'RS Performance For An S Price' - Audi's 591-HP Family SUV Doesn't Need An RS Model

Key Points:

• Audi's new full-size Q9 and SQ9 SUVs offer spacious luxury, advanced technology, and powerful performance, with the SQ9 featuring a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 producing 591 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque.
• The SQ9 balances power and price effectively, delivering performance close to higher-end models like the RS Q8 and Mercedes-AMG GLS 63, but at a significantly lower cost, making an even sportier RS variant less urgent.
• Audi of America’s Senior VP Filip Brabec emphasized that the SQ9 hits the right balance for now, and although an RS-branded full-size SUV isn't planned, the company remains open to the possibility in the future.
• Potential RS Q9 models could incorporate more aggressive tuning or hybrid powertrains similar to the Lamborghini Urus SE, which shares the SQ9’s V8 engine combined with electric motors for much higher output.
• Audi aims to strengthen its position in the US large SUV market with the Q9 lineup, but the introduction of a high-performance RS Q9 remains uncertain and contingent on market demand and strategic fit.