Audi is in a drive to survive. Sales have collapsed in key markets, particularly the US and China. So they did what they had to do… they used the nukes. Metaphorically speaking, of course. In this case, the nukes are the boardroom, and they’ve launched an all-out assault on cutting costs.

They’re reducing the workforce, slashing salaries, and selling off uncompetitive infrastructure for two reasons: they can no longer compete with China, and the supervisory board wants to return more profits to shareholders.

Audi’s response to falling sales is a fightback of sorts. The Audi Q9 is, for the moment, exclusive to the North American market and will not be sold in Europe.

You know when a motoring journalist says, “This car is critical to the company”? Well, they’ve been saying that every decade for the last five decades. But in Audi’s case, every new model they launch genuinely is critical.

Autogefühl delivers his typically detailed overview of the new Q9. A German reviewing a German brand—based.