Audi Introduces New SUV Flagship SQ9

Audi introduces its first-ever SQ9, a spacious three-row SUV built for the U.S. market.  It’s a new and more powerful luxury flagship for the brand’s full-sized SUV Q9 model family.

It arrives in fall 2026 as a 2027 model, with a pricetag of around $118,000 – which is about $30,000 more than the previous top-of-the line Q9, without the “S”.

Here’s what you get for the money –

• 591 hp twin turbo V8, three rows of seating, available captain’s chairs in the second row, a spacious interior, and extensive leading technologies
• Impressive handling thanks to rear-biased quattro with electronically controlled rear-axle differential lock and staggered tire setup
• Digital Matrix LED lighting with adaptive driving beam functionality now available for the first time in the U.S. market, providing precise light and less glare for other road users compared with traditional headlights
• Best-in-class 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.8 seconds, effortless performance.

Now for the details –

Engineering and Performance

The SQ9 is powered by a revised 4.0-liter twin turbo V8 producing 591 hp and 590 lb.-ft. of torque, delivering 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds – making it the quickest accelerating three-row SUV to 60 mph in its class.

The engine is paired with an eight-speed Tiptronic transmission and Audi quattro with electronically controlled rear-axle differential lock. Thanks to its new rear-biased architecture, the SQ9 delivers a very dynamic driving experience while offering the benefit of comfort and spaciousness for six or seven passengers.

An electromechanical clutch modulates torque flow between the front and rear axles. When needed for dynamic driving, the system can send almost all available torque to the rear.

An electronically controlled locking rear differential and a staggered-width tire setup mounted on wheels sized up to 23 inches with available summer tires further enhance traction and cornering precision.

Thanks to an optional integrated tow hitch with a removable cover, the SQ9, like the Q9 offers heavy-duty towing capability of 7,700 pounds.

Interior Comfort and Versatility

The model family comes standard as a seven-seater with three rows of seating; two captain’s chairs are available for limousine-like comfort in the second row which also provide easy access to the third row.

Automatic electric-assisted power doors and five-zone climate control are available, and eight USB charging ports throughout the cabin add to the usability and comfort offered to passengers.

The largest panoramic sunroof ever fitted to an Audi enhances comfort and ambiance. In the SQ9, the roof spans more than 16 square feet and features a power-opening function as well as switchable transparency with nine individual segments for maximum customization. An optional illuminated panoramic sunroof is also planned for availability after the model’s launch.

Second-row seats – whether in six- or seven-seat configuration – are power-adjustable and can tilt forward, even with unoccupied front-facing child seats installed, providing unobstructed access to the third row.

The seven-seat configuration for the SQ9 offers three mounting points for LATCH child seats in the second row and two mounting points in the third row as well. With an overall length of 208.9 inches, the SQ9 provides 19.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to an impressive 87.7 cubic feet with the second and third row seats folded.

Matrix LED lighting comes to the U.S. for the first time

The Q9 model family introduces several Audi lighting technologies to the U.S. market for the first time, most prominently adaptive driving beam functionality enabled by the Digital Matrix LED headlights that limit glare for vulnerable road users.

With the introduction of the all-new, full-size, 2027 Q9 family of flagship SUVs, Audi engineers have developed a system which meets the United States’ Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations for glare, while also  delivering the high performance of the adaptive systems already widely used in Europe for more than a decade.

The Digital Matrix LED headlights project light with maximum accuracy by selectively illuminating different road sections with varying brightness. As a result, the road stays illuminated without blinding oncoming traffic or cars ahead. Digital Matrix LED technologies are standard on the SQ9 and available on the Q9.

At the rear, available new third-generation curved digital OLED taillights can use symbols in the digital light signatures to communicate with other road users. In a world-first application of curved digital OLED technology in automotive taillights, their curved three-dimensional shape enhances both looks and visibility.

The available illuminated Singleframe grille and standard front and rear illuminated Audi rings provide exterior light signatures unique to North American models that create an unmistakable fascia even at night.

Advanced turn signals for better visibility when turning

Advanced turn signals are another lighting highlight in the SQ9, working in combination with the digital OLED taillights and Digital Matrix LED headlights.

When turning or changing lanes at night, the advanced turn signals cast a stylized turn signal indicator onto the ground – in sync with the dynamic turn signals at the front and rear of the vehicle.

This is more visible to other road users and is designed to significantly increase visibility for pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers versus a traditional turn signal alone.

