Because there are not enough SUVs the size of Jumbo, Audi is preparing its largest Q model so far. In 2026, the Q9 will finally participate in the Line -up after years of rumors about a luxury barge from Ingolstadt to compete against the BMW X7 and Mercedes GLS. The four rings have certainly taken their time to enter the full SUV segment, but as the saying reads, better than never.
Audi’s development boss, Geoffrey Bouquot, said Car -week The Q9 will arrive next year next to a new Q7. The latter has been around for a decade and two facelifts undergoes to stay fresh against the X5 and GLE. Both newcomers will share the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) with the latest A5, Q5 and A6. The same substantiation is expected for Porsche’s new Macan replacement of gas, in 2028.
Although Bouquot has not dealt with the new models in detail, PPC is designed to house gasoline, diesel, mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. The hardware also supports access extensions, although Audi has not said whether the Q7 or Q9 will take over this technology. It is interesting that there are rumors that BMW’s Future X5 will breathe new life into the Range-Extender setup that is once used in the ODball i3 Hatchback.
The Q9 is not the only new luxury living room on wheels in the Volkswagen Group portfolio. Porsche also works on an SUV with three rows that was initially planned as a pure EV, but Zuffenhausen had to reconsider the project and add combustion engines with plug-in hybrid options to the mix. Above the Cayenne, the newcomer is first launched with gas engines, while the EV version is delayed.
Betting on combustion engines may again prove to be wise if the European Union decides to release the ban of 2035. As it looks now, no new gas or diesel cars will be sold from the following decade. However, the statement will be revised before the end of the year and reports suggest that plug-in hybrids can continue beyond the closing date.
Audi’s arch rivals urge the EU to cancel the ban. Mercedes CEO Ola Kälenius recently warned that the European car industry is on its way to “at full speed against a wall” and can eventually “collapse”. His BMW opposite, Oliver Zipse, warned that the ban “can kill an industry.”
Hopefully the EU will listen.
NOTE: The top image shows Motor1’s 2027 Audi Q7 view.
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