Seven Kylie Minogues or a Steinway Piano. That’s how much weight Audi claims to have pared from the latest Q7, its flagship SUV, which tips the scales up to 325kg lighter than before. Above a huge list of technical advances, it’s this fact which permeates through the Q7’s specifications and driving experience. Less weight means better performance, economy and handling, essential gains when rivals are as talented as the Volvo XC90, BMW X5 and Range Rover Sport.
Fitted with a 3.0-litre TDI diesel with 268bhp, the new Q7 will hit 62mph from rest in a scant 6.5 seconds, yet still return 47.9mpg, up from 38.2mpg before. Quattro four-wheel drive is standard across the range. Emissions have been cut from 195g/km of CO2 down to 153g/km, reducing its annual tax bill from £265 to £180.
In this guise the Q7 starts from £50,340, although a 215bhp version of the same engine will be available in October from around £47k. Trim levels are straightforward, with SE and S line versions, and a handsome spec list from the off.
In fact, the Q7 is something of a review-buster, fitted with more on-board systems than any Audi in its history. Writing about them all is nigh on impossible, but we’ll try and cover the highlights.
How does letting the car take care of traffic jams sound? Yes, at speeds up to 37mph, this big Audi will accelerate, brake and, wait for it… steer along the road using navigation data and sensors mounted around the vehicle. It’s fitted as part of the Dynamic Pack, costing between £2,655 and £2,800.
These systems can detect not only the car in front, but the one ahead of that, as well as vehicles in adjacent lanes. The same suite of technology also boosts safety, by offering autonomous braking and even assisting with steering if it’s possible to avoid a collision by helping you quickly change lane.
Parking never your strong point? Well, the Q7 is a very large car, although measuring 5,052mm long, it’s actually 37mm shorter than before as well as being 15mm narrower. But more than this change in size, it’s the parking systems which make bringing the Q7 into port all the easier. It can now identify more types of space and steer into them. There’s even a button to rescue an aborted parking attempt, which sees the vehicle scan the area and sort out your mistakes.
Inside, the Audi Q7 boasts even classier looking materials, and you can have the optional £600 Audi Virtual Cockpit, a 12.3-inch digital replacement for the instrument cluster, which made its debut in the Audi TT.
Despite being slightly smaller, interior space is improved, and the Q7 is more practical. The 770-litre boot’s loading lip has been made 5cm lower and the standard (although they can be deleted for free) third row of seats now rise and lower into place electrically. Impressively, all six passenger seats can accommodate a child seat, making the Q7 the SUV of choice for parents of sextuplets.
How does it drive? Imperiously really, rolling along with the minimum of fuss and effortless reserves of power from the engine. For this you can thank 600Nm of torque, that’s just 32Nm less than a Nissan GT-R and 160Nm more than a Porsche 911 GT3. It’s channelled through a new eight-speed gearbox with coasting (it disconnects drive when you travel using just momentum) and the ability to shift two gears at a time.
All Q7s get five driving modes, with softer responses in Comfort and greater precision in Dynamic, but for the full effect you’ll need Adaptive air suspension. This hunkers down and stiffens for faster driving, and lifts for greater comfort or to improve ground clearance for off-roading. The Q7 always remains calm, but for the best ride quality choose the 19-inch wheels, because the 20-inch rims can send some jolts into the cabin.
The steering is very light at parking speeds, but weights up nicely on the move, and there’s lots of grip and little body roll. The only thing that caught us out is braking, because it’s so easy to carry speed, you can forget you still have two tonnes of German SUV to stop when you get to a junction. Luckily the brakes are more than up to the job.
Audi has thrown all its know-how at the Q7, and that’s no small statement. The result is certainly impressive and might add up to one of the best-value propositions on the new car market. This might seem like an odd statement to make about a £50k SUV, but when you consider its size, luxury and gadgets, it can make some cars costing four-figure sums look a bit old hat.
