The first look of Ingolstadt’s plushest ever car focuses on the cabin environment.

CALL it an inside story - Audi has availed a first look of the forthcoming Q9 flagship, but only of the interior.

With a global reveal set for July 30, it’s not long before the exterior disguise comes off a car that is described as Audi’s most luxurious.

As such, it is set serve as an indirect successor to the A8 limousine, which recently went out of production and has a proud history as executive transport.

But for now Ingolstadt prefers to demonstrate the car’s focus on luxury, space and technology.

At more than five metres in length, the car is able to offer three full-size rows in either six or seven-seat configurations.

Access to the Q9's cabin can be made even easier by the option of electrically operated doors. Passengers need only to pull on the door handle, and it will then open automatically.

Don’t worry about inadvertent strikes; sensors are there to ensure the doors won't hit any objects. The driver will also be able to operate the doors via the key, smartphone app or from the interior.

European and UK media who went to Germany for show and tell say the second row in particular delivers generous levels of legroom and headroom. The optional six-seat layout is the one for stretching out in. Choose the seven-seat configuration and all three seats in the middle row are equipped with ISOFIX for child seats.

All seats are electrically operated as standard, the second-row seats tilt and slide forward out of the way, allowing for easy ingress to the third row.

There’s 280 litres of boot space when all seats are in use. Dropping the third row of seats down to the floor (again, at the touch of a button) leaves at least 700 and up to 850 litres of boot space, depending on the position of the second row of seats. They too can be lowered to transform the Q9 into a capacious load-carrying car with 2308 litres of capacity.

The instrument end of the cabin features a curved digital display, in two parts. There’s a 12.3-inch instrument panel and a 14.5-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system.

Front-seat passengers will also get their own 12.3-inch display that lets them control the infotainment system and stream media during a journey.

The centre console contains two wireless charging pads that have a strong magnetic connection, so smartphones will snap into place and remain there when the vehicle is on the move. These use the latest 'Qi2.2' standard, while additional USB-C charge ports can provide up to 100 watts of power.

Audi will offer decorative elements in a range of materials, including carbon fibre with basalt grey accents, fine-grain ash wood and silk beige.

New upholstery options include tamarind brown and stone beige, while materials range from leather and leatherette blends to Nappa leather, Dinamica microfibre and alpaca wool.

The car’s 1.5-square-metre panoramic glass sunroof can be opened to provide a proper open-top experience. When shut, the glass can be switched to an opaque finish at the touch of a button thanks to a special layer within the glass.

It comprises nine segments, and each can be individually controlled so that users can decide how much or how little they wish to have covered. These layers block more than 99.5 per cent of UV radiation, according to Audi, so not only does it help to regulate the temperature inside, but it also does away with the need for an additional sun blind.

The top trim level includes detailing in the glass that combines with 84 LEDs as part of the ambient lighting in a choice of 30 colours.

What would a premium experience be without a premium sound system? Here’s it’s a 4D 22-speaker sound system from Bang and Olufsen. This can combine with the cabin's dynamic interaction light that forms part of the ambient lighting package, matching the colour scheme to the track's cover art and can sync with the music's beat and rhythm.

Augmenting the audio experience are actuators in the bases of the front seats so that you can feel the music as well as hear it.

Audi’s electric car push is big, but Q9 is not part of it. The platform is an extended version of parent Volkswagen Group's Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) that will also underpin sibling Porsche's new flagship SUV, internally named K1, thought to be aiming for 2028 release.

Powertrain-wise, it’s expected to use engines including a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre petrol V8 for the sporty SQ9.

Audi has yet to share pricing detail, and the brand’s NZ distributor is not yet talking about what its exact specifications will be, but in Europe this car is expected to start at just over $200,000.

But they say it’s worth it, with Audi chief executive Gernot Dollner expressing: “Cars have long been much more than just a means of transportation; they are mobile living spaces for our customers.

“Premium materials, variable seating with individual electric seats in the second row and automatic doors underscore the commitment to quality in our new, large full-size SUV.”