Audi Q9 SUV debuts as brand pushes for a U.S. sales rebound
Audi unveiled the three-row Q9 SUV starting at $89,095 as it tries to regain ground in the U.S. luxury market.
By Theo Nakamura · Staff Writer
· 3 min read
Audi Q9 SUV details matter for investors because the German luxury brand is aiming a new three-row flagship at one of the most lucrative parts of the U.S. auto market. Audi unveiled the full-size Q9 on Tuesday, along with a higher-performance SQ9, as U.S. sales remain under pressure.
The Q9 starts at $89,095, while the SQ9 starts at $119,395, according to Audi. The two models join the compact Q3 and midsize Q7 SUVs that Audi introduced earlier this year, giving the brand a broader lineup in a market where large premium SUVs can carry strong pricing.
Filip Brabec, Audi of America’s senior vice president of product management, said at the New York reveal that the Q9 was designed with American buyers in mind, including its six- and eight-cylinder engines and large cupholders. He said SUVs account for more than 80% of the premium segment in the U.S.
What is the Audi Q9 SUV?
The Audi Q9 is a full-size, three-row luxury SUV and the first Audi model to use the Q9 name. Audi is positioning it as a flagship U.S. vehicle, meaning it sits at the top of the brand’s SUV lineup in size, price and features.
The Q9 measures 209 inches long and 86.8 inches wide including the side mirrors, according to Audi. The company says it is large enough for adults to sit in the third row, a key point in a segment where buyers often compare usable space as much as badge or performance.
Audi said the standard Q9 uses a 2.9-liter V6 engine with 429 horsepower and a 0-to-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds. The SQ9 uses a 4.0-liter V8 engine with 591 horsepower, 590 foot-pounds of torque and a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds.
The vehicle also brings newer technology to Audi’s U.S. lineup. Audi said the Q9 includes matrix adaptive beam headlights, which use small LEDs to shape the light pattern and reduce glare for other drivers. The model also includes a ChatGPT-powered voice assistant, a hands-free driver-assist function and the largest moonroof Audi has put in a vehicle.
Why Audi is pushing SUVs in the U.S.
Audi’s U.S. sales fell 16% in 2025 from the prior year, according to company data. The decline continued in the first half of 2026, with sales down 17% from the same period in 2025. First-quarter sales dropped 30% year over year.
Audi has pointed to tariffs and the end of federal electric vehicle incentives as factors weighing on its U.S. results. For a car company, tariffs can raise the cost of imported vehicles, which can make pricing harder if rivals build more vehicles locally.
That local manufacturing gap is a key issue for Audi. BMW and Mercedes-Benz both operate U.S. factories, while Audi currently imports all of its vehicles. Volkswagen, Audi’s parent company, has a plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is building a South Carolina factory for Scout, but Audi does not currently manufacture vehicles in the U.S.
Rivals have held up better this year. Mercedes-Benz sales were down about 3.5% through June, while BMW sales were up 4.7% over the same period.
Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars, said Audi is responding to vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz GLS and BMW X7 with a model that can offer more space, a higher sticker price and more profit potential. Tom Narayan, global autos analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said the new product is a positive for Audi, but tariffs are likely to remain a major factor in the brand’s U.S. performance.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.
