Audi released interior details of the Q9, its first full-size three-row SUV, ahead of a summer launch. The Q9 will be the largest model in Audi’s lineup and arrives with electrically operated doors on all four corners, a feature new to the brand. The model will offer six or seven seats depending on configuration.
The timing matters. Audi sold 164,942 vehicles in the U.S. in 2025, down from 228,550 in 2023. The Q7, the brand’s current three-row offering, managed 9,975 sales last year while BMW’s smaller X5 moved 33,588 units. BMW’s X7, the direct competitor the Q9 was designed to meet, posted 31,575 sales in 2025, its strongest year since the model launched in 2019. Mercedes’ GLS also occupies this segment. Audi needs the Q9 to perform.
The Q9’s electric door system operates via key fob, the myAudi app, the MMI interface, the brake pedal, or the seatbelt buckle. Surround sensors with obstacle detection stop the door if clearance is insufficient, a function Audi positions as useful in tight parking spaces and for detecting cyclists or other approaching traffic. The doors open to a wide angle to ease entry with cargo or strollers.
Seating configurations split between practicality and theater. The six-seat layout uses two individual captain’s chairs in the second row with electric adjustment and active ventilation in the seat cushion and backrest. The seven-seat version fits three across the middle row, and all three positions accommodate child seats. Front seats offer ventilation and massage functions in the sports seat plus trim. Third-row seatbacks fold electrically.
The panoramic sunroof spans approximately 1.5 square meters and features nine individually controllable segments in laminated safety glass. Each segment can switch to opaque on command. The glass coating reflects infrared light and blocks more than 99.5 percent of UV radiation, eliminating the need for a conventional shade. When parked, the roof defaults to opaque to prevent visibility from outside. The top trim level adds 84 LEDs that bathe the roof in one of 30 colors synchronized with the ambient lighting.
Audio comes from an updated Bang & Olufsen system with 4D sound. The system includes headrest speakers for isolated phone calls and navigation prompts, and actuators in the front seats that add tactile feedback synchronized to music playback. The dynamic interaction light, a continuous LED strip spanning the dashboard, syncs with the rhythm of music and matches color schemes to album artwork.
Materials include alpaca fiber, Dinamica microfiber, leather and leatherette blends, and Nappa leather. Decorative trim options include fine grain ash, lime structure, and carbon fiber weave with basalt gray accents. New color options include tamarind brown and stone beige. The center console houses two wireless charging pads compliant with the Qi2.2 standard and USB-C ports delivering up to 100 watts. An aluminum rail system integrated into the trunk sides allows cargo to be secured in three dimensions with sliding hooks and adjustable anchors.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner framed the Q9 as an experience product. “With the Q9, ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ is increasingly defined by the in-car experience,” he said. “Cars have long been much more than just a means of transportation; they are mobile living spaces for our customers.”
The full Q9 specification, including powertrain options and pricing, will be disclosed at the model’s world premiere this summer. The Q9 is a stretched version of the next-generation Q7 due in 2027. For context, the current Q8 coupe-SUV ranges from $75,695 to $125,800 for the RS Q8 variant. Audi will need the Q9 priced competitively and positioned clearly if it expects to reverse two years of declining U.S. volume in a segment BMW currently owns.
Source: Audi press release. Images courtesy of Audi.
