After years on the sidelines, Audi is finally preparing to enter the full-size luxury SUV segment. The first-ever Q9 is something of a late bloomer, considering Mercedes has been selling the GL-Class (later GLS) since 2006. BMW followed in 2018 with the X7. The segment is especially competitive in North America, where buyers can also choose a Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, and others.
News of the Q9 was confirmed this week by Audi’s development chief, Geoffrey Bouquot, in an interview with Automobilwoche. While he didn’t disclose specifics, we have it on good authority that the luxobarge will be offered exclusively with combustion engines. By contrast, the next BMW X7 (“G67”), due in 2027, will also spawn an electric iX7. That won’t be the case for Ingolstadt’s largest SUV.
The year 2026 will be a busy one for Audi, with the next-generation Q7 also scheduled to debut. BMW is doing the same with the new X5 (“G65”), which will gain an electric variant dubbed iX5. Audi’s revamped Q7 will share its platform with big-brother Q9, an architecture that doesn’t support EVs.
Audi has already axed the Q8 E-Tron lineup due to weak demand, leaving BMW’s iX5, iX7, and iX without direct competition from Ingolstadt in the electric space. Meanwhile, Bavaria is set to expand its presence in the segment with an ALPINA version of the next X7, available with both combustion and electric drivetrains. That model is rumored to carry a separate codename, “G69” instead of “G67,” potentially signaling greater differentiation.
Although Audi once pledged to go fully electric by 2032, the brand has since walked back that ambitious target. Launching the Q7 and Q9 with combustion engines makes it clear that ICE models will remain well into the next decade. We wouldn’t be surprising if traditional drivetrains persist into the 2040s. BMW has long argued that buyers shouldn’t be forced into EVs, standing by its “Power of Choice” strategy.
That said, the Neue Klasse will significantly accelerate BMW’s electrification push. Once the lineup is fully rolled out, Bavaria will have more EVs on offer than Audi, but not at the expense of combustion engines. Gasoline and even diesel cars will remain part of the portfolio for the foreseeable future. In fact, the next X5 has already been confirmed with diesel power, and the X7 is expected to follow suit.
Source: Automobilwoche (subscription required)