Renders of the all-new Audi Q9 have been revealed, positioning it as a full-size SUV or sharing the Bentley Bentayga powertrain
Since Audi completed the trademark registration in 2013, we have been hearing about Audi's full-size luxury SUV, the Audi Q9, but everything was still at the level of rumors. The most viable version of this rumor was the camouflage car test completed last year, but it was later confirmed that the new SUV tested overseas was actually the SAIC Audi Q6 for the Chinese market, and it was sold as a luxury version of the Volkswagen Touron on the MQB Evo platform. At the same time, Audi also announced that all new products launched after 2026 will enter the market as pure electric status, which casts another shadow on the Audi Q9. Recently, however, we saw a batch of new renders of the Audi Q9.
In terms of appearance, the vehicle in the disposal of headlights, grille and diversion structure, is indeed the application of Audi's youthful design language in this new stage, the light group is trying to complete the stretch of the visual width of the body, and the grille is also moving towards a more significant octagonal structure change, and the rear of the car also adds Audi's common through-type light cluster in the new car. However, consumers familiar with Volkswagen can clearly feel that the car is clearly borrowed from the Volkswagen Touron's waistline design in the rendering process, and its taillights will be seen as a transplant design of the Audi Q8.
In terms of size, the Audi Q9 will hopefully surpass the current full-size luxury SUV Bentley Bentayga in the Volkswagen Group, and will be available with a choice of two-row five-seater or three-row seven-seater. In addition, for the special business executive market, the vehicle will also be available in a four-seater version with a two-row layout to provide more space and more luxurious ride feedback.
But what needs to be refuted is that the domestic media previously exposed a set of specific size parameters, the news said that Audi Q9 will have 5305/1998/1739mm length, width and height, wheelbase of 3175mm, but in fact, we only need to take out the product parameters for comparison, we will find that this is actually the data of the Bentley Bentayga long wheelbase version. However, it is worth noting that if the Audi Q9 wants to win life in front of the preconceived BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS class, its size may really need to move towards the Bentayga long wheelbase version of the model, after all, a standard wheelbase Bentayga is fully behind the BMW X7 in terms of measurements, especially the wheelbase of only 2995mm will drag the Audi Q9 backwards.
In terms of interior, although there is no trace of the design of the Audi Q9 cabin, especially in the development of the interior of the fuel model Audi is currently in a stagnation stage, whether it is the new generation of Audi A6 that will be renamed Audi A7, or the new generation of Audi Q7 that has never been on the road, it is difficult for us to find a reference direction for the Audi Q9. However, Audi previously announced a further strategic cooperation with SAIC, the new generation of Audi A4 renamed Audi A5 will be converted to a pure electric model on the PPE platform, and the replacement of the domestic Audi A4L will be jointly developed by IM Zhiji and Audi, the addition of the latter will make us have higher expectations for the interior science fiction content of the product, and Audi Q9 is expected to become a technological transition product between fuel products and electrified products, providing reference for various new products in terms of intelligence.
In terms of power, the Audi Q9 will be the last new car to be equipped with a 4.0T V8 twin-turbo engine, and it will get a maximum horsepower tuning of more than 600Ps, which is the tuned version of the Audi RS Q8, thus surpassing the Bentley Bentayga (550Ps). In addition, the plug-in hybrid version will not be absent from the first product, and it will also maintain the main similarity to the Bentayga PHEV in terms of powertrain, which is a plug-in hybrid system consisting of a 3.0T V6 turbocharged engine, ZF 8AT transmission and a front electric motor. Of course, we hope that the Audi Q9 can inherit the full-time all-wheel drive system with a Torsen differential, which will establish a certain performance advantage for the Audi Q9 in front of the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS-class from an off-road perspective.
When the BMW X7 entered the global consumer market in 2019, BBA's lineup already included two full-size luxury SUVs. However, in the face of the existence of BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS, Audi obviously needs a flagship to maintain its market position and competitiveness, and the arrival of Audi Q9 will fill the gap of Audi for a hundred years. It is reported that the Audi Q9 is very likely to be the last ICE model before Audi fully converts to electrification, that is, a fuel product equipped with an internal combustion engine.