Review: The New Audi Q7 Is Lightweight, Stunning and Intelligent
At Rs 72 lakh, the new Audi Q7 is the SUV that you have been waiting for, and you’ll have to wait a long time.
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We all know that people with loads of money love their SUVs. Among the Land Rovers and Range Rovers of the world, one of the most loved luxury SUVs in India is the Audi Q7.
Audi’s new Q7 was launched in India on December 2015. Virat Kohli was present at the car’s official launch in New Delhi.
We got our hands on the huge 3-litre V6 engine-powered SUV by Audi India and we were happy yet disappointed.
The new Audi Q7 has hit the gym for its new avatar. It’s 325 kg lighter and they’ve sized it down as well. But if you take a look at it, by no means is it a small car.
Audi’s redesigned the front grille and has made it more aggressive. The Q7 also comes loaded with Matrix LEDs which are killer.
What we liked most about the new Audi Q7 is its powerful road presence. It easily challenges the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GL and the Range Rovers of the world.
Key Specifications: Audi Q7
- Engine: 3-litre V6 45 TDI Diesel Engine
- Transmission: 8-Speed Tiptronic System
- Power: 249 hp @ 910 - 4500 rpm
- Torque: 600 Nm @ 1500 - 3000
- 0-100 km/h: 7.1 seconds
- Fuel Tank: 75 Litres
- Weight: 2330 Kg (Dry)
- Price: Starts at Rs 72 Lakhs (Ex-showroom, Delhi)
What’s Inside?
Audi’s taken care to include a lot of creature comforts for the owners. The company’s left no stone unturned on the new Q7. The cabin of the Q7 is luxurious and comes in dual inlays with the upper inlay in aluminium and the lower in Walnut Terra brown. The seats are done in genuine cricket leather and there is a four zone aircon system.
Overall, you feel at home and safe inside this huge SUV. The new Q7 is intelligent as well. There is a host of new gadgets and gizmos inside the car. Right behind the leather-wrapped steering wheel is the Audi’s virtual cockpit. It’s a huge 31.24 cm LED screen that gives out even the tiniest bit of information about the car to the driver. We saw this first on the Audi TT and now the Q7’s got it too.
The car comes with Audi’s auto retractable MMI (Multimedia Interface) navigation plus with a 21.08 cm high-resolution screen.
To top it all off, the car comes with a Bose 3D sound system that has a total of 19 speakers. This car is meant to entertain you in every sense.
Despite its size, it’s easy to park in tight spaces as well. Not because of your driving skills but the car’s own sixth sense. Audi has loaded the car with Auto Park Assist, which basically works at the touch of a button on the dashboard. It will sense the parking space by itself and then park for you.
This is done with the help of a 360˚ surround camera that also gives you a bird’s eye view of the car on the MMI panel to help manoeuvre the car out of tight spots.
What’s Powering it?
Audi has chosen an engine that’s being whooped left, right and centre by the Delhi government, Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT). But if you’re not in Delhi, there’s no need to worry.
The Q7 is powered by a 246hp 45TDI 3-litre diesel engine that has a peak torque of 600 Nm. The engine is mated with an eight-speed triptronic transmission and comes with quattro permanent all-wheel drive, which Audi is famous for.
The Audi Q7 is capable of doing a 0-100 km/h dash in just 7.1 seconds. That’s quite fast for a car that weighs 2,330 kg. The company has also loaded this luxurious SUV with Adaptive Air Suspension and seven different driving modes to adjust vehicle characteristics. And yes, it has all the off-roading capabilities you need with good approach and decent angles.
And it’s safe too. List any of the safety features that you know about and the new Q7 has got them. It even has a couple of more that you wouldn’t even have heard of.
It’s easy to drive in city traffic as well as on highways. It gives you a comfortable and commanding driving position along with fantastic ride quality.
The Downside
The Audi Q7 is technically a 7-seater SUV, but that spare wheel takes the space for one person if you want to carry it around (which you do since flat tires don’t really announce themselves). So though it’s lightweight, the SUV saw some space cutting.
Another thing that we didn’t like is the Audi phone box, which sits between the driver and co-drivers seat. Neatly hidden beneath the armrest, it has a dirty little secret. Just like the new Audi Q3 this year, the phone box is made only for smartphones that measure up to the size of the Apple iPhone 6s. If you own a bigger phone that has a display of more than 5 inches like the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Google Nexus 6P or Apple’s iPhone 6s Plus, it just won’t fit.
Lastly, there will be no registrations for cars with more than 2000cc diesel engines for the next 3 months as the Supreme Court has banned the registration of diesel cars and SUVs with engines above 2000cc in the national capital starting 1 January 2016 till 31 March 2016.
So, even if you have the money to buy the Q7 in New Delhi, you won’t be able to drive it. It’s a shame because this SUV is Euro VI compliant – it pollutes less than any Indian-made SUV.
But, if you live elsewhere, this is the SUV that you were waiting for. (PS: Only for people who have deep pockets, of course.)
What Do We Think?
Overall, the new Audi Q7 is a game changer in the luxury SUV category. People who are considering buying a Mercedes-Benz GL or a Range Rover must consider the new Q7.
It’s the complete SUV in every aspect of it.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)