MUNICH—Later this summer, Audi will unveil its new flagship model. In the past, that role had been filled by the A8, but that was before SUVs found so much favor; even in Europe, a majority of car buyers now swing that way. But forget Europe for a moment. The new Q9 is Audi’s first full-size SUV, underscoring the importance of the North American market. Late in development, the company even redesigned the cupholders to fit those giant insulated mugs that briefly became a retail obsession.
We can only show this exterior-camouflaged Q9 for now, but the photos show the production interior. Or at least that’s one of the possible trims; if you want the interior to evoke more of an Endor or Tatooine feel rather than Mustafar, there are beiges and browns, including an interesting open-grain olive wood alternative to the coarse carbon fiber you see here. The mix of different textures really helps elevate the Q9’s interior, which leaves glossy finishes behind in favor of matte wherever possible.
The view up front was inspired by the way the brand’s 2021 Grandsphere concept wrapped its dash around front seat occupants. The Grandsphere didn’t have to rely on actually available technology, and it didn’t bother with screens for the future it was imagined for. The Q9 doesn’t have that luxury, but it does have acres of digital real estate. The main instrument display and infotainment screens curve around the driver, but they aren’t particularly tall, so you have a clear view down the hood over the interaction light that runs along the base of the windshield and provides an additional visual cue when you use your turn signals or hazard lights.
“When you close the car… what we wanted to create is it’s calming you down in a way and giving this kind of luxury approach that everything is controlled, everything’s floating, everything is quiet and everything is in its place,” explained Audi designer Chris Koelle.
Here’s the Q9 from the driver’s seat. Audi
Virtual Cockpit finds its mojo again
I was pleased to see that a moving map view is once again an option for the main instrument display. Audi pioneered this feature with its Virtual Cockpit, but it has been curiously missing from several recent models we’ve driven. Then again, it’s also present in the new Q3, which lives at the very other end of Audi’s SUV range. The Q3 and Q9 also share the same not-stalks that you use to turn on the turn signals and wipers (left side) and engage park/drive/reverse (right side). The action of using them to flick on the wipers or the lights is basically identical to a conventional stalk.