Audi Q9 SUV to replace A8 as flagship model – CEO

2024 Audi Q7 facelift

The upcoming Audi Q9 will indirectly succeed the A8 sedan as the German brand’s flagship model when the SUV makes its debut later this year, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner has stated.

This is aimed at markets including North America, China and the Middle East, though it will also be offered in the United Kingdom, reported Autocar. “The new Audi Q9 strengthens our position in the US and defines the top of our portfolio,” Döllner said.

According to the report, the upcoming three-row Audi Q9 will be offered with a seven-seater configuration, or with a six-seater layout featuring more luxurious separate rear seats. This would place the Q9 in the realm of models such as the Mercedes-Benz GLS and the BMW X7.

The upcoming Audi Q9 SUV will serve as an indirect replacement for the outgoing Audi A8

Earlier this week, Döllner revealed that the Q9 will be one of two models the brand will debut later this year, with the other being the A2 e-tron.

Technical details for the Q9 have yet to be fully disclosed, though the SUV flagship is expected to use the Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture for a range of powertrain choices, which is likely to include the 4.0 litre turbocharged petrol V8 that serves in the likes of the SQ8 and RSQ8.

Models within the manufacturer group often have a shared basis with other models the upcoming Q9 is no exception, as it will share its PPC underpinnings with another upcoming model from the group, a Porsche seven-seater SUV flagship model said to be codenamed K1 and be powered by V6 and V8 engines.

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