Audi has recently revealed that it will axe its long-term flagship luxury sedan, the A8, later this year. The Audi A8 sedan will be replaced by a new flagship luxury car, which will be an SUV called Q9. Read more details about the upcoming Q9 SUV below.
You can also find the best used Audi A8 cars with Cars24 UAE.
Also read: Indian-spec 2026 Renault Duster launched at just AED 41,700
Why is the Audi A8 being discontinued?
Revealed during a media interaction recently, Audi has uncovered its future plan of axing the long-time flagship sedan, the A8. The German carmaker will replace it with a new flagship luxury SUV later this year.
As per the brand, the A8 has started to make less sense. In fact, the international sales data fetched from the US market shows that Audi managed to sell only 1,406 units of the A8 in 2025. This is a small number compared to the 10,881 units of the Q8 SUV, which is currently the flagship SUV of the brand.
The diverting trend from sedans to SUVs has already consumed many popular sedans, and the A8 is going to be one of these in the next couple of months.
What to expect from the upcoming Audi Q9 SUV?
As per Audi’s CEO, the Q9 will be the latest flagship model of the brand. It holds an important value, and the main focus will be to cater for the US market with it.
While not much is known about the Q9, the spy shots of a test mule surfaced last year revealed that it will be bigger and longer than the Q7. Moreover, Audi will design it to offer rear seat comfort as its prime priority.
Some online reports also hint that it could use the new Premium Platform Combustion, aka PPC, platform. This platform made its debut on the Chinese-spec Audi A6L, which was recently launched in China (read more about it here).
Apart from the long platform, Audi will offer it with 7-seater and 6-seater layout options. The 6-seater variants will get three rows of captain seats, with features like electric Boss Mode, rear seats with ventilation, massaging, heating, extended thigh support, and individual entertainment packages.
Audi is also adamant to make the Q9 compatible with various powertrains, including the turbo petrol, plug-in hybrid, and other engine options. The possibility of an electric version can not be ruled out as well.
When will it launch?
Audi plans to introduce the production-spec Q9 SUV by the end of this year. However, the Audi A8 will not get immediately axed, and rather it will happen in a phased manner, that too region-wise.
The prime focus of Audi with the Q9 is the US market, the Middle East, and China. Hence, we can safely assume that it will launch in the UAE by next year.
Cars24 UAE says
Audi is transforming its lineup as per the global luxury market change. While on one side the brand is introducing special sedan models like the A6L in China, it is set to axe the A8 in the international markets like the Middle East and the US. The reason is clear: buyers want SUVs over sedans now. More details about the Audi Q9 will be revealed in the coming months.
