Audi's Biggest, Most Powerful SUV Ever Is Here: Meet the Q9 and SQ9
Audi's First '9' Is Also Its Biggest Ever
Audi has unveiled the Q9, a three-row, seven-seat flagship SUV that becomes the largest and most expensive model the brand has ever built, and the first to carry the '9' nameplate. It sits above the Q7 as Audi's second three-row SUV rather than replacing it, measuring 5,310mm long, 2,210mm wide and 1,810mm tall on a 3,140mm wheelbase — dimensions that put it squarely in the same footprint as the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS, the two rivals Audi is clearly building this car to beat. Engine options vary by market: a 3.0-litre V6 diesel producing 299 hp for Europe, and a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol making 429 hp for markets like the US.
The more interesting story for performance buyers is the SQ9, Audi's flagship performance variant, which pairs a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with 591 hp and 800 Nm of torque — genuinely serious output for a seven-seat SUV, and a clear signal that Audi isn't treating the Q9 purely as a family-hauler exercise. International deliveries begin in November 2026 from a starting price of €108,400, with the SQ9 starting at $119,395 in the US market, and the range is built at Audi's Bratislava plant in Slovakia.
Why a Bigger, More Powerful Audi SUV Matters in Dubai
Full-size luxury SUVs are, without much argument, the single most consistently in-demand segment in the Dubai and wider GCC market — buyers here have shown a sustained appetite for exactly this kind of large, three-row flagship, whether it's a Cullinan, a Bentayga, a GLS 600 or an X7 M60i. Audi has historically not had a genuine flagship SUV to compete directly in that conversation the way its German rivals do; the Q7 has always sat a size class below where this segment's real spending happens. The Q9, and particularly the SQ9's V8, is Audi's first real attempt to put a car in that specific fight.
What makes the SQ9 worth watching in particular is that GCC buyers shopping this segment consistently prioritise power and presence over efficiency, and a 591-hp twin-turbo V8 in a seven-seat body is exactly the kind of number that gets attention here. Whether Audi can actually win share away from buyers already loyal to Range Rover, Bentley or Mercedes in this segment is a genuine open question — brand loyalty runs deep at this level — but a credible, powerful flagship SUV finally gives Audi something to bring to that conversation rather than conceding the segment entirely.
At House of Cars Dubai, full-size luxury SUVs are consistently among the fastest-moving cars we source and place, and a new serious contender like the SQ9 is exactly the kind of launch we track closely so we can give clients an honest read on how it's likely to be received here once it actually arrives, rather than repeating manufacturer talking points. If you're weighing a flagship SUV purchase and want to know how a new entrant like the Q9 or SQ9 is likely to hold up against the segment's established names, reach out via WhatsApp and we'll talk it through.