A sleeker, bigger, better Audi Q7

Fellow premium brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz enjoy a very loyal following in our country with those that have money opting into these brands in ever increasing numbers; compounded by the fact the Audi product portfolio is also rather old right now. I am not so sure any amount of advertising and marketing speak will convince image conscious buyers that an Audi is the car to have in your up and coming yuppie garage in SA but the new cars that they are bringing to market like the recently launched TT, and now the all-new Q7 deserve a good look at if you are shopping in these niche segments.

But neither are their volume sellers that can drive their sales numbers up significantly and I can’t comment on whether their soon to be launched all new A4 Sedan volume seller will have what it takes to take on the likes of BMW’s just face lifted 3 Series and Merc’s C-Class and turn their local fortunes around, as our publication was not invited to this car’s international ride and drive unveiling.

So back to the Audi Q7 that was first introduced to South Africa back in 2006. This was a long time ago in world car terms, so it was really time for a new Q7. And this new SUV still offers luxury, comfort, a host of tech, and the largest interior in the segment at a starting price of R924 000 for the 3.0 TDI, the only model available right now, and comes standard with the five-year / 100 000km Audi Freeway Plan that is extendable to six-years /200 000km. A 185kW / 370Nm 2.0T FSI will be introduced in January 2016.

Make no mistake; the Audi Q7 is no halfway SUV, although some 37mm shorter and 15mm narrower than it was before, it is still big at 5.05m in length, 1.97m in width, 1.74m in height with a wheelbase of 2.99m. But I like the new sharper styling that does a great job of making the Q7 look somewhat more modern and compact than it was before.

And because of this extra size it has over the competitors, the interior not only offers class leading space but also variability with a third row of seats, is user and extremely comfortable with that expected Audi class and finish. You also get as an option the Audi virtual cockpit, new MMI operating system, SD sound from Bose and Bang & Olufsen to go with all the basic type luxury expected of a vehicle that costs almost R1 million.

We only got to drive the 3.0 TDI as that is all there is available right now as I have already said. But it is a great choice as it delivers 183kW of power and an effortless 600Nm of torque from 1500 to 3000rpm. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is said to take 6.3 seconds, with a top speed of 234 km/h being claimed.

On average, the 3.0 TDI Q7 is said to consume only 5.7 litres of fuel per 100km, emitting only 149 grams of CO2 per km. Which is phenomenal for a full size SUV that comes in at around two tons, but I don’t have to tell you that emissions and the related claimed fuel consumption numbers are highly contentious issues in the VW Group right now and as with most other manufacturers these days, I doubt you will come close to the claimed number in the real world you live and drive daily anyway.

Newly developed from scratch, the drivetrain in the new Audi Q7 is much sleeker than its counterpart in the previous model, undercutting the old weight by 20kg. A new quattro centre differential replaces the previous transfer case, and is integrated in the eight-speed tiptronic.

Under normal driving conditions, the centre differential, designed as a planetary drive, distributes the power between the front and rear axles in a 40:60 ratio. Should the wheels of one axle lose their grip, it can transfer as much as 70 percent of the power to the front and a maximum of 85 percent to the rear without any delay. These lock-up values are higher than with the predecessor model, allowing a better defined distribution of torque and a high-precision, barely noticeable interplay with the control systems.

Compared with the previous model, the ground clearance of the Q7 has been lowered by 50mm, in part through lower installation of the engine. The suspension has also been redesigned from scratch. Relative to the previous model it is over 100kg lighter – an important factor for agility.

And for the rather straightforward drive we had to our overnight stop that was mostly straight tar road with a mix of dirt road in the stunning Dinokeng Game Reserve, there was not much I can say about the dynamics of the Q7 other than to say it performed exactly as I expected under these relaxed conditions that most owners will probably find themselves most of the time.

For families who want even more space when going to the game reserve, the Audi Q7 can haul up to 2.7 tons on 12 percent gradient, and 3.5 tons with the optional adaptive air suspension. Joining the electrically swiveling trailer coupling on board is the trailer manoeuvre assist system, which is said to aid the driver when driving with a trailer.

Staying on top, no other model in the segment currently offers so many driver assistance systems as the new Audi Q7. Standard systems include the attention assist system, hold assist, cruise control, adjustable speed limiter, rear parking system, Audi pre-sense basic and Audi pre-sense city.

Optional assistance systems include adaptive cruise control, night vision assist, head up display, traffic jam assist, Audi active lane assist, collision avoidance assist, rear cross traffic assist and trailer manoeuvre assist.

Another optional system for the new Audi Q7 is all-wheel steering – a technology nowhere else to be found in the SUV segment. At the rear axle is installed a steering system with electrical spindle drive and two track rods that turns the rear wheels a few degrees in the same or opposite direction relative to the front wheels, depending on the situation.