As of 28 October 2026, the only right-hand-drive Audi Q9 with a full published specification is the British one. Ireland is reported to be getting the car at the end of 2026. Australia is expected in 2027 but has not been announced. For a dealer anywhere else that drives on the left, our own teams can export a right-hand-drive Q9 from the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand — and today only the British car has a specification Audi has published in full. This report is written for the dealer first; a private buyer will find their answer under “Does this apply to you?”.
The short version
- Britain is the published right-hand-drive market. Audi UK lists two grades and a full configurator. No other right-hand-drive Audi market had published a Q9 specification when we checked on 28 October 2026. Our own teams can also export the Q9 from Australia and New Zealand, on those markets’ own specification.
- Ireland is reported, Australia is expected. Rev.ie reports an Irish launch towards the end of 2026. Australian coverage expects a 2027 launch that Audi Australia has not formally announced.
- No age limit touches a new car. Kenya’s under-eight-years rule and the Caribbean age bars restrict used imports. A Q9 delivered from November 2026 is inside all of them.
- The diesel is the only right-hand-drive engine. Wherever duty or registration tax rises with engine size or CO₂, a 3.0-litre V6 diesel at 204–209 g/km sits at the expensive end.
- Irish buyers should not import one from Britain. A car built in Slovakia and shipped from Great Britain carries import VAT and possibly customs duty into Ireland, on top of VRT.
Which right-hand-drive markets get the Audi Q9?
The United Kingdom is the one right-hand-drive market where Audi has published the Q9 in full: two grades, eight paints, four interiors and WLTP figures for each grade, on Audi UK’s own configurator, checked on 28 October 2026. Every other right-hand-drive market is either reported, expected or silent.
| Market | Status | Source | What it means for an import |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | On sale, deliveries from November 2026 | Audi UK configurator | A source market, and the one with Audi's published specification |
| Ireland | Reported for the end of 2026 | Rev.ie, 30 July 2026 | Buy locally; importing from Britain adds import VAT and possibly duty |
| Australia | Expected in 2027, not formally announced | Chasing Cars; CarExpert | Wait for the local launch and its vehicle approval |
| Kenya, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, the Caribbean | No Audi announcement found | — | A UK-specification car is the right-hand-drive Q9 available |
Audi Q9 right-hand-drive availability as at 28 October 2026
When one market holds the only right-hand-drive specification, the question is not where the car comes from but whether your market can register and tax it sensibly.
Can a UK-specification Q9 be registered in your market?
On hand of drive and age, yes. The UK car is right-hand drive, which is the specification Kenya, Tanzania and Sri Lanka require, and a new car has no age to fail against. Kenya admits vehicles under eight years old with a pre-export roadworthiness inspection; a Q9 built from late 2026 clears the age rule by the full eight years.
What a new model can still fail is local approval. A car that has never been sold in your market may need a homologation or standards check that an established model does not, and the destination’s own authority decides that. Australia is the clearest case: it runs its own vehicle-standards approval under the Road Vehicle Standards framework administered by the Department of Infrastructure, and a model not yet approved for Australia is not one we would quote into Australia until that approval exists.
Figures are indicative and for guidance only. Actual VRT is charged on Revenue’s OMSP and varies by model, year and mileage. Always confirm current rates and your specific case with Revenue.ie before committing to a purchase.
Is it going to cost more than the badge suggests?
Usually, yes, and the reason is the engine rather than the badge. Audi offers one right-hand-drive engine: a 3.0-litre V6 diesel at 204 to 209 g/km of CO₂. In markets where duty, excise or registration tax rises with engine capacity or CO₂, that places the Q9 in the top bracket. In Ireland it is Revenue’s top VRT band, over 190 g/km, at 41 per cent of the open market selling price until 31 December 2026.
We have not published a duty or excise figure for Kenya, Tanzania, Sri Lanka or the Caribbean markets. Each is set by the destination’s own authority, several are re-issued during the year, and a rate for a new model with no local valuation history has to be confirmed against the current schedule at the point of order rather than carried across from another car.
What the dealer has to price in
- The tax bracket. Price the top band, then confirm it. A margin built on a lower bracket is the most expensive mistake on a car like this.
- The size. 5.31 metres long and 2.21 metres wide across the mirrors. Check it against the container your forwarder is quoting before you assume container freight, or plan Ro-Ro.
- The weight. Neither Audi release we read publishes a kerb weight. Freight quotations are built on it, so get the figure for the exact specification before you accept one.
- The after-sales network. A model new to your market has no local parts history. Ask the nearest Audi importer what they will support before you commit capital.
Does this apply to you?
It applies to a dealer or private buyer in a right-hand-drive market where Audi has not announced the Q9 — Kenya, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean markets among them. Malta and Cyprus drive on the left too, but as EU markets they face the same import VAT question as Ireland, so check local Audi supply there first. For those buyers, a right-hand-drive Q9 can come from the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand, and the British specification is the one published in full today.
It does not apply to a British buyer, who orders from an Audi retailer. It does not apply to an Irish buyer either, and that is worth saying plainly: Revenue states that a vehicle imported from Great Britain brings VAT at import, and possibly customs duty, before VRT is charged. A car built in Slovakia does not become cheaper by travelling through Britain, and the Irish Audi network is reported to be taking the Q9 itself.
Should a dealer move now or wait?
Move if you have a buyer for the diesel. UK deliveries start in November 2026, so a right-hand-drive Q9 ordered now is a real car with a date. Wait if your customers will ask for a petrol or plug-in hybrid Q9, or the V8 SQ9: none is on the UK price list, and the SQ9 is offered only in selected markets including the United States and Canada. When you have a customer for the car on the UK list, you can send a dealer inquiry and see the tax bracket confirmed for your market before you commit.
What we could not confirm
On the record
- UK grades, paints, interiors and WLTP figures (Audi UK, checked 28 October 2026).
- Deliveries from November 2026 and the Bratislava build (Audi AG, 29 July 2026).
- The SQ9 is offered in selected markets including the United States and Canada, and is not on the UK range (Audi AG; Audi UK).
Still not established
- The Irish launch. Reported by Rev.ie on 30 July 2026; Audi Ireland’s own Q9 page was not live when we checked on 28 October 2026.
- An Australian launch date. Expected in 2027 on Chasing Cars’ and CarExpert’s reporting, not announced by Audi Australia.
- Kerb weight for the UK specification.
- Destination duty and excise on a new 3.0-litre diesel in each market. Confirm with the authority at the time you order.
One car, priced into your market
The Audi Q9 page carries the UK specification and opens on your market when you pick one. For a single car, you can request a landed quote built on that exact specification.
Sources
- Audi Q9: Audi's first large full-size SUV tops the lineup — AUDI AG
- Build your Audi Q9 SUV — configurator — Audi UK
- New Audi Q9 arrives in Ireland — Rev.ie
- Audi reveals Q9 V6 and SQ9 V8 flagship SUVs to fill gap left by A8 limousine — Chasing Cars
- 2027 Audi Q9: All-new flagship SUV revealed as Audi's largest model yet — CarExpert
- Importing vehicles from Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Revenue (Ireland)
- Vehicles — Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts
