Spied! Audi Q9 turns laps at the Nürburgring

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Audi has long played in the highly priced (and highly profitable) three-row luxury SUV game, and has very recently reupped its Q7 unto the summit of German style and plushness. But as Cadillac has shown us with its long wheelbase Escalade, there’s always room for more. Enter the new Audi Q9.

Spotted running the gauntlet at Nürburgring, this gargantuan SUV appears to be an order of magnitude larger than the existing Q7. All the hallmarks of Audi largesse are present, including enormous wheels and an in-yer-face grille that even camouflage can’t hide. Speaking of camo, our eagle-eyed sources point out this is the style of wrapping generally used by Audi for machines they are developing for Asian markets; while it is certainly possible this rig will make its way to that part of the world, America also seems like a natural habitat for a jumbo-sized SUV.

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If it does come to this side of the pond, it’ll be doing battle with brawny competitors like the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS. This means there will be ample space in all three rows, plus a generous helping of cargo capacity even when all seven seats are deployed. Actually, there will probably also be six-seater variants of this model, with second-row accommodations featuring sumptuous captain’s chairs and enough leather to clear out a cattle barn.

With the actual product name being a question mark, it should go without saying that powertrain specs also remain shrouded in mystery. The smart money is on some sort of electrified powertrain, possibly a twin-turbo V6 or a snarling V8 with hybrid technology. Plug-in hybrid options are on the table for just about every new car in development these days, so expect that configuration at some point as well.

Let’s hope Ingolstadt doesn’t decide to go one bigger. They’re running out of single digit numbers.