by David Morgan (14 Apr 06)
New car sales are tumbling like autumn leaves, but the trend is being bucked at Audi where their premium SUV Q7 is being groomed as a sales star in a market where the competition is formidable. In the past ten years Audi has tripled its new car sales in Britain. Last year it sold 81,374 vehicles, and 2006 is looking just as good with the Ingolstadt manufacturer heading for its best-ever UK market share of around 4%.
But it should come as no great surprise that Q7 will not be a big volume contributor. When the 4.2-litre petrol V8 and three-litre turbodiesel V6 go on sale in July they'll sell well in their premium SUV sector, but only 3500 are expected to find owners this year with predictions of 5500 in a full year by 2008.
These are not big numbers, but for this magnificent monster they mark a significant precursor for success. Months before it went on sale demand was already high - more than 1300 people had left a deposit with UK dealers for a car they had not even seen, let alone driven.
Misplaced confidence? With a few reservations about the sheer size of this seven-seat luxury vehicle and over-light Servotronic steering I would say that confidence is bang on the button. Like everything else Audi is turning out, the Q7 is a meticulously constructed vehicle with impressive dynamics and acres of interior space.
It's not pretty. From the gaping maw of its grotesque shield grille to its girth, tall bodyline and massive tailgate, this newcomer is the mother of all SUVs. European in quality, it is undeniably American in concept, and it will do well in a US market that can tolerate its 20mpg average from a 346bhp 4.2 FSI V8.
In the UK the 230bhp 3.0 TDI automatic will be the best seller, with 67% of buyers expected to opt for oil power and around 27mpg. It's smooth, fast and refined on tarmac and very able off-road. There are three trim levels - standard, SE and S line - with the latter taking 70% of sales. Q7 is expected to sell mainly to private buyers where the indulgence factor is the key and owners want the best for themselves. Around 27% will be SEs but only a handful of standard spec Q7s are expected to make it to the street.
Prices start from £37,330 for a standard Q7 TDI. SE diesel models cost from £39,830 with the S line TDI model from £40,730. The 4.2 V8 is only available in SE and S line variants with prices from £47,725 and £48.625 respectively. What owners get for their money is the longest (5.08 metres), widest (1.98 metres) and tallest (1.69 to 1.77 metres) SUV in the UK with the roomiest interior, most powerful engines and the best performance. In short, Audi thinks the Q7 has the opposition beat - and I agree.
The interior is quiet and superbly ventilated, and the two rear rows of seats can be folded quickly to create a barn-like 2035 litres of cargo space. The standard car comes with seven seats, but if you don't need that capacity Audi will magnanimously deliver the Q7 with just five seats - at no extra cost! If you want a six-seat option you'll have to pay more.
All models get a smooth-changing six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission and adaptive air suspension as standard. The latter helps the Q7 wade through water more than half a metre deep and lifts the body through a mighty 240mm range. Better still the air suspension blesses the car with outstanding handling. For such a monster it hardly rolls, rides quietly on rough surfaces and belies its bulk.
It's easy to forget just how big this vehicle is. On the narrow lanes of Dartmoor where the vehicle was launched it became something of an issue when squeezing past high banks and keeping out of the way of opposing traffic. I got fairly adept at folding away the huge door mirrors to give myself a few more precious millimetres when passing other vehicles.
Roadholding is breathtaking for something this size. It shrugs off its near 2.3 tonne kerb weight and grips like limpet. The quattro system is Audi's latest - the same as on the new
RS4 - with a 60/40 rear bias and torque split managed by advanced electronics and a Torsen (torque sensing) differential between the front and rear axles.
Not only does it deliver fine handling from something akin to a small truck but it makes off-road excursions a confidence-building affair for those owners who need to deliver offspring point-to-point through muddy fields or whisk shooting partners to some high moor. It's not in the Range Rover league, but it's able enough to challenge the Mercedes R-Class for the luxury SUV crown.
From tip to tail the Q7 impresses with quality, ability, refinement and dynamics. It's yet another example of the world-beating automotive engineering Europe can produce and a reflection of Audi's dynamic climb to the top of the premium tree. Little wonder Audi Brand director Jeremy Hicks is quite so pleased with himself. He's overseeing an incredible success story with new models pouring out of Ingolstadt and even more to come.
"Q7 is a statement for us," he told me. "It will not sell in huge numbers but its sheer presence on the roads will focus attention on the Audi brand."
I drove several hundred miles in the TDI and V8. Getting noticed was not a problem, which is more than I can say about finding somewhere to park this leviathan. It truly is a massive piece of kit and in the UK that could be a problem. But for comfort, space, quality, practicality and ability this new premium-sector SUV arrival will deservedly be in great demand. If you want one you'd better join the queue quickly - it's going to get quite long.