It’s taken the German luxury automaker long enough, but Audi has finally entered the full-size luxury SUV space with a new contender. This is the 2027 Audi Q9, and it arrives alongside a sportier SQ9 variant, also launching for the same model year. We previously had access to the interior of this three-row flagship, but the covers have been pulled back, and Audi is ready to go toe-to-toe with the BMW X7 and newly updated Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class. What’s most interesting might not be the three rows of seats, but what it has under the hood.
In-article images are of the 2027 Audi SQ9 (silver). Regular Q9 images can be seen in blue in the gallery at the bottom of this article.
Audi’s Largest Model Ever Has Serious Presence
2027 Audi SQ9Roger Biermann/CarBuzz/Valnet
At a private media preview event in Munich, we were able to get up close with the Q9 to see it from all angles. First things first, it’s big. This is the biggest Audi ever built, measuring 209 inches long with a 123.5-inch wheelbase. Visually, it’s similar in several ways to the new Audi Q7, but with a lot more presence, especially in the verticality of the front end, the tall roofline, and design elements at the rear of the car tailored to its specific proportions.
On the standard Q9, the grille is bound to split opinion, especially in the ‘advanced line’ specification where the gargantuan illuminated Singleframe grille features tall vertical LED illumination. The alternative is the S line trim, which forgoes the vertical element for a more open grille with illuminated pockets more closely resembling the SQ9 you see at the top of this article. The SQ9 also gets bigger wheels, slightly wider fenders, brushed aluminum-look elements, and quad tailpipes, along with staggered 23-inch wheels in an S-specific design (the regular Q9’s wheels are sized from 21- to 23 inches).
2027 Audi Q9 exterior – outdoor photographyAudi2027 Audi SQ9 exterior – outdoor photographyAudi
Lighting is and always has been an area Audi has dominated the luxury industry, and the Q9 takes that to new heights in more than one way. We’d argue that the Q9 is another gamechanger for automotive lighting…
How Has Audi Reinvented Lighting This Time?
Audi’s lighting gurus have worked their magic in four distinct ways. First of all, the headlights are the latest generation of Audi Digital Matrix LED headlight system lighting, but unlike previous iterations of this technology, America is no longer hamstrung by legislation hampering its functionality. Now, we get the full impact, which means adaptive driving beams that illuminate the entire road ahead and constantly dim and illuminate pixels to prevent dazzling other road users. It’s not just a convenience, it may be one of the biggest leaps forward for nighttime safety in decades.
Curved OLED Taillights Are A World First
Second, the taillights debut the world’s first curved OLED lights in the automotive industry. These enable the taillight clusters to wrap around the sides of the Q9, largely thanks to ultra-thin glass as thin as a human hair. The outermost element of the taillights (each taillight cluster sports three segments) comprises 99 individual OLED segments, with the central and inboard clusters containing 84 and 73 segments respectively. In total, 512 OLED segments make up the taillights, which can be set to one of eight customizable display signatures.
These OLED clusters add another new technology in what Audi terms a ‘communication light’. Because the taillights are split, the OLED panels can effectively behave as a standalone display, which can indicate when a road hazard is present with a warning triangle, or can tell passing cyclists when the door is about to be opened.
2027 Audi SQ9 exterior detailsRoger Biermann/CarBuzz/Valnet
Four-Way Turn Signal Projection
Another major development is the turn signal projection. Instead of the turn signals merely being housed in the light clusters, they now project onto the road surface at each corner. It might seem gimmicky at first, but real-world applications are abundant, enabling road users to see the intended turning maneuver of the Audi driver, even when the car itself is obscured from view.
What Engines Does It Have?
2027 Audi SQ9 engine bayRoger Biermann/CarBuzz/Valnet
In the age of electrification and hybridization, Audi has ignored both, giving the Q9 and SQ9 pure combustion power. And power is the operative word.
The headline figure is the SQ9’s 591 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, supplied by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. This is the same V8 and outputs previously reserved for the RS Q8. The regular Q9, meanwhile, gets a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, capable of peak outputs of 429 hp and 442 lb-ft. Both are paired with a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive, although the SQ9’s version of the latter is rear-biased for sportier handling.
