Audi Q9: UK Price, Specs and Release Date for Audi's Biggest-Ever SUV
  

Audi has just thrown open the order books on the Q9, and it's fair to say the German brand hasn't been shy about scale. This is the largest car Audi has ever built, a seven-seat flagship SUV designed to go head-to-head with the BMW X7, Mercedes-Benz GLS and Range Rover, while also giving Audi a genuine foothold in the enormous full-size luxury SUV market in the US, Middle East and China.

For UK buyers, the Q9 is now officially on sale, with pricing, specification and delivery timings confirmed. Here's everything you need to know, straight from Audi's own information, including how it stacks up against its closest rivals.

2026 Audi Q9 UK price

The Q9 goes on sale in the UK from £103,900 on the road for the entry-level Edition 1 trim, rising to £113,250 for the range-topping Vorsprung specification. That places it firmly in six-figure territory before you've even glanced at the options list, and well above the existing Q7 and Q8 in Audi's SUV line-up.

Orders are open now, with the first UK customer deliveries expected in November 2026. Every car is built at Audi's Bratislava plant in Slovakia, on the same production line as the Q7.

2026 Audi Q9 Dimensions

Audi isn't exaggerating when it calls the Q9 its biggest model to date. It measures:

• 5.31 metres long
• 2.21 metres wide (including door mirrors)
• 1.81 metres tall
• 3.14-metre wheelbase

Those dimensions make it significantly larger than the already vast Q7, giving it a truly commanding road presence. Audi has leaned into that with an upright, wide-set front end and a deliberately assertive single frame grille.

While that size might make Q9 trickier to park and pilot on tighter UK roads, it pays dividends when it comes to practicality. With the second and third rows folded flat, boot space swells to as much as 2,308 litres, and Audi has fitted an aluminium rail system in the load area so smaller items can be strapped down without eating into the main floor space.

2026 Audi Q9 Engine and performance

At launch, there's only one powertrain available in the UK: a 3.0-litre V6 TDI diesel producing 299PS and 630Nm of torque. It's paired with an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox and Audi's permanent quattro all-wheel-drive system as standard. Together, this setup achieves a respectable 6.5-second 0-60 mph sprint.

The diesel engine is boosted by Audi's MHEV plus mild-hybrid system, which pairs a belt-driven starter-generator with a lithium iron phosphate battery. This set-up can add up to 24PS of extra assistance when pulling away or overtaking, and it also powers an electrically driven compressor designed to sharpen throttle response at lower engine speeds. That's a useful boost given how much metal this engine has to shift.

Every Q9 rides on adaptive air suspension, capable of adjusting ride height across a 90mm range depending on speed, load and road conditions, and all-wheel steering is standard too, which should help tighten the turning circle of a car this size at low speeds.

Audi has confirmed that further engine options, including additional mild-hybrid diesel and petrol variants plus a plug-in hybrid, will join the range over time, with quattro all-wheel drive fitted across the board.

2026 Audi Q9 Interior and technology

Space is really the point of the Q9, and Audi has built the cabin to emphasise that. The standard layout seats seven across three rows in a 2-3-2 configuration, with heated seats fitted throughout and full electric adjustment. Buyers who want a more executive feel can specify an optional Lounge Pack on Vorsprung models, which swaps the third-row bench for a six-seat layout with individual "captain's chair" style seats in the second row, complete with ventilation and massage functions.

As for Standard equipment, on Edition 1 cars you get 22-inch alloy wheels, Matrix LED headlights, a switchable panoramic sunroof, and a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system. Move up to Vorsprung and you gain 23-inch wheels, automatic power-operated doors that open and close via sensors or the myAudi smartphone app, and Audi's new curved digital OLED rear lights, a world-first lighting technology making its debut on the Q9.

That panoramic sunroof is worth a mention on its own. At more than 1.5 square metres, it's the largest ever fitted to an Audi, and its nine individually controllable segments can be switched from clear to opaque at the touch of a button for glare control.

On the technology side, the dashboard is built around a trio of screens: an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster, a 14.5-inch central touchscreen and a 12.3-inch display for the front passenger. The infotainment system runs on Android Automotive OS, and Audi's voice assistant can call on ChatGPT to answer general questions it can't handle itself. Driver assistance is well catered for too, with adaptive cruise assist, a 3D surround-view camera system and an adaptive driving assistant plus package that enables hands-free driving in supported conditions, all fitted as standard.

A second lighting innovation worth flagging is Audi's new "advanced turn signals," which project an illuminated signal onto the road surface at night when indicating or changing lanes, working alongside the dynamic indicators front and rear to make the car's intentions clearer to other road users.

How the Audi Q9 compares to its rivals

The Q9 arrives into a small but well-established club of full-size luxury SUVs, and Audi has been explicit about who it's aiming at.

BMW X7 is the most direct rival in terms of size and market position, though the current X7 is due to be replaced soon, which could leave Audi with a temporary technology advantage. Mercedes-Benz GLS has recently been updated and remains the class benchmark for many buyers, with a similarly plush three-row cabin. Then there's the Range Rover, which competes on badge prestige and off-road ability more than outright interior tech, and already offers plug-in hybrid and electric power, something the Q9 doesn't yet have at launch. In the US, Audi is also positioning the Q9 against the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator.

Where the Q9 differentiates itself is largely through technology. The curved OLED rear lights, ground-projected turn signals and enormous panoramic roof aren't yet available on any of its direct rivals, and the triple-screen cabin is as tech-focused as anything in the segment. Whether that's enough to draw buyers away from the established prestige of the X7, GLS or Range Rover nameplates will likely come down to test drives and dealer experience rather than the spec sheet alone.

What tyres does the Audi Q9 wear?

According to Audi's own press imagery the Q9 will be shod with Hankook Ventus rubber, that the manufacturer developed as original equipment for Audi's Q7 and Q9 flagship SUVs. It's a sensible pairing: both tyres are built around the same hardware the Q9 carries, namely adaptive air suspension and dynamic all-wheel steering, and they're engineered to keep a heavy, high-riding SUV composed under load without sacrificing wet-weather grip or refinement on long motorway runs. For a car this size and weight, that combination of stability and comfort matters more than outright grip figures.

Verdict: is the Audi Q9 worth the money?

At over £100,000 before options, the Audi Q9 is a serious financial commitment, and for now buyers only have a single diesel engine to choose from. That's a slightly unusual position for a flagship model in 2026, though Audi has confirmed hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions are coming. What you get in return is a genuinely enormous, tech-laden seven-seater with class-leading lighting features and one of the largest panoramic roofs on sale.

For UK families or business users who need serious space and don't mind a diesel engine for now, the Q9 is a compelling new option in a class that hasn't seen much fresh competition in years. Full order books are open, with prices starting at £103,900 and first deliveries due in November 2026.