- Audi’s third-generation Q7 has been spotted testing in prototype form
- The debut is anticipated for late 2025 or early the following year
- The new Q7 may end being one of the last Audis to still feature a gas engine
Audi has once again been spotted testing prototypes for its next Q7.
Previously thought to be a new flagship SUV out testing, insiders have revealed the prototypes are for a third generation of the popular midsize SUV.
A debut is anticipated for late next year or early 2026, meaning the new Q7 will likely end up arriving as a 2027 model in the U.S.
2027 Audi Q7 spy shots – Photo via Baldauf
The latest prototypes have shed some of the camouflage from earlier test vehicles, revealing new details like an LED light strip for the taillights and the actual shape of the headlights. Those headlights feature the same split design seen on the latest crop of Audis, like the A6 E-Tron and Q6 E-Tron.
One additional new detail visible is the small wing-like door handles positioned at the base of the door’s window. Audi engineers attempted to hide the design by placing black tape mimicking traditional door handles.
There’s no clear shot of the interior, but inside there should be three rows supporting seven seats, just like in the current Q7.
2027 Audi Q7 spy shots – Photo via Baldauf
The open grille and visible exhaust tips point to the prototypes packing an internal-combustion engine, possibly exclusively in hybrid configurations. This would fit with Audi’s naming strategy, where vehicles with an odd number in their names still have a gas engine, while vehicles with an even number are all powered by batteries.
Eventually, Audi will switch to selling electric vehicles exclusively. The automaker has already hinted that its final launch for a vehicle with a gas engine will happen as soon as 2026.
2027 Audi Q7 spy shots – Photo via Baldauf
The new Q7 is being developed alongside a new A7 that will serve as the replacement for both the current A7 as well as the gas-powered A6.
Production of the new Q7 should take place at the same plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, where the current Q7 is built. The plant’s other SUVs include the Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg. The plant is also earmarked to build an electric Cayenne that’s also out testing in prototype form.