Audi is preparing to launch the 2027 Audi Q9, a new luxury SUV aimed squarely at an American audience, and CarBuzz got a close look at the interior in Munich, Germany. Audi is calling it its biggest vehicle ever, and the model is set up to take on the Cadillac Escalade, Mercedes-Benz GLS and BMW X7.
The Q9 will be Audi’s first full-size luxury SUV and a new halo model for the brand. It will have three rows of seating and can be ordered with six or seven seats, depending on how the cabin is configured. In the six-seat layout, the second row gets captain’s chairs and the third row has two individual seats. Audi says both rows are roomy enough for adults, including the third row, though it is slightly tighter than an Escalade and more comfortable than a Volvo XC90.
That matters because Audi has spent years trying to build a bigger answer to the kind of body-on-frame and three-row luxury SUVs that dominate the U.S. market. The company has also said its Q7, long its largest SUV, is due for replacement later this year, making the Q9 the new top of the range and, by Audi’s own description, the larger of the two.
The preview showed a cabin built around convenience as much as size. Front-row occupants can get heated, ventilated and massaging seats with the sport seat plus option, while rear-seat passengers currently receive heating only. A seven-seat version uses a second-row bench that can accommodate child seats in all three positions, and partial power adjustment for every seat will be standard.
There are also details meant to make a large SUV feel easier to live with. The third-row seats can be raised and lowered independently at the touch of a button from inside the trunk. Audi said the extra size has been used well with clever storage solutions, including an aluminum rail system integrated into the trunk sides with adjustable hooks and anchors to keep smaller items above the floor and leave room below for bigger bags and boxes.
The center console includes two wireless charging pads that are ventilated and use magnetic locking to keep phones from sliding around, along with USB-C charging ports in the cabin. Audi has not yet given exact cabin dimensions, but the Q9’s interior makes clear the company is trying to sell more than just scale. It is trying to sell a flagship that can open, close and carry itself like a luxury statement, not just a bigger version of what came before.
That ambition extends to the doors. Audi says the Q9 will be the first model from the brand with power-operated doors that open and close automatically, even though the exterior handles remain physical. A single pull and release opens the door, which can swing out to 90 degrees, and it closes automatically when the driver or passenger gets in, buckles up or presses the brake pedal. External sensors are designed to stop the doors from opening too wide when space is tight and can also prevent a door from opening if an unseen cyclist or car approaches as someone tries to get out.
The setup can be controlled remotely through the myAudi app and the key fob, giving Audi a feature set that sounds closer to a showcase vehicle than a conventional SUV. In the end, that is what the Q9 appears to be: Audi’s attempt to move into the highest tier of the American luxury-SUV fight with a vehicle that is larger, richer and more theatrical than the Q7, and one that is built to be noticed the moment the doors begin to move.
