Overview
- Audi moved the Q9 from reveal into the U.S. sales phase last week with order books open and dealer deliveries expected later this year.
- The standard Q9 uses a 2.9‑liter twin‑turbo V6 rated at 429 hp and 442 lb‑ft, while the U.S. SQ9 gets a 4.0‑liter twin‑turbo V8 with about 591 hp and a 0–60 mph time near 3.8 seconds.
- The Q9 and SQ9 offer six‑ or seven‑seat layouts, a towing capacity of roughly 7,700 pounds, curved digital OLED taillights and available Level 2+ hands‑free driving.
- Audi will build the Q9 at Volkswagen Group’s Bratislava plant and has set U.S. pricing at a reported $87,700 for the Q9 and about $118,000 for the SQ9 with U.S. deliveries due later this year.
- Audi frames the Q9 as a strategic flagship to bolster U.S. SUV sales—about 80% of its U.S. business—and says choosing internal combustion engines responds to customer needs for towing and high‑occupancy use while the company keeps developing EVs and halo models like the Nuvolari.