SUV buyers in the US can now find the 2027 Audi SQ9 at dealers, a 591-horsepower, twin-turbo V8 version of the largest model Audi has ever built, priced from $118,000 and quick enough to reach 60 mph in an estimated 3.8 seconds.
The first road tests went live on October 27, when the review embargo lifted for Car and Driver, CarBuzz, Edmunds and other outlets. CarBuzz wrote that the SQ9 is arriving at dealers “about the same time you read this”.
The starting price is $118,000, plus $1,395 for destination. CarBuzz’s test car, with almost every option ticked, came to $130,095.
The SQ9 is the sporty version of the new Q9, a full-size three-row SUV aimed mainly at North America. Audi told Car and Driver it expects 65 percent of Q9 sales to land there.
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A V8 with the output of an RS 6
Under the hood is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 with 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, available from 2,400 to 4,500 rpm. It drives all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic.
CarBuzz noted that this is the same output as the RS 6 Avant from a couple of years ago. That makes an RS-badged version of the big SUV feel almost unnecessary, the magazine said.
Audi estimates 3.8 seconds from 0 to 60 mph with launch control. Both Car and Driver and CarBuzz said they believe the number is conservative.
The regular Q9 uses a 429-horsepower twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 and needs an estimated 4.9 seconds to 60 mph. That is 162 horsepower less than the SQ9.
5,566 pounds that drive lighter
The SQ9 weighs 5,566 pounds. CarBuzz said it has “the reflexes of a car weighing 1,000 pounds less” on the twisting roads around Zion National Park.
Audi retuned its quattro all-wheel drive to send more power to the rear wheels by default. More aggressive torque vectoring between left and right helps the SUV turn in instead of pushing wide.
The bigger change is underneath. The SQ9 uses an electronically controlled locking rear differential, which Car and Driver called a first for Audi, although Porsche and Lamborghini have used similar systems.
That setup also allowed Audi’s first staggered-width tyres, wider at the back than at the front. They ride on standard 22-inch wheels or optional 23-inch rims.
Big brakes and steering at the back
Six-piston calipers grip 16.5-inch front brake rotors, with 15.0-inch rotors at the rear. The Q9 makes do with 15.7-inch and 13.8-inch discs.
Rear-wheel steering is standard on the SQ9. It can turn the rear wheels by up to five degrees, which shrinks the turning circle in parking lots and steadies the SUV at highway speed.
Air springs and adaptive dampers come on every SQ9. CarBuzz said the ride stayed composed on the freeway and on the frost-heaved back roads near Zion.
How it stacks up against AMG and BMW
The SQ9’s main rivals are the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 and the BMW X7 M60i. Mercedes claims 4.0 seconds to 60 mph for its new GLS 63, and BMW claims 4.5 seconds for the X7 M60i.
On price, the 2026 AMG GLS 63 started above $150,000, according to CarBuzz, and the 2027 model is not expected to be cheaper.
The BMW X7 M60i starts a few hundred dollars below the SQ9. But CarBuzz calculated that matching the Audi’s standard equipment pushes the BMW to around $125,000.
Longer than the X7 and the GLS
The Q9 and SQ9 ride on a 123.5-inch wheelbase, 2.6 inches longer than the Cadillac Escalade’s, according to Car and Driver. Overall length is about 209 inches.
That is roughly 3 inches shorter than the Escalade but several inches longer than both the BMW X7 and the Mercedes GLS, the two SUVs Audi is targeting most directly.
Buyers can pick a second-row bench or two captain’s chairs, a $450 option on the Q9. The roof carries the largest sunroof Audi has fitted to date, at 16 square feet.
The third row is the weak spot. Car and Driver said legroom back there is tight for adults, even though Audi claims more headroom than in the BMW or Mercedes.
The options worth paying for
Because the SQ9 comes nearly fully loaded, CarBuzz recommended only three extras. The $1,200 S Sport package adds firmer damping, a $950 Bang and Olufsen upgrade improves the audio, and an $850 towing package rounds out the list.
Buyers who want more can add the $4,750 Luxury package. It brings power-opening and closing doors and an onboard fragrance system, among other features.
A cabin full of screens
Inside, the SQ9 uses the cabin of the top Q9 Prestige trim with nicer materials. An extended leather package covers the dashboard and upper door panels, and carbon fibre trim is available.
The driver gets an 11.9-inch digital cluster and a 14.5-inch centre screen, while the front passenger has a separate 12.3-inch touchscreen. A head-up display is standard.
The Q9 family is also the first Audi in the US with adaptive digital matrix LED headlights. Car and Driver said American rules only recently changed to allow the technology.
Hands-free up to 85 mph
The Q9 and SQ9 introduce Audi’s adaptive cruise control with hands-free driving, a Level 2+ system. It allows hands-free driving up to 85 mph and can change lanes on its own.
Car and Driver tested it on Utah’s Interstate 15. The magazine said it worked as promised but sometimes switched off and back on in areas that looked well marked.
The one complaint and the missing market
Reviewers had one main gripe: the V8 is too quiet. Standard laminated glass keeps the cabin hushed on the highway.
CarBuzz said that even an SQ8, with 91 fewer horsepower, had a far more engaging exhaust note than the bigger and more powerful SQ9.
The SQ9 is also not for everyone. It is sold only in the US, China and the Middle East. European buyers get the six-cylinder Q9 and nothing more.
At $118,000 with 591 horsepower and three rows of seats, would the SQ9 be enough to pull family buyers away from the GLS and the X7?
