When it was first rolled out three years ago, the Audi Q7 performance SUV was greeted as as a sporty, comfortable, high-performance recreational and business vehicle on a grand scale. Now Audi is making it even better - more elegant and more efficient, with lower emissions: the Q7 3.0 TDI consumes 25.85mpg US. And now it's also available in a new version as a TDI clean-diesel, with the world's cleanest diesel technology and even lower fuel consumption of only 26.43mpg.
The Q7 is the large Audi for people who are seeking a vehicle that will take them anywhere they want to go for sports, recreation, and business. Its dynamic proportions and distinctive lines express this character, and subtle modifications endow its styling with even more elegance.
At the front end, the large single-frame radiator grille has been redesigned. Vertical chrome bars contrast with its black high-gloss finish. The bumpers too have been restyled. Their lower section is now painted in a contrasting black or gray, depending on the body color. The newly integrated underbody protection in the center section of the bumper has a distinctive ribbed design.
As alternatives to the standard halogen headlights, Audi offers a xenon plus variant and a new adaptive-light system that integrates not only low-beam, high-beam and a special superhighway beam but also turning and cornering lights. In conjunction with the xenon headlights, light-emitting diodes assembled to form U-shaped bands provide the daytime running lights. The front blinkers are also composed of LEDs as straight-line arrays, located at the upper edge of the air intakes.
The side view too, with its coupe-like roofline, low window area and tautly curved body surfaces, reinforces the dynamic look of the Q7. Door moldings have been modified to add interest. The lightweight alloy wheels are size 7.5x18", the tires size 235/60. In the V6 vehicles they have seven-spokes, in the V8 versions they have six-spokes in size 8x18".
At the rear end, the bumper has also been given two-tone paintwork; the tailgate, which includes a portion of the rear pillars in an S-shaped contour, has been given a new and distinctively 3D shape in the vicinity of the license plate bracket. To reduce the weight of the Q7, the tailgate has been made of aluminum, as have the hood and the fenders. Standard LEDs in the tail lights create a distinctive lighting pattern.
Eleven paint finishes for the Audi Q7 include four new shades: Ibis White, Graphite Gray, metallic, Teak Brown, metallic, and Orca Black, metallic. An aluminum exterior package is optionally available from Audi: gleaming chrome bars in the bumpers and door moldings; the lower portion of the bumpers is painted in the body color; the center portion of the front apron and the diffuser are painted in a contrasting shade.
Thanks to its luxurious 118.11" wheelbase within an overall length of 16.70 feet, the Audi Q7 has interior room to spare, and the interior flexibility is unrivalled. The seatbacks in the second row are divided into three fold-down sections to provide a level cargo floor.
This increases the luggage space from a volume of 27.37 cubic feet to 71.87 cubic feet. With the leather upholstery option, the middle seat now has an even more comfortable contour.
A multitude of detailed improvements in the interior enhance the elegance and the sense of well-being. The instrument cluster has been redesigned: the instruments are encircled by metallic frames. Interior lights in the door linings and an inlay on the passenger side enhance the interior styling. Many details of the control elements have been restyled and also enhanced by chrome elements.
The selection of interior colors and materials is also new. Upholstery fabrics are available in black and light gray; leather upholstery additionally also in Para Brown, Savannah Beige and Cardamon Beige. Standard inlays are finished in matte black. In optional design packages, aluminum and wood finishes are used.
The Audi Q7 is available in Europe with six powerful and highly efficient direct injection engines, two of them gasoline-powered and four diesel engines, including the world's most powerful diesel SUV, the Audi Q7 V12 TDI. Their power is transmitted via a convenient and fast-shifting six-speed tiptronic to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive, which distributes it between the axles with slightly more than half to the rear.