Auto Express – July 30, 2019

24 SpecialIssue http://www.autoexpress.co.uk

JamesHowe

[email protected]

AUDI’Scontinuedrevisionofitsmodel
line-uphasextendedtoitslargestSUV,
theQ7.Itnowboastsafullrangeof48-volt
mild-hybriddrivetrains,upratedtech and
anewlookinsideandout.
Thefaceliftedcarisstillbasedonthe
samelargeriterationoftheVWGroup’s
MLBEVOplatformastheBentleyBentayga,
LamborghiniUrusandVolkswagenTouareg.
Unlikeitscousins,theQ7boastsastandard
seven-seatlayoutandsostandsasAudi’s
answertotheLandRoverDiscovery,
MercedesGLEandVolvoXC90.
Externally,AudihastweakedtheQ7’s
stylingtofallinlinewiththatofthelatest
Q3andQ8,withawider,octagonalgrille
andredesignedLEDlightsfrontandrear.
TheresultisaQ7thatlooksalittleless
ungainlythanbefore,withstronger
horizontallinesthathelpitappearlower
andbetterproportioned.There’sasharper
lookinside,too,withmuchoftheQ8’s
dramaticdashboardarchitecturecarried
over.Asusual,Slinemodelsgetmore
aggressivestylingandbiggerwheels.
Atoverfivemetreslongandjustunder
twometreswide,theQ7isstillalargecar.
It’saheavyonetoo,weighinginatovertwo
tonnes.OnourtestrouteinCountyKerry,
Ireland,theQ7feelsitssizeonnarrow
roadsbutoptionalfour-wheelsteeringhelps
tomakelow-speedmanoeuvringandtighter
cornersmoremanageable.Theoptional

engine,whichisreservedforSline

modelsandaboveintheUK.

ThatengineisourpickoftheQ7’s

revisedrange.With600Nmoftorque

availablelowdown,accelerationis

brisk(5.9secondsfrom0-62mph)and

overtakingiseasy;thingsstarttotail

offpast4,000rpm,butgettingupto

motorwayspeedisaneffortlessaffair.

Largerthrottleinputsareaccompanied

byanappealingsix-cylinderwooflethat

doesn’tundulyinterrupttheotherwise

sereneambienceintheplushcabin.

Theeight-speedgearboxisn’teasily

confusedandisparticularlysteadfast

initssportiestDynamicsetting,holding

ontogearsinautomodeordelivering

snappymanualshiftsviathepaddles.

Straight-lineperformanceismatched

byhandlingandbodycontrolthatare

Audi Q7

FIRSTDRIVERefreshed version of firm’s

largestSUV gets newmild-hybrid engine

“Larger throttle inputs areaccompanied by

an appealing woofle from the V6 engine”

Running costs

33mpg (est)

£96fill-up

Performance

0-62mph/top speed

5.9seconds/155mph

NEWCARS AudiQ7

COMFORT

AllQ7s come with adaptive

air suspension, which adjusts

to the surface continually and

deliversaverysmooth ride

Audi Q7 50TDI quattro

Price: £62,500(est)

Engine: 3.0-litre6cylturbodiesel

Power/torque: 282bhp/600Nm

Transmission: Eight-speedautomatic,

four-wheeldrive

0-62mph: 5.9seconds

Topspeed: 155mph

Economy: 33mpg(est)

CO 2 : 221g/km(est)

ONSALE September

Essentials

360-degreeparkingcamerasystemisone

ofthebestaroundandhelpsmaketighter

spotsfeelmuchlessdaunting.

Therearethreemild-hybridengines

onoffer–twodieselsandonepetrol.Both

dieselsarea3.0-litreV6,butit’savailable

withtwopoweroutputs–228bhpinthe

45TDIor282bhpinthe50TDI–whilethe

mostpowerfuloption(untilthenextSQ7

arrives)isthe335bhp3.0-litrepetrolV6in

the55TFSI.Alluseaneight-speedTiptronic

automaticgearboxandcomewithquattro

four-wheeldriveasstandard.

There’stheusualrangeofSport,Sline,

BlackEditionandVorsprungtrims,each

withincrementalincreasesinstandard

equipment.However,ourGermancar

doesn’tquitefitintotheUK-markettrim

structure;ithasthelooksandequipment

ofaSportmodel,butfeaturesthe50TDI