A brand new thriller Audi prototype was caught present process winter testing this week. May this be a brand new Q9 to fit in above Audi’s present range-topping midsizer, or is that this a particular mannequin that is not meant to hitch the remainder of Audi’s international lineup?
This prototype boasts fairly a bit extra upfront actual property than the rest we have seen with the 4 rings on it. The vertical fog lamp assemblies flanking the grille add a way of vertical measurement that is not current on the sleeker, extra car-like Q7. The taper of the greenhouse can be much less pronounced, which tells us there’s in all probability fairly a bit extra room for third-row passengers and cargo. There’s additionally considerably extra D-pillar sheet steel behind the rear window, and it has an upswept decrease edge, slightly than the roughly parallel strains of the Q7’s rear pillar.
Whereas it will be straightforward to put in writing off the upright nostril of the prototype as a trick of the camouflage, viewing this new thriller automobile alongside a 2020 Q7 prototype (above proper) brings the variations into stark reduction. The bigger, pronounced arches of the brand new prototype stand out instantly when seen side-by-side, and whereas the motive force of the brand new prototype might merely be smaller in stature than that of the Q7 proven right here, the proportions merely level towards it being a bigger automobile.
So, this simply leaves us with one query: What’s it? A Q9 is smart, because the Q7 is a bit undersized within the luxurious three-row house. Plus, Audi has been camped out on the Q9 nameplate for practically a decade. Nevertheless, our spy photographer notes that the model of camouflage used on this prototype is extra typical of merchandise being examined for the Chinese language market. It is potential that this extra rugged, upright SUV is meant to enchantment to the agricultural consumers of the PRC, but it surely appears much more possible that Audi goes for one thing with some universally rugged enchantment. For now, all we are able to do is speculate.