More for true gearheads, from the Audi press release  –

The powertrain
The SQ9 produces 591 hp and 590 lb.-ft. of torque from a 4.0-liter twin turbo V8. Power is sent through an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. The result is 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.8 seconds, positioning the SQ9 as the quickest accelerating three-row SUV to 60 mph available in its class. The power and torque of the SQ9 also helps maintain a key capability American buyers demand: towing up to 7,700 pounds, enough to tow boats or horse trailers, as well as multipurpose trailers for towing jet skis or motorcycles, for example.

Rear-biased dynamics with new quattro architecture
Befitting Audi heritage, quattro all-wheel drive is standard on both the SQ9 and Q9. The SQ9 is equipped with a completely new Audi drivetrain. It is now possible to actively distribute drive torque between the front and rear axles. The SQ9 also features an electronically controlled differential lock on the rear axle. This drive system is further enhanced by brake torque vectoring and standard rear-axle steering, resulting in optimal driving dynamics and traction in a variety of situations, combined with improved high speed stability and low speed maneuverability. This configuration focuses on enhancing vehicle dynamics, providing the vehicle with rear‑wheel drive focused driving characteristics combined with the traction of all-wheel drive.

The quattro system continuously monitors driving conditions, vehicle behavior, and driver inputs, and is designed to adjust torque distribution in milliseconds. In more dynamic cornering situations, power can flow predominantly rearward, helping turn-in by making the car rotate into curves. When accelerating out of a bend, the quattro system is designed for optimum traction and maximum acceleration. In low-traction conditions, quattro sends torque to the front axle and offers the grip for which Audi is famous. The result is a more dynamic, rear-biased character than typical SUV all-wheel-drive systems, without sacrificing the strengths that make quattro so successful.

The SQ9 also has an electronically controlled limited-slip differential at the rear that manages torque distribution between the left and right wheels, enhancing traction during acceleration and improving stability during sporty driving. Combined with quattro with regulated rear-axle differential lock, power reaches the ground effectively even under hard acceleration.

Staggered tire setup provides exceptional acceleration and handling
The SQ9 employs staggered-width performance tires – 10-inch front width wheels, 11.5-inch rear width wheels – on standard 22- and available 23-inch diameter wheels. 22-inch 285/40 front and 305/35 rear all-season tires come standard, while 285/35 front and 315/30 rear summer tires are fit to the optional 23-inch wheels. The wider rear tires work in conjunction with the rear-biased quattro system, optimizing grip for both acceleration and cornering while helping put 590 lb.-ft. of torque to the pavement. The staggered setup reflects the SQ9’s performance-oriented engineering.

Six Audi drive select modes offer excellent bandwidth between comfort and dynamism
The drive select modes in the SQ9 leverage the strengths of the hardware to deliver a noticeably greater differentiation between comfort and dynamics; the new Audi drive select assistant adjusts its characteristics based on driving behavior and the driving situation.

This allows the SQ9 and Q9 to adapt from comfortable cruiser to dynamic performance SUV with ease. Available modes include balanced, comfort, dynamic, offroad, individual, and assistant. Each mode adjusts throttle response, transmission shift points, steering weight, suspension damping, ride height, and all-wheel-drive torque distribution – transforming the vehicle’s character to match the driver’s intent or the road ahead.

Air suspension: 3.5 inches of adjustment for comfort and capability
The SQ9 comes standard with adaptive air suspension, pairing continuously variable damping with ride-height adjustment to balance comfort, performance, and utility. The system works automatically to suit the car’s speed, load, and driving. The total range of adjustment between the lowest (Highway) and highest (Lift) modes is approximately 3.5 inches, resulting in a maximum ground clearance of 10 inches.

The air suspension brings maximum ride comfort to the performance-oriented SQ9 without compromising its dynamic capabilities. Damper valving is optimized for isolation and refinement, delivering a compliant ride over broken pavement while maintaining control during dynamic driving. An optional sport adaptive air suspension – part of the S sport package – is also available, making the SQ9 even more agile and versatile.

Audi is based in Ingolstadt, near Munich, where ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter’s mother was born. 

Audi is part of the Volkswagen family, which also includes Porsche and the Spanish brand Seat and its EV off-shoot Cupra.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is an award-winning journalist with 25+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is President Emerita of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA).

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter also is a member of the North American Travel Journalists Assn. (NATJA) and the North American Snowsports Journalists Assn. (NASJA).

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.

Copyright (C) Evelyn Kanter

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