RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Key Takeaways
Audi’s new flagship SUV. The 2027 Audi Q9 is the largest SUV in Audi’s history, featuring three rows of seating and advanced tech.
Impressive size and design. At 209 inches long, the Q9 is larger than competitors like the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class.
Tech-loaded interior. Includes a triple-screen setup, Bang & Olufsen sound system, and a massive glass roof with PDLC technology.
Powerful performance. The Q9 offers a twin-turbo V6, while the SQ9 features a V8, both with quattro all-wheel drive.
Bottom line: The 2027 Audi Q9 sets a new standard as Audi's largest and most tech-savvy SUV, combining luxury, space, and performance.
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AI assisted, editor reviewed
Just as Audi kills the A8 luxury sedan comes the automaker’s new flagship, and of course it’s an SUV because that’s how things work in 2026.
On Tuesday, in New York, the 2027 Audi Q9 debuted as the automaker’s largest people mover with three rows of adult seating, a massive glass roof, turbocharged engines, all the over engineered tech you could ask for, room for Stanley cups, and of course, quattro all-wheel drive. The German automaker’s new flagship will arrive in U.S. dealers just in time for the holidays later this year starting at $89,095 including a $1,395 destination charge while the SQ9 will cost $119,395.
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The Q9 measures in as the largest production Audi money will buy clocking in at 209 inches long with a wheelbase of 123.5 inches, is 86.8 inches wide, and a 71.4 inches tall. For those wondering, the now dead A8L was 209.5 inches long but it only had a wheelbase of 123.1 inches, and it certainly didn’t have three rows of seats or the Q9’s cargo space. All of which is immense. For reference, the Q9 is about 3 inches shorter than a Cadillac Escalade, but 3 inches longer than the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class and over 5 inches longer than the BMW X7. An Audi spokesperson noted to me that the Q9 is as large as the automaker could make it while still being able to reasonably sell it in Germany.
Joel Feder
The Q9 will be available in either six or seven seater configurations with LATCH anchors on every second- and third-row seat for families regardless of configuration. Second-row seats slide and tilt making third-row access easier. The third row is large enough for an adult to sit comfortably. At 5-foot-10 I found enough foot, leg, and headroom even with a 6-foot-5 adult seated in the second row. Rear doors that open at a 90-degree angle makes ingress and egress even easier, though makes for huge rear doors. Available power-operated doors can be closed at the touch of a button on the front touchscreen.
Joel Feder
Families looking to haul everything from soccer gear to hockey bags and luggage will find 19.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row and that grows up to 50.0 cubic feet with the third row folded flat. With both the second and third rows folded cargo space swells to 87.7 cubic feet.
Joel Feder
Audi’s moved back to the same sausage different lengths situation in terms of design with its latest lineup. The new design language was introduced on the pint-sized Q3 crossover in 2025, and followed up on the new 2027 Q7 that debuted in June. Now the Q9 takes the design elements and stretches them in every single way, but all the key elements remain from its two smaller stablemates. Up front split lighting elements place the horizontal LED daytime running lights above the headlights, the latter will be available with automaker’s new digital Matrix LED technology . Those headlights bookend the front with a grille full of vertical slats on the Q9 and an egg-crate design swapping in on S-Line and more powerful SQ9 models. The pillars, particularly the D-pillar, are more upright than any Audi SUV in history. In back the clamshell tailgate seen on previous Q5 and Q7 models is now a thing of the past, but optional curved OLED taillights featuring three-dimensional effects and lightning signatures look neat. Surely they’ll cost a fortune if they break. Base models roll on 21-inch alloy wheels with 22s and 23s available to fill the wheel wells.
Joel Feder
Audi revealed the Q9’s interior in May and there were a handful of surprises along with a mostly predictable overall design. The dashboard follows the path laid forth by the A6 E-Tron with a triple-screen setup consisting of a digital gauge cluster and touchscreen infotainment system housed under a single piece of curved glass. A front passenger touchscreen is standard. Almost all the controls are embedded in the touchscreen, but there is a dedicated volume knob on the center console. Two wireless smartphone charging pads sit front and center, and Audi’s trick, and incredibly over engineered yet functional , one-piece stalk that puts the gear selector, turn signal controls, and wiper controls in one housing is here and will still be fantastic . Thankfully, there isn’t a lick of shiny piano black plastic . Thank you, Audi.
An important note that my daughter will be thrilled to hear: both the front and rear-seat cup holders can fit Stanley mugs. Please, feel my pain, people.
Joel Feder
The entire Q9 is a tech tour de force with an available Bang & Olufsen 4D surround-sound system with 24 channels, 22 speakers, and 2 actuators in the front seats to make them vibrate so you can feel the music. There’s also a 16 square-foot glass roof that tilts and opens. It can be optioned with an electrochromatic-like function relying on Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) technology that can make the entire panel, or just certain sections, opaque to block the sun and 99.5% of UV rays. Audi will further offer embedded lighting as an option in the glass with 84 LEDs that will make a statement.
Joel Feder
The Q9 will be powered by a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 with 23.2-pounds of boost to produce 429 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of t...
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