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The arrival of Audi’s biggest SUV ever - the Q9 - is imminent according to German reports saying the brand will finally launch its BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS rival in 2026.
For most people the Audi Q7 is big enough. At 5072mm end-to-end and 2122mm wide with seven seats over three rows, it’s considered a large SUV in Australia and it competes with the likes of BMW’s X5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE.
The only problem for Audi is that its competitors offer a size above this: the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS, both about 5.2m long and offering more cabin room and cargo space even with all seven seats in use.
Now according to German publication Automobilwoche Audi’s long-awaited answer to these gigantic rivals will be the Q9 and it will be arriving in Europe as early as next year.
Audi has not confirmed the existence of the Q9 despite the spy shots taken of a super large camouflaged SUV from the brand monstering its way around the Nurburgring track in Germany.
It's also understood the Q9 and next generation Q7 will use Audi's 'Premium Platform Combustion' architecture, meaning the SUVs won't be electric vehicles but instead come with a choice of combustion engines and hybrid systems.
The X7 offers a choice of petrol and diesel engines, as does the GLS but Mercedes-Benz which also offers a fully-electric EQS variant.
The Mercedes-Benz GLS (formerly GL-Class) has been sold since 2006, while the BMW X7 arrived relatively recently in 2018. The next-gen Audi Q7 is definitely overdue.
The biggest markets in the world for the X7 and GLS are the United States and China, with these models popular in Australia, as well. Year-to-date figures (end-August) for the GLS stand at 443 units while the X7 sales have reached 709 over the same period.
Will the Q9 come to Australia? Almost certainly. How much will it cost? That’s unknown, but if we go by the X7’s starting price of $172,500 and GLS’s entry fee of $184,900 you can expect to pay around the same amount.
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