AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE | 31A
udi’s second-generation Q 7
is a huge improvement over
the fi rst. That model’s whale-
like scale made it a daunting
vehicle to drive in the city and
its high weight meant it had the
handling agility of a humpback.
The 2019 Q7 is only slightly
shorter and a fraction narrower,
but Audi’s engineers found
ways to shed around 300kg
without affecting strength or
compromising occupant safety.
The Q7 is now among the
more pleasant large, premium
SUVs to drive. There’s little
steering feel, a trait common to
the breed, but the Audi copes
gracefully with corners, ride
comfort is very good and noise
levels are low. The Q7 — in this
guise at least — doesn’t pretend
to be a sportster and this is
to its credit. Audi’s engineers
offer the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel
with 160kW/500Nm, priced at
$97,800, or 200kW/600Nm,
priced at $106,900, and the
engine complies with the Euro 6
emissions standard. This means
the Q7 has a 12L tank for AdBlue
fl uid, a urea solution.
A diesel/electric plug-in
hybrid, the Q7 e-tron, costs
$139,900. It uses a 190kW
3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel with
a 94kW electric motor and
17.3kWh lithium battery. It’s
claimed to be able to travel up to
56km on battery power alone.
If too much grunt is never
enough, the SQ7, at $161,900,
offers a 4.0-litre V8 twinturbodiesel with 320kW of power
and a massive 900Nm of torque.
The 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel is
hardly underdone, though.
It’s smooth, muscular and
quiet, a perfect blend of everyday
attributes for a big SUV.
Rapid acceleration and
remarkably low consumption
are similarly impressive and the
entire drivetrain, including the
eight-speed auto and updated
quattro all-wheel-drive system,
is quite classy engineering.
The Q7 now faces competition
from BMW’s new X7, the new
Mercedes GLE, which offers a
seven seat layout, the Range Rover
Sport and Volvo XC90, so if you’ve
got a tribe to carry you now have
much more choice than previously.The centre row is split
35:30:35, with each section
individually adjustable fore and
aft, while the outboard sections
have a fold-and-fl ip feature
that makes getting to the rear
seats easier. Split 50:50, the
reasonably roomy third-row seat
is electrically operated, as is the
tailgate. All rear seats have Isofi x
child restraint anchors.
The dash is elegant and
logical and the front seats are
supportive and comfortable.
A 360-degree helicopter
camera-view display on the
centre screen, Audi’s latest self-
parking system and warnings
for cross traffi c when reversing
out of a parking space are just
some of the highlights of the Q7’s
standard equipment list.
However, the options list is
long and nothing on it is cheap.
This is nothing new, but this
the Q7 is impossible to ignore if
you’re shopping the seven-seater
luxury SUV class.By John CareyTHINGS WE LIKE
Seven seats standard
Interior quality and versatility
Strong, refi ned, frugal drivetrain
New-found agility and poise
THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE
It’s still a huge thing to manoeuvre
Ho-hum exterior styling
Painful options prices
Potential reliability issues
SPEX (200kW version)
Made in Slovakia
3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel/eight-speed
automatic/all-wheel drive
200kW of power from
3250–4250rpm/600Nm of torque
from 1500–3000rpm
0–100km/h in 6.5 seconds (claimed)
Warranty: Three years/unlimited
kilometres
Max towing weight 3500kg
5.6L/100km highway; 6.4L/100km
city; CO 2 emissions are 153g/km.
Fuel tank 75 litres.
Standard: Six airbags, stability
control, 19-inch alloy wheels, tyre
pressure indicator, 360-degree
top-view camera, automatic
parking, cross traffi c alert, leather,
power tailgate, dual-zone air, drive
select, MMI infotainment with
Bluetooth, digital radio, smartphone
integration and navigation.
Redbook future values: 3yr: 55%;
5yr: 42%compare with ...
BMW X7, Land Rover Discovery
Mercedes GLE, Volvo XC90AUDI Q7 FROM $97,800
Safety
ANCAP
PerformanceHandlingQuality and reliabilityComfort and refi nementValue for moneyOverallSTARS
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