We went to the Swiss Alps to put the new seven-seater through its paces. Q7's exterior has only slightly evolved and now has a more raised, 'estate car' look.
Irish buyers will be able to get a five-seat Q7 by special order only, as Audi believes the seven-seat version is the one customers want.
All Q7s feature Quattro all-wheel drive and there are three trim options: SE, SE Business and S-Line, which, despite its substantial premium, (€6,000 plus) will attract most buyers.
A host of driver aids are new to the German machine and we tested them all.
With the press of a button you can activate lane change assist and even active cruise control (with full stop and move off functionality). Trailer Assist will appeal to those who loathe reversing or parking a trailer. A clever and simple sensor in the ball hitch can get the car's auto parking feature to reverse a trailer while you guide it using a rotary controller. It's electronic witchcraft and works brilliantly.
Another interesting option is all-wheel steering, something we did not try but which Audi's engineers explained to us. When turning at slow speeds the rear wheels turn slightly in the opposite direction to the front ones. This tightens the turning circle and makes moving the big beast easier in confined spaces, e.g. car parks. At higher speeds the rear wheels turn, again only slightly, in the same direction as the front ones and this aids stability and adds smoothness. Readers might remember a number of cars that tried variations of all-wheel steering through the years, e.g. the Honda Prelude.
Q7 is big, but it is luxurious too. Inside the very versatile and larger interior, you can fit up to six baby/child seats. Also standard on the new car is an electric tailgate (with key/button and 'kick under' opening). The good use of electricity continues when you want to fold the seats down - this is done by the press of a button. That's pretty cool, but the best part is a button press can raise the seats back into position! The middle seats are double folding and the last two seats are full size.
Connectivity is heightened, as is the chosen audio system, with Bose and Bang and Olufsen delivering excellent definition. Q7 is so full of tech and assistant systems (Traffic Jam Assist, Efficiency Assistant, Drive Assist etc.) that Audi should run night classes on it.
Three engines feature initially with an e-Tron plug-in hybrid coming shortly. There are two new V6 units in diesel and one TFSI petrol in the range. We drove the 218hp entry TDI and found it composed and well up to the task of traversing the Alps. So the school run shouldn't be a problem.
Our S-Line featured optional air suspension (with an off-road height setting) but even the standard suspension comes with Drive Select that lets you select the type of drive to suit your mood. All Q7s feature an automatic eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox that is smooth and effortless to use. Q7 is now lighter - by up to 325kg - so fuel consumption is down overall and efficiencies up!
Audi has sold 500,000 examples since launch and presently there are over 1,000 in Ireland. Audi is unsure of how well the new car will sell - the downturn hit the large SUV category hardest - but expects double figures this year.
Michael Sheridan
