Audi: SQ9 Is the Right Balance, but an RS Q9 Isn’t Ruled Out

Audi’s new full-size Q9 and SQ9 SUVs are meant to be tempting luxury haulers, but the brand isn’t focused on an even hotter RS version right now. In an interview with Road & Track, Audi of America’s Filip Brabec said the SQ9 hits “exactly the right balance.”

0-liter V8 making 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. That’s only 12 horsepower less than the 2026 Mercedes-AMG GLS 63, despite costing $30,000 less. It also beats the smaller SQ8 by 91 horsepower and sits just 40 horsepower behind the RS Q8 performance model, while costing $20,000 less than that two-row SUV.

3 seconds quicker than Mercedes’ estimate for the GLS 63 and less than half a second behind the RS Q8. Brabec noted that RS models are typically track-oriented, and a large three-row SUV wouldn’t be at home there.

Still, an RS Q9 isn’t off the table. ” Since the SQ9 is a North America-exclusive model, a more aggressive engine tune is possible without major re-engineering, and a plug-in hybrid version could also be considered. The Lamborghini Urus SE uses the same V8 with an electric motor to produce 789 horsepower, showing what that powertrain could do.