Three-row Audi Q9 earmarked for unveiling next year

With the A8 allegedly on course to be succeeded, designation-wise, be the all-electric A9 in 2024, a report from Spain has claimed that Audi could well be revealing the much rumoured Q9 as early as next year.

First mentioned in 2018 as a larger a coupe-styled variant of the Q8, a claim Germany’s Auto Bild debunked back in January, motor.es reports that Ingolstadt’s rival for the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS will use the MLB Evo platform underpinning the Q7, Q8, Volkswagen Touareg, Lamborghini Urus and Bentley Bentayga, but with dimensions greater than the latter and seating for seven in three rows. A four-seat arrangement will however be offered on pricier derivatives.

Set to feature Audi’s latest Singleframe grille and an upgraded interior, motivation will allegedly be provided by an electrified version of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo TFSI V8 delivering 441 kW, the same output produced by the RS6 Avant. Likely to join later but so far unconfirmed are S and RS offshoots.

With a trademark for the Q9 nomenclature submitted and reportedly approved, the online publication states that the four rings has already commissioned a batch of test mules for pre-production testing, and that these will become visible over the next few months via spy images. Sales are only expected to commence for real in 2022, but more details, including the mentioned spy shots, are a given throughout 2021 with the reveal likely to be that of a concept model with final production aesthetics.

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