The sheer scale of the Q9 gives this first look an obvious hook, but Mat Watson does more than repeatedly marvel at its dimensions. He uses specific details—the 5.3-meter length, huge doors and sunroof, smoother rear bodywork, flush-mounted badge, curved lighting, and unusually large cup holders—to explain how Audi is positioning the SUV as a flagship statement vehicle. The walkaround communicates that ambition efficiently, while comparisons with the Q7 and other large luxury SUVs provide useful context without overwhelming the car itself.
The exterior coverage is particularly effective because Mat examines design and functionality together. He highlights the illuminated grille and badge, genuine exhaust outlets, wheel sizes, lighting signatures, and differences between the Q9 and SQ9 rather than simply declaring either attractive. The lighting demonstration is the standout portion: proximity warnings, a rear-window-reflected brake light, cyclist-related warning graphics, projected indicators, and animated puddle lighting show how much of the Q9's identity depends on illumination. Regulatory differences between American and European versions add useful context, although the explanations about why particular features or engines are restricted are presented as straightforward claims rather than explored in depth.
The SQ9 provides the video's most striking performance contrast. Mat describes a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 590 horsepower and 800 Nm, with an estimated 0–60 mph time of around 3.6 seconds, then compares that figure with the Range Rover SV and Audi RS3. Those comparisons effectively communicate the absurdity of a vehicle this large accelerating like a much smaller performance car. His disappointment that Europe is expected to receive a 2.9-liter V6 instead of the V8 gives the segment personality, but the discussion remains more about specifications and market differences than how the SQ9 might actually drive. Since this is a static examination rather than a road test, performance remains largely theoretical here.
Inside, the assessment becomes usefully critical. Mat praises the materials, storage, reduction in glossy black plastic, indicator stalk arrangement, and overall solidity while pointing out hollow-sounding areas and a center-console finish he dislikes. More importantly, he objects to Audi routing functions such as air-vent adjustment through the touchscreen, criticizes the display bezel and instrument graphics, and questions the value of the passenger screen. Those complaints matter because they challenge the assumption that adding more digital interfaces automatically makes a flagship cabin more luxurious. His observation that the SQ9 graphic depicts an ordinary Q9 is minor, but it reinforces the sense that some digital details lack the attention given to the physical cabin.
Passenger accommodation is demonstrated rather than reduced to measurements. The second-row captain's chairs appear to be the strongest expression of the Q9's luxury ambitions, with generous space, reclining adjustment, armrests, extensive glass, and blinds. Mat physically moving into the third row also makes its compromises easy to understand: access through the center is convenient, headroom is good, and knee room is merely acceptable unless the second row is moved forward. Mentioning the optional three-seat middle bench also establishes that buyers can choose between a six-seat luxury-oriented configuration and seven-seat practicality. The comic physicality of crawling between rows keeps the presentation lively without obscuring the useful information.
Cargo coverage similarly reveals a meaningful tradeoff. The Q9 retains substantial room behind the third row and offers helpful features such as a clearly marked hands-free tailgate sensor and adjustable loading height through the air suspension. However, the captain's chairs prevent the middle row from folding completely flat, limiting maximum cargo flexibility in that configuration. Mat also shows Audi's new movable underfloor storage arrangement while openly admitting he is unsure what practical purpose it serves. That willingness to demonstrate a feature without pretending it is automatically useful is more informative than treating every novelty as an advantage.
As an introduction to Audi's new flagship SUV, the video balances spectacle with practical scrutiny well. The humor occasionally stretches simple demonstrations, and the promotional Q8 offer plus Bentley Bentayga teaser shift attention away from the Q9 near the end, but the central walkaround remains focused. The most important limitation is inherent to the format: with no driving impressions, the video can establish space, materials, technology, specifications, and packaging but cannot determine whether the Q9's ride, handling, refinement, or performance justify its expected roughly £100,000 UK price. It is therefore a strong preview rather than a complete verdict.
Pros
- Uses specific exterior details and Q7 comparisons to explain how Audi is positioning the Q9 above its existing SUVs.
- Thoroughly demonstrates the unusual lighting and safety-related features instead of merely listing them.
- Gives the cabin a balanced assessment, praising materials and storage while criticizing touchscreen-controlled vents, excessive screens, and weaker digital design.
- Physically demonstrates second- and third-row accommodation, making the six-seat layout and its compromises easy to understand.
- Clearly identifies the cargo tradeoff created by middle-row captain's chairs that cannot fold completely flat.
- Makes the SQ9's performance specifications meaningful through comparisons with much smaller or more overtly performance-oriented vehicles.
Cons
- Performance discussion is necessarily specification-based because there are no driving impressions to test the SQ9's claimed capabilities or the Q9's road manners.
- Regulatory explanations surrounding European and American lighting and powertrain differences are asserted without much supporting detail.
- Some extended jokes and physical demonstrations add personality but slightly slow otherwise straightforward observations.
- The closing Q8 promotion and Bentley teaser dilute the focus just as the Q9 assessment reaches its natural conclusion.
- The expected price is mentioned without enough evaluation of whether the demonstrated features make the Q9 compelling at that level.
Mat delivers an informative first examination of a flagship SUV whose strongest arguments appear to be enormous passenger space, high-end materials, distinctive lighting technology, and—in SQ9 form—extraordinary performance specifications. His willingness to criticize Audi's screen-heavy interface and packaging compromises keeps the presentation from becoming promotional, while the absence of driving impressions appropriately leaves the most important questions about refinement, dynamics, and value unresolved.
