GoKawiilI got an early look inside a camouflaged prototype of the all-new Audi Q9 -- Audi's upcoming full-size flagship SUV -- ahead of its July 28 world premiere. The exterior stayed wrapped (Audi's not ready to show you that yet), but the interior was fully on display. I was able to climb aboard and poke around its triple-screen dashboard, play with its power-opening doors and even charge my phone on its smartly designed wireless chargers. Here's what stood out.
Triple-screen cockpit, curved where it counts
The Q9 runs a triple-screen digital cockpit -- curved displays for the main driver and center infotainment screens, and a flat display for the passenger-side panel -- similar to the AI-enhanced Virtual Cockpit setup we've seen previously on Audi's A6 E-Tron and Q6 E-Tron models. I didn't bring my tape measure, but expect an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster mated with a 14.5-inch main touchscreen, alongside an 11.9-inch passenger display. That third screen is likely an optional upgrade, but Audi hasn't finalized specific packages for the SUV, so I expect to learn more later.
Materials throughout the cabin feel genuinely premium, with ambient lighting threaded through the doors, the dashboard, the first- and second-row bucket seats (which I don't think I've ever seen before), and the standard panoramic glass roof. Some of this is standard equipment, some optional -- again, we'll get the full breakdown at launch.
The dashboard tech is similar to what we've seen on the Audi A6 E-Tron and Q6 E-Tron models -- at least, as best I could tell during my preview. Audi
The color-changing panoramic roof
The Q9 will come standard with a glass roof measuring approximately 16 square feet. Unlike many glass ceilings on vehicles lately, this one opens to let in fresh air.
The sunroof features a UV-blocking coating that should help keep the cabin cool (up to 99.5% of UV radiation blocked). It can also be had with optional polymer-dispersed liquid crystal technology, an electronically controlled sunshade that lets riders control the opacity of nine individual segments of the laminated glass, dimming any or all of them electronically. No physical shade necessary. When parked, the roof automatically goes opaque for maximum heat control. Start the car, and it returns to the last setting.
The standard glass roof can be upgraded with LED illumination and nine variable opacity panels. Audi
An additional LED package adds 84 color-controlled lights to the perimeter of the glass roof, bathing the headliner in your choice of 30 colors synced with the cabin's ambient lighting scheme. Paired with the interaction light strip spanning the full width of the windshield base -- which can pulse in time with music and match album artwork colors, but also alert the driver of incoming calls or driver-assistance interventions -- the Q9's cabin lighting system can go from as dramatic as a nightclub to something more subdued at the touch of a button.
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