Third generation Audi Q7: More technology and aggressive design
Audi has presented the third generation of the Q7. Although the flagship SUV from Ingolstadt will now be the even larger Q9 model, the new Q7 does not lag behind in luxury.
We are talking about the Q9 model, whose interior Audi showed a few weeks ago. Essentially, it is a Q7 with a longer wheelbase and a squarer rear end. This is Audi’s first attempt to compete with the BMW X7 and Mercedes GLS, while the shorter Q7 will continue its 20-year mission of fighting the X5.
Compared to the previous Q7, which lasted 10 years on the market, the new one looks much more muscular and confident. A taller front end, subtly flared front wings, and significantly enlarged rear help create an image of solid confidence that buyers of luxury SUVs seem to crave.
The large front grille has a mesh center, and the third-generation Q7 also switches to a two-tier headlight arrangement that Audi already uses in models like the Q6 e-tron. We have already seen intelligent segmented LED daytime running lights on other Audis, but on the Q7 they are even more advanced. Not only do they project warnings, for example about black ice, onto the road, but they also project the turn signal indicator onto the ground to warn other road users.
Innovative lighting and adaptive suspension
Other smart lighting tricks include a projected warning for approaching traffic when one of the doors is about to open, as well as tail lights that can warn cars behind about accidents or breakdowns ahead, and even light up to tell them to keep their distance if they are too close in traffic. And another piece of news: the USA will finally get adaptive matrix headlights that Europeans have been using for years.
We will have to wait for uncamouflaged images of the Q9 later this year to fully compare the design and dimensions of the two SUVs, but an earlier teaser of the Q9 showed much longer rear doors, a flatter roofline and beltline, and a license plate mounted in the rear bumper, whereas on the more curved Q7, the license plate is on the tailgate.
Interior: Screens and modern materials
Looking at the dashboard images, you will hardly be able to tell the two models apart. A large curved OLED display combines the functions of the instrument cluster and the infotainment system, while front passengers get their own dedicated screen. The Q7 also gets an impressive panoramic glass roof that can switch from transparent to opaque in sections. It even remembers your preferred setting when you restart the car.
Naturally, the Q7 and Q9 start to show their differences further back. Both have three rows of seats as standard (at least in the UK), but while the Q7 has a middle bench seat, the Q9 offers more legroom and an option for two individual second-row seats. Luggage capacity ranges from 581 liters with the rear seats folded (significantly less than the 780 liters of the old Q7) to almost 2000 liters depending on the seat configuration.
Engines and chassis
What you will find under the hood of your new Q7 depends heavily on where you bought it. British buyers will get one engine at launch: a 3.0-liter turbo diesel V6 producing 295 hp (299 PS / 220 kW) and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) of torque. A mild hybrid system adds an additional 24 hp (24 PS / 18 kW) of temporary power and helps improve efficiency and responsiveness, Audi claims. But other markets, most notably the USA, will get gasoline engines and forgo diesels entirely.
Adaptive air suspension, rear-wheel steering, permanent all-wheel drive, and electronically controlled dampers are part of the chassis. The suspension can even use route data to prepare for upcoming obstacles like railroad crossings and lower itself to make it easier for the driver and passengers to get in and out.
Smart assistant and safety
And these are far from the last technological innovations. The new Q7 can memorize up to five parking maneuvers up to 200 m long, reverse autonomously for up to 50 m at a time, and even pull over to the side of the road and call emergency services if the driver becomes unresponsive, perhaps too relaxed in the massage seats.
Sales will begin in July this year, and Audi hopes to capitalize on how modern the Q7 looks and feels compared to the eight-year-old BMW X5. But with the new X5, inspired by the Neue Klasse, expected to launch later this year, as well as the Q9 also entering the market and likely taking some sales from the Q7, the large SUV class will truly become hot in the next couple of years.
The new Q7 offers a significant leap forward in lighting and safety technology, as well as a more aggressive design. However, the reduction in luggage volume compared to its predecessor may come as a surprise to some buyers. The launch of two new Audi models (the Q7 and Q9) simultaneously signals the company’s serious intentions to strengthen its position in the large premium SUV segment, where competition from BMW and Mercedes is becoming increasingly fierce.