It is a Q9, or?
This camouflaged SUV is hard to miss as it hammers around the Nordschleife loop of the Nurburgring. This is not the first time that we have seen the prototype of the Audi Q9 in public. Its size, not to mention the large grille, makes it stand out. But is this really a Q9 model? We’ll get to that later.
Let’s first discuss what we saw. The camo wrap that was seen on previous sightings is still on the body. According to the number plate at the front, this is the exact prototype that we captured in a series spy photos at end October. The video shows us how the SUV loves speed. Although the driver seems to not push too hard, there is an occasional tire squeal in corners that indicates this isn’t a Sunday drive. We see some body roll, but it appears composed otherwise, even if it is a little lackluster. Performance is not the primary mission of the Q9, we suspect.
This could explain why the test vehicle is so quiet. It is not an EV, or hybrid, since we don’t see any markings that would be required for such vehicles to pass the Nurburgring test. We also didn’t see any exhaust outlets except for one moment at the 1:03 mark. Although there is a glinting light on the lower left, it doesn’t appear to be an exhaust tip. It is possible to build a quiet luxury SUV with internal combustion power, but regulations concerning hybrid and electric vehicles may have changed.
We are now back to the question whether this is an Audi Q9. According to Audi, the camouflage wrap matches that used for Chinese-market test cars. The Q9 may also ride on the MQB platform as opposed to the Q8. This vehicle could have MQB bones, which would make it a less sensible choice than a Q9 and may be a China-only offer. As we’ve seen, large SUVs are very popular in China. A large, affordable Audi with links to the VW Atlas might make sense. The MQB rumor could be wrong. This makes this a legitimate Q9 for China and the rest of the world.
We expect that answers will be forthcoming in either case when the camouflage has been removed and it is revealed fully.