80.
The Q9 embodies Audi’s new design language for SUVs, seen on smaller models such as the Q3 and Q5. There’s a massive Singleframe with large honeycomb-shaped openings.
A similar pattern is seen on a wide lower air intake, which should have active flaps that close when not needed, reducing drag.
Audi has equipped the Q9 with two-section headlights, comprising extremely slim and intricately detailed DRLs on the top and low- and high-beam lights positioned in the lower section. The DRLs should feature customizable light signatures and double as turn indicators. The lower section appears to integrate a marker light on the inside edge.
Audi has been offering matrix LED headlights that feature individually dimmable LEDs internationally since 2013. It will finally bring this tech to the U.S. in 2026, beginning with the Q9. These will specifically be the company’s latest digital matrix LED headlights, which use 25,600 micro-LEDs.
Besides minimizing glare for other road users, the system can also project symbols, such as part of a welcome sequence, onto a garage wall.
On the sides, the Q9 features large windows and quarter glass panels, pronounced wheel arches finished in body color, 23-inch wheels, and raised roof rails. The D-pillar looks tapered, but only slightly, maximizing cargo space.
All the doors open and close electrically, and motorized running boards could be offered to further make entering and exiting the SUV convenient and elegant.
At the rear, the wide combination lamps extend onto the shoulders and are underlined by a full-width light strip. Like at the front, the brand logo is backlit, but in red. We expect the former to be OLED units that allow customizing the light signature and can display warning symbols.
Interior
We expect the Q9 to offer three rows of seats in a 2+2+3 layout as well as an optional 2+2+2 layout.
The dashboard has an asymmetric, multi-layered architecture and extends into the curvy front door panels, with subtle ambient lighting integrated into both areas.
The panoramic sunroof, measuring approximately 16 sq. ft., features an electronically controlled sunshade and integrated ambient lighting that complements the rest of the cabin.
A bridge-type center console integrates two Qi 2.2 magnetic wireless charging pads, two cupholders that can accommodate large tumblers under a push-open lid, and a large armrest with integrated storage space underneath.
It also houses key physical controls, including the engine start-stop button, electronic parking brake, and a rotary controller for track selection and speaker volume adjustment.
Audi has used premium decor elements such as fabric and wood trims and has limited the use of glossy surfaces, opting for matte and textured materials in key areas. The company will present a choice of six or seven seats, with two electrically adjustable captain’s chairs in the second row in the former.
Third-row passengers will be able to slide and tilt the second-row seats forward to aid ingress. The third-row seatbacks feature an electric folding function, allowing for convenient expansion of the cargo space.
Specifications
Speaking to Canadian publication Sharp Magazine in March 2026, Vito Paladino, then President & CEO of Volkswagen Group Canada, said that the Q9 would be “extremely capable.” He added that the flagship product would unlock the next level in terms of premium and prestige attributes.
Platform
The Q9 is set to ride on the largest version of the PPC (Premium Platform Combustion) used by the new Q5. Rather than outright performance or uncompromising luxury, Audi is expected to concentrate on aspects like space and value.
Dimensions
Audi’s gas-powered Q9, with the U.S. market in mind, should be discernibly longer than the Q7 and measure around 205 inches in length. In addition to adult-sized third-row seats, the Q9 should offer a lounge-like floor when all the seats behind the first row are folded down.
Powertrain
Audi is expected to offer a 3.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with mild-hybrid tech as an option. A plug-in hybrid variant is expected later in its lifecycle.
The Q9 is expected to share its plug-in hybrid system with the new Q7. Auto Express reports that the next Q7 will use a V6 plug-in hybrid setup that pairs a twin-turbocharged gas engine with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery, which is a bigger setup than what powers the new Q5 PHEV.
Audi could recalibrate the same powertrain for the Q9, potentially with around 400 hp, an EV mode range of 50-60 miles (WLTP), and a combined range of about 500 miles.
Release Date & Pricing
The Audi Q9 will break cover on July 28, 2026, and could start reaching U.S. dealerships in the fourth quarter of the year, followed by Canada and other markets.
Audi will likely price the Q9 in the USD 90,000 range in the United States, and begin the lineup at around CAD 120,000 in the Canadian market.
And in North America, we are expanding strategically with models tailored to the U.S. market and the rollout of our SUV models Q7 and Q9.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner at the Audi Annual Press Conference 2026 on March 17, 2026
According to a report from Automotive News, dealers expect the Audi Q9 to attract U.S. buyers cross-shopping the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban. Although the Q9 will not match those models in overall size, Audi dealers view its added space and cargo capacity as a selling point.
TopElectricSUV says
Later this year, the Audi Q9 will follow as the new flagship of the Audi portfolio and the first Audi in this segment. And this is a particularly important model for the United States.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner at the Audi Annual Press Conference 2026 on March 17, 2026
The Audi Q9 is on its way to becoming the four-ringed brand’s largest and most feature-packed SUV, designed specifically for American families. From a volume and margin perspective, this is a big driver and is likely to attract interest from China and the Middle East as well.
2025/2026 Farewell: I chase one of the final unsold new Audi Q8 e-trons
Featured Image: TopElectricSUV’s rendering of the Audi Q9
An automobile engineer by training, I’ve analyzed the global car market since 2005, with a keen focus on EVs since 2008. My journey in online automotive publishing spans 17 years, during which I have reviewed cutting-edge automotive technologies and interviewed leading global CEOs and vehicle developers.
