Audi Q7 Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Audi Q7
Prices: £40,135-£54,055 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 16-18
Emissions: 219-249g/km
Performance: [3.0TDI] 0-60mph 8.1s / Max Speed 135mph
Fuel Consumption: [3.0TDI Clean Diesel] (combined) 33.6mpg
Safety: twin front airbags, side airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, ESP, ABS, EBD, ASR.
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height 5086/1983/1737mm

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Our Rating: 7.6 / 10

Audi’s Q7 has been shunted in a more environmentally-friendly direction. Steve Walker reports.

Confidence is not something that’s in short supply at Audi these days and if one model characterises this mushrooming self assurance, it’s the Q7 luxury 4x4. Audi arrived rather late to the premium SUV party and it seemed that no sooner did it get its coat off and elbow its way to the bar, than happy hour abruptly ended. Suddenly this class of vehicle was being frowned upon by the public for its perceived environmental profligacy and a certain overbearing attitude that seemed out of step with the times. It didn’t help that the Q7 was designed to be one of the biggest and most ostentatious 4x4s of the lot. On face value, the latest model isn’t exactly apologetic but beneath the surface it’s an altogether friendlier proposition.

It had long been something of a mystery as to why Audi hadn’t committed to the sports utility vehicle market earlier. With an all-wheel drive pedigree to be proud of, and enough badge equity in the tank to drive premium sales, Audi watched rivals such as BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Volvo clean up. Even sister company Volkswagen brought the Touareg to market while Audi twiddled its thumbs. The twiddling stopped and soon afterwards the Q7 arrived. It was big, heavy, imposing and luxurious, a king-sized hunk of car. It looked somewhat at odds with the Audi brand which always aimed to be cool and ever so slightly self effacing but these are hard qualities to replicate in a two tonne SUV.

Four engines are available with big petrol units now notable by their absence. The entry-level petrol is the supercharged six-cylinder 3.0 TFSI, developing 268bhp. This sits below a 328bhp version of the same engine with fully 440Nm of torque between 2,900 and 5,300rpm. Of greater relevance to the UK market is the 3.0-litre V6 TDI diesel. This engine is available in standard or ‘Clean Diesel’ guises, with the later using advanced combustion and exhaust after-treatment technologies to boost efficiency further clean up its act.

Finally, there’s the muscular 335bhp 4.2-litre V8 TDI powerplant which comes bristling with 800Nm of torque between 1,750 and 2,750rpm. It’s the liveliest Q7 up to 60mph with a time of 6.4s and a 150mph top speed. The more powerful of the 3.0-litre petrol engines has a 6.9s sprint that’s faster than the old V8 petrol unit and a 152mph top speed.

The Q7 is equipped as standard with quattro permanent four-wheel drive. Its Torsen centre differential directs power to all four wheels, on-road and off-road, which means fast-reacting power to whichever wheel can best deploy it and excellent lateral stability – the prerequisites for optimum driving dynamics and safety. The driver benefits – also thanks to virtually balanced axle load distribution – from impressive agility and steering precision that remains practically free of torque steer even when you drop the hammer in a V8 model.

The standard gearbox is Audi’s eight-speed automatic which can be operated through paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Normal or Sport modes can be selected for the automatic shifting and the unit improves fuel economy by five per cent compared to the old six-speed system.

There are small aircraft carriers that would cut a less commanding dash than the Q7 if parked on a suburban driveway and the latest facelifted models do little to tone down the shock and awe attitude of the original. The suck-you-up-and-spit-you-out front end is enhanced by more shapely bumpers incorporating under-body protectors while the rear gets a natty set of LED light clusters. Inside, the instrument cluster and the controls have been redesigned and nudged up market. The Q7 is 5,086mm long and very nearly two meters wide so despite the inefficiencies of the high riding SUV shape, it still has bundles of room inside. Build quality is up to Audi’s usual high standards and the control interface remains arguably the most user-friendly in the sector.

There are three rows of seats that slide and fold in the usual MPV-like fashion. Audi claims 28 seating and loading configurations are available in the Q7 and the seats in the second row are adjustable for fore/aft movement. This allows Audi to not only lay claim to the most generous second row legroom in the class but also – with the second row slid forward and the rear folded – to also pinch first prize for lug