Audi has unveiled its largest ever car – the massive Q9/SQ9 SUV.
In a month where rival Range Rover seemed to be stepping back from the traditional big boxy SUV style the high-tech, high-end and simply high height Audi is a vote for old-school enormity.
It is already being called too big for European and UK roads and parking spaces but Audi is confident buyers in North America and the Middle East will embrace its size-means-prestige philosophy.
The Q9 certainly offers a massive amount of space inside and will score among buyers valuing true seven-seat luxury. We’ve reported before on how this seven-seat SUV war is hotting up, particularly in the US.
That’s why Audi’s third row of seats has been made particularly spacious and why Audi described its own new brand flagship as "unapologetically high-status." The Q9 will be offered with a choice of a standard seven-seat configuration and an optional six-seat set-up that has two individual power-adjustable chairs in the second row.
But in the seven-seater space race, the all-conquering Escalade has almost six inches more leg room in the third row. Both are cramped compared to the Lincoln Navigator and Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
And the Escalade still towers a further five-and-a-half inches above the Q9 in the all-important 'how high it looks on my driveway' stakes. Caddy owners can still look down on the German import, literally.
Of course, it’s not just about size, there’s looks to appreciate too. The Slovakian-built Q9 has embraced a more modern, perhaps Chinese-inspired styling, while the Escalade sticks with good old boxy American luxury.
The differences become more acute when you look at construction. The Audi is a unibody crossover focused on car-like driving dynamics and cutting-edge tech, the Cadillac and most US full-size SUVs are truck-based, body-on-frame leviathans built for space and presence with towing strength and power.
The new Q9 has broken from Audi's traditionally understated SUV shapes, with a more aggressive and futuristic vibe and even including whacky light animations. Ultra-slim digital daytime running lights sit high up, while matrix LED headlights hide lower in the bumper vents.
The defining feature is the gargantuan, octagonal grille flanked by a split-headlight layout. It was immediately likened to “"an oversized Hannibal Lecter mask" by Top Gear, which also described the Q9 as "officially too big for London."
The Q9’s gently sloping roofline, tapering window line and muscular rear wheel arches help it look like it can actually move. But it needs big wheels, they range from 21 to a massive 23 inches.
In the US, Audi powers the standard Q9 with a 429-hp twin-turbo V6. Elsewhere there is a diesel V6 with mild hybrid help. Americans can also opt for the high-powered SQ9, a 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbo producing 591 hp and 590 lb.ft (800 Nm). It’s rapid. The SQ9 lurches from 0 to 60 mph (96.5 km/h) in just 3.8 seconds, which Audi boasts is the quickest sprint in its class.
There’s the latest Euro-technologies like adaptive cruise assist plus with hands-free driving. This means at speeds of up to 85 mph (136.8 km/h), drivers can take their hands off the wheel while the system handles steering, acceleration and braking.
There’s too much tech to list here, pop to the Audi site for more details. But highlights include doors that open and close automatically as you approach the car. They can also be controlled through an interior screen or via the Audi app.
As a nod to safety campaigners horrified by its sheer bulk, the doors also contain sensors to prevent them from opening into the path of a passing vehicle or cyclist. Other safety tech includes flashing direction lights that project a second indicator signal onto the road beneath them.
Up front, the Q9 goes full high-tech with a three-screen dashboard similar to the A6 and Q7 (11.9-in instrument panel, 14.5-in curved infotainment touchscreen and 12.3-in passenger’s screen).
The big Audi is built on the Premium Platform Combustion, which now underpins most big Audis and the forthcoming big Porsche SUV. This mounts the engine longitudinally, allowing a traditional Torsen differential for permanent four-wheel drive. There’s standard adaptive air suspension, rear-wheel steering and adjustable ride height. And don’t forget Audi’s biggest ever sunroof, which offers switchable transparency and ambient after-dark lighting.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said the high-spec gadget and tech-heavy car shows "where we are taking the Audi brand" – in other words, it is moving upmarket.
The SUV should be available to order now, with deliveries set to commence from November. You'll need some serious pocket change to bag one of these monsters, with the Q9 coming with a starting price of US$87,700. The SQ9 starts at 118,000.
Source: Audi
