THE luxury SUV wars are about to heat up as the Audi Q9 ‘Horch’, emerging from heavy testing in full camouflage, has revealed what could be a heavyweight contender in the UK’s chauffeur market.
It’s bespoke badging ‘Horch’, the Q9 is poised to challenge the likes of the Mercedes‑Maybach GLS by offering a chauffeur-friendly, ultra-premium SUV under the Audi umbrella.
The name Horch comes from August Horch, the pioneering German engineer who founded A. Horch & Cie. in 1899 and later went on to create a second firm that bore the Latinised name Audi. Over time, Horch merged into what became Auto Union alongside Audi, DKW and Wanderer.
By reviving the Horch badge at the top of Audi’s range, the manufacturer is tapping into a deep history of high craftsmanship and prestige, sending a signal that this isn’t just another large SUV, but rather a ‘flagship of the flagship’.
While full technical details of the Q9 Horch remain under wraps, current reporting suggests it would come with three rows of seating and more generous dimensions than the Q7 / Q8.
Early prototypes of the Q9 Horch reveal a striking presence – a significantly larger body than the current Audi Q7, and a redesigned Singleframe grille featuring strong vertical slats, a nod to classic Horch designs.
At the rear, the license plate has been moved down into the bumper, suggesting a newly styled tailgate with distinctive design elements.
Inside, the Q9 Horch is expected to offer top-grade materials such as Nappa leather, generous rear-seat space, and a cocoon-like atmosphere for passengers.
The Q9 is built on Audi’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) – a modular base that supports both traditional combustion engines and hybrid systems.
Powertrain options are expected to include high-output petrol engines (likely a twin-turbo V8 for the top-end Horch variant) as well as hybridised systems, possibly plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions for the European market.
The launch window is widely reported to fall within 2025-26, with early spells in testing now.
