Audi puts a price on 900 Nm torque laden SQ7 and SQ8 TDI

In what is likely to be the swansong for the Volkswagen Group’s most powerful and biggest turbodiesel engine, Audi has announced pricing for the highly awaited SQ7 and SQ8 TDI.

Revealed just under two years ago, both are powered by the same twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 oil-burner Wolfsburg phased out last year in the Touareg V8 TDI, albeit with a 10 kW increase in power and without the 48-volt mild-hybrid system offered in Europe for a final output of 320 kW and a train-pulling 900 Nm of torque.

The torquiest Audi badged models ever to be offered on local soil, both are limited to 250 km/h with the claimed 0-100 km/h dash taking 4.8 seconds. Riding as standard on 21-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels with the option of upgrading to 22-inch on the SQ7 and 23-inches on the SQ8, the amount of twist is directed to all four wheels via an eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox with both coming as standard with the sport tuned Adaptive air suspension and upgraded brakes utilising a 400 mm disc design at the front and 360 mm at the rear.

Optionally available with rear wheel steering but standard with the Drive Select system that features seven modes; Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, Individual, Allroad and Offroad, the SQ7 and SQ8 builds on the S line styling package by receiving a different Singleframe grille with thicker surrounds on the latter, wider door sills, silver front and rear skidplates, aluminium-look mirror caps, a standard panoramic sunroof, tweaked front and rear bumpers and the option of the black styling pack.

Inside, the 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit Display instrument cluster and 10.1-inch MMI Navigation Plus infotainment system feature S specific graphics and readouts, with additional bespoke touches comprising Valcona leather S branded electric and heated sport seats, matte brushed aluminium inserts, illuminated S branded door sills and a 30 colour ambient lighting system. Optional is a massaging function for the seats with a rhombus diamond stitched pattern in two colours; Rotor Grey or Arras Red. Other standard equipment is the Matrix LED headlights, quad-zone climate control and a 23-speaker, 1 920-watt Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system.

Standard on both models is a five year Audi Freeway Plan with the SQ7 retailing from R1 679 500 and the SQ8 from R1 848 500.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.