Audi Q9: New SUV flagship launches with diesel - additional powertrains confirmed

(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – In case anyone needed a reminder: Diesel engines are dying a slow, painful death in Europe. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association ACEA, their share of new car sales in the first half of the year has collapsed to just 6.5 percent.

That is far from the mid-2010s, when diesel engines still accounted for more than half of all newly sold vehicles on the continent.

Stricter emission regulations are likely to accelerate the end for diesel engines in Europe, but Audi continues to stick to its TDI. This is also the case in the new Q9, where such an engine makes sense, especially with regard to maximum trailer loads. In fact, the Q9 initially launches in Europe exclusively with a 3.0-liter V6 diesel with a mild hybrid system. In the USA, the brand with the four rings takes a different path: there, customers can choose between V6 and V8 gasoline engines. Euro 7 simply does not exist there…

Audi Q9 in Europe soon also with gasoline and plug-in hybrid

We wanted to know if there are plans to offer the Q9 in Europe with a powertrain other than diesel. An Audi spokesperson told Motor1 that the huge luxury SUV with three rows of seats will receive two more powertrain variants next year: a V6 gasoline engine and a plug-in hybrid. This was already becoming apparent, as the company had given us a similar answer earlier this year to the same question about the new Q7.

Photo gallery: New Audi Q9 (2026)

Whether the V8-powered SQ7 will come to Europe, Audi has not yet commented. The sharper SQ9, however, is officially under review: “We are evaluating if and when an offer could be possible.” While this is not yet a firm commitment, it opens the possibility that the high-performance variant will come to the European market as a rival to the BMW X7 M60i and the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 S.

Why Audi initially relies on diesel for the Q9

Why does Audi prioritize diesel? The manufacturer assumes that despite the massive loss of importance in Europe, it will remain the most sought-after powertrain. With this, Audi adopts the strategy of the Q7 for its bigger sibling. It goes without saying that the V6 TDI will not come to the USA. Diesel was never particularly popular there anyway, especially not after the infamous Dieselgate scandal.

Q9 becomes the de facto Audi flagship

Since the A8 is nearing the end of production, the Q9 will de facto become the brand’s new flagship. Although Audi has announced that a new top model is to appear towards the end of the decade, the VW Group is currently halving its model range, so the future of another model above the oversized SUV seems uncertain. The model range is currently undergoing a transformation: after the discontinuation of the A1 and Q2, the Q7 and Q9 are coming, and the A2 will also return this year as an electric entry-level model.

At first glance, it may seem contradictory to launch the Q9 in Europe initially with a diesel, even though this powertrain is in decline. But Audi has probably analyzed the market carefully and knows what customers want. Contrary to the trend, the V6 TDI remains an important pillar of the brand, as it is used in several models in the portfolio.

But the time for diesel and combustion engines overall is running out. By 2035, manufacturers must reduce their CO2 emissions by 90 percent compared to 2021. Although this is not the originally intended combustion engine ban by the EU, after the initially very ambitious decarbonization targets were relaxed, it is still hard to imagine that many vehicles with pure combustion engines will survive beyond the middle of the next decade. If at all, then mainly as hybrids. According to forecasts, the share of electric cars in Europe in 2035 is expected to be 87 percent.