- In a presentation to investors, Audi confirmed that it will produce a 3-row, full-size luxury SUV to compete with the BMW X7 and Cadillac Escalade this year
Audi will release a full-size, 3-row luxury SUV at long last later this year. The company will call the big hauler the 2027 Audi Q9. It will compete with large luxury SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade and BMW X7.
The brand confirmed the move in a presentation to investors recently.
The display revealed little about the model, showing it under a sheet slotted above the Q7 in the automaker’s lineup, next to a yet-to-be-revealed entry-level battery electric vehicle (BEV). A speaker called it “the brand’s first SUV in the prestigious D segment,” an auto industry term for the largest vehicles sold to consumers.
Industry publication Automotive News notes, “Audi’s U.S. dealers for years have sought a true three-row crossover to serve customers looking for more space. While the Q7 large crossover is an established nameplate in the large premium crossover segment, a common critique is the tight legroom in the Q7’s third row.”
The brand wouldn’t need to reinvent the wheel to make one. The running gear of the Q7 includes options for a turbocharged V6 or a twin-turbo V8, either of which could easily pull the added weight of a large third row. The brand’s famed quattro all-wheel drive (AWD) system is well-suited to large vehicles in demanding conditions.
And Audi dealers will welcome something new to sell. AN notes, “The luxury brand’s streak of six consecutive quarterly U.S. sales declines ended in the third quarter, but volume is still down 7.8% through September.”