It also makes use of a new electronically controlled locking rear differential. Those are mighty outputs, and were curated specifically for the US market’s preference for V8 engines. It’s not just curated for the US, the V8 is exclusive to the US version of the SUV.
2027 Audi SQ9 engine bayRoger Biermann/CarBuzz/Valnet
“To me, the most emotional [of the available powertrains globally] is definitely the V8 in the SQ9, an engine we only have in the US. I’m really happy to have that beautiful engine in the US.”
– Gernot Dollner, Audi CEO
And how fast are the Q9 and SQ9 as a result? The Audi Q9 will sprint from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds while the SQ9 will hit the same mark in 3.8 seconds, making it the quickest three-row luxury SUV in the segment. That’s mighty quick for full-size luxury SUVs weighing 5,302 lbs and 5,556 lbs, respectively. Both are capable of towing up to 7,700 lbs, too. But none of that capability means anything if the interior can’t deliver what buyers want in this corner of the market.
An Interior Designed For America
2027 Audi SQ9 interiorRoger Biermann/CarBuzz/Valnet
Now that both the Q7 and Q9 have been revealed, you might look at the two and think they have the same interiors. And you’d be mostly right about that, especially as far as the basic layout goes. That’s no bad thing, especially when it comes to the design and materials used for the dash, where Audi has ditched gloss trim in favor of glorious matte finish elements that don’t suffer from fingerprint smudges or an abundance of glare.
There’s still too much reliance on screens, though, with only a few physical controls. However, you’ve got the full suite of connectivity options, native app downloads for the infotainment, a passenger screen, and a plethora of charging options throughout the cabin, including dual wireless charging pads with cooling and mag-lock functionality.
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And there’s a magic sound system too, which vibrates the front seats and uses speakers in the headrests (22 speakers total) to create a treat of a 3D sound experience, or lets you quietly take calls while your family naps on long road trips. We’ve covered the gargantuan panoramic sunroof at length before, but it’s worth remembering this is standard on all trims, and features electronic dimming capability that eliminates the need for a traditional sun shade.
2027 Audi SQ9 interiorRoger Biermann/CarBuzz/Valnet
Three Rows Of Seating, And A Ton Of Cargo Space
Where Audi’s going to win big with American audiences is the seating. Three rows with either six or seven seats (two second-row captain’s chairs or a bench for three) have a ton of head- and legroom, feel super comfortable, and are easy to climb in and out of thanks to standard power adjustment and power-operable doors. At five-foot-eleven, I was able to comfortably fit in the third row with no complaints, and climbing in and out was no problem at all. Front seat heating is standard, with optional ventilation, massage functionality, and even heated armrests available.
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Should you not need the third row of seats, it can be flattened into the floor to avail 43.8–50 cubic feet of storage behind the second row, depending on the configuration. Even with the third row in place, though, 19.3 cubic feet of cargo space is plentiful, and the clever side-rail system in the trunk, with adjustable hangers, gives you options for how you manage your shopping, luggage, and whatever else you need to carry.
How Much Is This Going To Cost You?
Good question. Audi’s coming in hot, and has high hopes for the Q9 and SQ9 in the US, pricing the former from $87,700 before destination ($1,295), while the SQ9’s MSRP starts at $118,000. That’s cheaper at the entry-level than a base Mercedes GLS, and the SQ9 is significantly cheaper than an AMG GLS 63 despite comparable performance, while handily outgunning the X7 M60i for similar money.
CarBuzz Take — Why This Matters
Audi is late to the full-size SUV segment by several years, so the Q9 fills a gaping hole in the German automaker’s lineup. But it’s also playing catch-up, and looking to conquer rivals that are vastly more established. Power is a good way to start, and delivering robust V6 and V8 engines with class-leading power and performance at a competitive price is a strong strategy. Beyond brute strength, though, the Q9 is worthy of its flagship status, debuting huge new tech from the brand, notably in the lighting department, where Audi has yet again set the pace by bringing its Euro-quality LED Matrix systems to America with full functionality.
While Audi is starting behind rivals from a market share perspective, it’s used the time wisely to develop an SUV that has all the hallmarks of a winner for the brand, one that tells us Audi knows its audience well.
The 2027 Audi Q9 and 2027 Audi SQ9 arrive at dealerships in the fourth quarter of this year.
