Audi Q9 arrives 2026; Q7 next-gen as Audi pivots on EVs
Audi confirms 2026 Q9 flagship and next-gen Q7, moderates EV push
Audi Q9 arrives 2026; Q7 next-gen as Audi pivots on EVs
Audi confirms the 2026 Q9 flagship and next-gen Q7 on the PPC platform, as Audi and Porsche temper electrification and ready a three-row SUV above Cayenne.
2025-09-25T11:31:48+03:00
2025-09-25T11:31:48+03:00
2025-09-25T11:31:48+03:00
Audi has officially confirmed the launch of the largest SUV in its history, the Q9, arriving in 2026. Aimed squarely at the BMW X7 and Mercedes GLS, it will round out the brand’s premium SUV family and finally give Audi a true flagship in this segment. That same year will also bring the next-generation Q7, a model that has been on the market for a decade and has already gone through two facelifts.Both models will use the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), which supports gasoline, diesel, mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Development is being overseen by Audi’s chief technology officer, Geoffroy Bucco. Choosing a multi-energy platform suggests a deliberate push to keep options open across regions with different regulations and buyer expectations.Volkswagen Group is also adjusting its broader strategy: Porsche is preparing a three-row SUV positioned above the current Cayenne. Initially planned as an electric vehicle, it will now debut with internal-combustion and hybrid versions, while the battery-electric variant has been postponed.In effect, Audi and Porsche have moderated their drive toward full electrification. Combustion engines will remain in the lineup at least until the mid-2030s, and Audi has abandoned its goal of going EV-only from 2032. It reads less like a retreat and more like a pragmatic pivot in a market where signals change quickly.This approach may prove justified if the European Union eases the planned 2035 ban on sales of new combustion cars. Executives at Mercedes and BMW are already warning that overly strict limits could, in their view, end up destroying the industry in Europe. Against that backdrop, keeping hybrids and combustion on the table looks like prudent risk management.
Audi Q9 2026, Audi Q7 next-gen, Premium Platform Combustion, Porsche three-row SUV, electrification strategy, hybrids, plug-in hybrid, BMW X7, Mercedes GLS, Volkswagen Group
2025
Michael Powers
news
Audi confirms 2026 Q9 flagship and next-gen Q7, moderates EV push
Audi confirms the 2026 Q9 flagship and next-gen Q7 on the PPC platform, as Audi and Porsche temper electrification and ready a three-row SUV above Cayenne.
Michael Powers, Editor
Audi has officially confirmed the launch of the largest SUV in its history, the Q9, arriving in 2026. Aimed squarely at the BMW X7 and Mercedes GLS, it will round out the brand’s premium SUV family and finally give Audi a true flagship in this segment. That same year will also bring the next-generation Q7, a model that has been on the market for a decade and has already gone through two facelifts.
Both models will use the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), which supports gasoline, diesel, mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Development is being overseen by Audi’s chief technology officer, Geoffroy Bucco. Choosing a multi-energy platform suggests a deliberate push to keep options open across regions with different regulations and buyer expectations.
Volkswagen Group is also adjusting its broader strategy: Porsche is preparing a three-row SUV positioned above the current Cayenne. Initially planned as an electric vehicle, it will now debut with internal-combustion and hybrid versions, while the battery-electric variant has been postponed.
In effect, Audi and Porsche have moderated their drive toward full electrification. Combustion engines will remain in the lineup at least until the mid-2030s, and Audi has abandoned its goal of going EV-only from 2032. It reads less like a retreat and more like a pragmatic pivot in a market where signals change quickly.
This approach may prove justified if the European Union eases the planned 2035 ban on sales of new combustion cars. Executives at Mercedes and BMW are already warning that overly strict limits could, in their view, end up destroying the industry in Europe. Against that backdrop, keeping hybrids and combustion on the table looks like prudent risk management.
