Audi’s latest range-toppers, the full-size Q9 and SQ9 SUVs, are shaping up to be quite the tempting luxury SUVs. With lots of space and some impressive technology inside, sophisticated styling and advanced LED lights outside, and (in the case of the S model) a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 under the hood, there isn’t a whole lot the Q9 family leaves on the table. As a result, the automaker isn’t sure that there’s a need for a full-size, RS-branded SUV from Audi Sport, but at the same time, “never say never.”
Finding The Right Balance
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Speaking to Road & Track about the new SUV, Audi of America Senior Vice President of Product Management Filip Brabec said that an even sportier, more powerful version of the luxury sport-ute wasn’t the focus at this time. “I think in this space, I think we feel that this is sort of exactly the right balance,” the executive said of the SQ9, which only has 12 fewer horsepower than the 2026 Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 despite costing $30,000 less.
Brabec went on to describe the SQ9’s V8 engine, which produces 591 hp and 590 pound-feet in this application. That number, which far outstrips the 500 horses motivating the smaller SQ8 model, is pretty close to Brabec’s RS ideal – in fact, it’s a lot closer to the 631-hp RS Q8 performance model. Yet the larger, more spacious, and more luxurious SQ9 is cheaper than its two-row kid brother by $20,000, not a bad trade-off for 40 hp.
2026 Audi RS Q8 performance. Front, three-quartersAudi USA
Audi estimates the full-size SUV will also be pretty quick on its feet, hitting 60 miles per hour in 3.8 seconds, less than half a second behind the RS Q8. That number is also 0.3 ticks faster than Mercedes’ estimate for the more powerful and more expensive GLS 63, so there might not be much of a competitive impetus to give the three-row from the Four Rings even more grunt.
Finally, as R&T points out, RS models are typically intended for the track, at least philosophically, where a Q9 family member – even a very sporty one – wouldn’t be very happy. Brabec again: “We really look at each and every vehicle specifically to say, ‘Does it make sense or does it not make sense?’”
Nothing’s Off The Table
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Still, the company VP didn’t put the kibosh on a full-fat Audi Sport RS with seating for the whole family. Since the SQ9 (and its boosted V8) is a North America–exclusive model, it would be possible for the automaker to apply a more aggressive engine tune without significantly reengineering the SUV. But the Audi chooses to take a more aggressive tack, it could also adapt the Q9 platform for plug-in hybrid power, helping a theoretical RS Q9 fit in with the likewise-electrified, forthcoming RS 6.
For example, the Lamborghini Urus SE uses the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 as the SQ9, bundled with an electric motor and battery, to produce an earth-shifting 789 hp, a number that would certainly qualify for RS branding. And given Audi’s ability to transform some of its heaviest models in history – the 5,192-pound RS 5 would like a word – into proper, high-performance enthusiast cars, we presume it could even work some of that magic on a three-row SUV.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Audi knows what its new Q9 and SQ9 need to accomplish. Establishing a larger foothold in the profitable US market means offering a big SUV, and that’s exactly what the new model family does. However, the persistent success of large performance vehicles like the Mercedes-AMG G 63 and BMW Alpina XB7 mean there might still be room for another moneymaker at the top of the Q9 lineup. Still, Audi is very clear about its intentions with an RS Q9 model – it’s an “if,” not a “when.”
Base Trim Engine
4.0-liter Twiin-Turbo V8
Base Trim Transmission
8-Speed Automatic
Base Trim Horsepower
591 hp
Base Trim Torque
590 lb-ft
Model
SQ9
0-60 MPH
3.8 seconds
Source: Road & Track
