The X7 and the GLS have had this corner of the German three-row market to themselves. The 2027 Audi Q9 is the first time Ingolstadt shows up with a full-size SUV of its own. This is a spec comparison, not a drive. The Q9 is not in customer hands yet. The other two are.
The U.S. stickers, kept in one market
On manufacturer sites, the Q9 starts at $87,700. BMW USA lists the 2027 X7 xDrive40i at $87,500 (375 hp, 0–60 in 5.6 seconds) and the X7 M60i at $115,000 (523 hp, 4.5 seconds). Mercedes-Benz USA lists the 2026 GLS 450 at $90,250 and the GLS 580 at $116,150. Destination-included third-party numbers are not used here.
That is the peg: the Q9 undercuts the GLS 450 at the start, and sits $200 over the X7 xDrive40i. The SQ9 starts at $118,000. That undercuts the GLS 580 and sits $3,000 over the M60i, with more horsepower than the BMW V8.
The Q9 is the longest of the three
Audi calls the Q9 the largest Audi ever: 5.31 meters (~209 inches) long, 3.14-meter wheelbase, 2.21 meters wide including mirrors, 1.81 meters tall. BMW USA’s X7 is 203.6 inches long, 122.2-inch wheelbase, 87.3 inches with mirrors, 72.2 inches tall. Mercedes USA’s GLS 450 is 205.0 inches, 123.4-inch wheelbase, 84.9 inches with mirrors, 71.8 inches tall. The Q9 is longer than both. The X7 is the shortest and the tallest.
Seven seats are standard on the Q9. A six-seat layout with electrically adjustable second-row chairs is optional. The GLS 450 lists the same 7-or-6 split. Automatic doors, Audi’s largest panoramic roof (more than 1.5 square meters), and curved digital OLED rear lamps are Q9 kit. Hands-free adaptive cruise assist plus is listed on mapped roads in the U.S., Canada, and Germany up to 130 km/h / 85 mph. This piece does not claim equivalent hands-free systems for the X7 or GLS.
The six-cylinder gap, then the V8s
The U.S. Q9 is a twin-turbo V6 at 429 hp and 4.9 seconds to 60. The X7 xDrive40i and GLS 450 are both 375 hp sixes (BMW 5.6 seconds, Mercedes 5.8). Fifty-four horsepower is the spread before anyone opens the V8 brochure.
SQ9: 4.0 twin-turbo V8, 591 hp, 590 lb-ft, 0–60 in 3.8 seconds (0–100 km/h in 4.0 seconds in the global release), rear-biased quattro, 3,500 kg tow. GLS 580: 510 hp, 538 lb-ft, 4.7 seconds, 7,700 lb tow. X7 M60i: 523 hp, 4.5 seconds. The SQ9 is the horsepower and sprint number of the three V8s with official U.S. prices on the pages cited below.
Germany is a different sheet
Do not mix those U.S. stickers with Europe. In Germany, Audi lists the Q9 TDI 220 kW from €108,400. Mercedes-Benz Media lists the GLS 350 d 4MATIC at 230 kW / 313 PS, 0–100 km/h in 6.2 seconds, from €90,845 excluding VAT / €108,105 including VAT.
Q9 deliveries start November / Q4 2026 from Bratislava. The X7 and GLS are already in U.S. showrooms. Paper says the new Audi is the long one with the strong six. A driven review will have to wait for the first cars.
Sources: Audi Q9 lineup; Audi Q9 space and comfort; Audi USA Q9; Audi USA SQ9; BMW USA X7; BMW USA X7 M60i; BMW USA X7 technical data; Mercedes-Benz Media, GLE/GLS order release; Mercedes-Benz USA GLS 450; Mercedes-Benz USA GLS 580.