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New Audi Q9: range-topping SUV gains mild hybrid power for £104k

New Audi Q9 will offer up to seven seats and will take over from the A8 as the brand's flagship model

Audi Q9 driving front

On sale November | Price from £103,900

The phrase ‘go big or go home’ encourages us to be bold and brave, but the team behind the new Audi Q9 appear to have taken it literally, because this new luxury SUV is absolutely huge.

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Measuring 5.3 metres long, 2.2 metres wide and 1.8 metres tall, the Q9 is longer and wider than a Range Rover. It’s certainly an imposing sight, sitting on 23in alloy wheels, sporting a huge front grille, and with bright OLED lights at the front and rear.

Speaking of the lights, not only can they shape their beam so you don’t dazzle oncoming drivers and warn other drivers of hazards, but when you indicate, they project your intended turn on the ground, so cars behind you know what you’re planning to do.

The new Q9 will come with seven electrically adjustable seats as standard, but you can swap that layout for six seats instead. All six seats in that instance are powered so you’ll be able to find the most comfortable position. Plus, you can have them heated and ventilated, and even have them give you a massage if you like. In the seven-seat Q9 – which more families are likely to choose – there are Isofix mounting points for child car seats on all three second-row seats.

Darren Moss

Updated: 26 August 2026

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You don’t need to worry about closing the Q9’s huge doors yourself, because these are electric and open and close at the touch of a button. Sensors will stop the doors from opening if they detect you’re about to hit a passing cyclist, though.

Audi Q9 driving rear

We’ve already sat inside the new Q9, and can confirm that the car feels suitably spacious from the middle row, with plenty of light coming in thanks to the largest panoramic sunroof fitted to any Audi. That roof can darken in nine individual sections – meaning you can enjoy the sunshine in the front, for example, while the kids get shade in the back. And when you stop and lock up, the whole roof turns opaque so that nobody gets a view of what’s inside your car. As an option, the roof can also receive extra ambient lighting which bathes it in one of 30 different colours.

Audi Q9 interior

The roof lighting, as well as the Q9’s other ambient lights, small actuators in the front seats and the optional Bang and Olufsen stereo can combine to give you what Audi is calling a 4D music experience. And with 22 speakers dotted around inside the Q9, everyone should be able to enjoy it, whether you’re listening to Metallica or Mozart.

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We were also impressed with the feeling of quality inside the Q9. Audi says it’s done away with much of the glossy black plastic used in some other models, because while it looks good in the showroom, it all too quickly becomes marked by fingerprints and dust. Instead, there’s natural fibres, wood and leather, which all feels more premium to touch.

Nobody should run out of charge on their devices, because there’s space to charge two smartphones wirelessly in the front, and four USB-C charging ports elsewhere.

Audi Q9 rear seats

In front of the driver sits an 11.9in digital display which can put all the information you need, including the sat-nav map, right in front of you. To the side of that there’s a 14.5in touchscreen display running Android Automotive software, and our experience of it in other models suggests it should be easy to get along with. You can download apps for the system from an application store, and they span news, weather, games and much more. And if you don’t feel like prodding the screen itself, you can use the voice assistant to talk to your car instead with AI.

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It’s still a shame not to see physical controls like you get in the rival BMW X7, though, because they’re so much easier to use when you’re driving along.

There’s also a third 12.3in screen for the front passenger to use to either control the music or watch other content. It’s designed so that the driver can’t see what they’re looking at, so they won’t be distracted on the move.

In seven-seat form and with the rear row of seats folded away, there's 850 litres of storage space in the Q9's boot. That's the sort of space you might expect to find in a small van, and means your holiday luggage isn't likely to pose a problem. You can use rails at the side of the boot to keep your bags close to the wall, leaving the centre area free for other cargo.

Audi Q9 static front

At launch two engines will be available in the Q9, and they’re both 3.0-litre diesels, with 241bhp and 295bhp respectively. Both are mild hybrids, and can move for short distances using electric power alone. Both engines get four-wheel drive and are linked up to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

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Air suspension comes as standard, as does four-wheel steering which should help you to manoeuvre this seriously bulky SUV around corners.

The Q9 has had the proverbial book thrown at it when it comes to safety and assistance tech, because it comes with just about everything you can think of. That ranges from automatic emergency braking and blind spot monitoring, to a 360-degree parking camera and a self-parking system.

The systems are smart, too. For example, if you’re driving on a tight road with little traffic, the lane-keeping function will only give you a small vibration through the steering wheel to let you know you’ve strayed out of your lane, while on busier roads, it will try to help steer you back onto your side of the road.

Two trim levels are available: Edition 1 and Vorsprung. Entry-level Edition 1 trim includes 22in alloy wheels, Matrix LED headlights, Nappa leather heated and ventilated sports seats with massage function, adaptive air suspension, a panoramic roof and a Bang & Olufsen sound system.

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Top-spec Vorsprung trim adds 23in wheels, the digital Matrix LED headlights and OLED rear lights, a surround-view parking camera, and automatic doors.

The first examples of the Audi Q9 will arrive in November. Prices start at £103,900, which is a fair bit pricier than the BMW X7, but in the ballpark of the Range Rover. The Bentley Bentayga will set you back even more.

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