Its dynamic proportions and distinctive lines express its character, and subtle modifications now endow its styling with even more elegance. The sporty exterior design of the Audi Q7 has been revised to incorporate the newly designed radiator grille and bumpers and the new xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights. The rear has been given a new and distinct 3D shape as well as new LED rear lights. A multitude of improvements in the interior enhance the sense of elegance: the new instrument cluster, ambient lighting in the door linings, new inlays and leather choices as well as many chrome enhanced elements.

The Audi Q7 remains extremely spacious and highly variable on the interior, with up to seven seats and luggage space of up to 2,035 liters. Fitting for a vehicle of its class the Audi Q7 comes with an outstanding array of standard equipment: Servotronic, four zone automatic air conditioning, leather seats with electric seat adjustment and lumbar support for the front, five years free service, rear side airbags, ISOFIX child seat preparation and many more, depending on the chosen engine.

Further highly advanced assistance and infotainment systems are available as an option and include among others climate-controlled comfort seats, high beam assist, adaptive light including cornering lights and for the first time also a special superhighway beam.

In the Middle East the Audi Q7 is available either as a 3.6 quattro or a 4.2 quattro. The 3.6 FSI engine has a power output of 206 kW (280 bhp), 360 Nm torque between 2,500 and 5,000 rpm and an average fuel consumption of 12.1 liters per 100 km. The 4.2 FSI, a V8, delivers 257 kW (350 bhp), 440 Nm at 3,500 rpm with a fuel consumption of 12.7 liters/100 km.

An efficiency-enhancing energy recovery system has been added for both models and both feature a six-speed tiptronic transmission and quattro permanent all-wheel drive with 40:60 dynamic torque split. For especially dynamic drivers ceramic brake disks have been added as a new option for the V8.

The Audi Q7 starts from USD 56,000 for the 3.6 quattro and USD 71,000 for the 4.2 quattro.

Not available in the Middle East yet, but interesting to note nonetheless, is the new 3.0 TDI clean diesel engine with the world’s cleanest diesel technology. It puts out 176 kW (240 bhp) and delivers as much as 550 Nm between 2,000 and 2,250 rpm, yet, despite highly complex exhaust gas recirculation, it consumes just 8.9 liters/100 km. It meets the strict LEV II Bin 5 US standard and already complies with the Euro 6 limits announced for 2014.

The design: The language of dynamics

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 of the Q7 3.6 quattro is now painted in a contrasting black or gray, depending on the body color. In the 4.2 quattro it is finished in body color. The newly integrated underbody protection in the center section of the bumper has a distinctive ribbed design.

Audi offers xenon plus headlights with an automatic low beam mode as a standard. Light-emitting diodes assembled to form U-shaped bands provide the daytime running lights and the front indicators are also composed of LEDs as straight-line arrays, located at the upper edge of the air intakes. The new adaptive-light system comes as an option and integrates not only highbeam and a special superhighway beam (speed dependent reach) but also turning and cornering lights. Also available is the high beam assistant, which automatically switches between high and low beam depending on the traffic and lighting situation.

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 19 inch lightweight alloy wheels in the Q7 4.2 quattro are in a 5-arm V design with tires in size 265/50. In the V6 they are in an 18 inch 6-arm design and tires in size 255/55. Various designs are available, including elegant, highluster, bicolor versions.

At the rear end, the bumper has also been given two-tone paintwork on the 3.6; full body color on the 4.2, 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 engine 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. The aluminum exterior package is a standard on the Q7 4.2, an option on the 3.6: 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.

The interior: Room to spare

Thanks to its luxurious 300-centimeter wheelbase within an overall length of 5.09 meters, 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 775 liters to 2,035 liters. The middle seat now has an even more comfortable contour.

Two very useful features are optionally available: either a longitudinally displaceable second seat row or individual comfort seats that are separately displaceable. Another available option is a third row (standard in the 4.2) for passengers no taller than 1.60 meters, combined with an improved easy entry function.

A multitude of detailed improvements in the interior enhance the elegance and the sense of well-being. The instrument cluster has been redesigned: the large, round, easily readable instruments are encircled by metallic frames. Interior lights in the door linings (option) 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. Leather upholstery is available in Black, Pale Gray, Paranut Brown, Savannah Beige and Cardamon Beige. Standard inlays are either aluminium marlin silver or a variety of wood finishes.

The power train: Performance and efficiency

The Audi Q7 is available with two powerful and highly efficient direct injection engines 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.

At Audi, efficiency and dynamics go hand in hand. The 3.6 FSI, a V6 with a small cylinder angle, has a power output of 206 kW (280 bhp) and delivers 360 Nm between 2,500 and 5,000 rpm. Its average fuel consumption is 12.1 liters per 100 km. The 4.2 FSI, a V8, delivers 257 kW (350 bhp) and 440 Nm at 3,500 rpm. Its fuel consumption is 12.7 liters/100 km.

A novel technology from the Modular Efficiency Platform further improves fuel efficiency in all the engines: the recovery system, which during braking and coasting phases converts mechanical energy into electric energy and bufferstores it in the battery. It reduces CO2 emissions by up to 5 g/km (8.05 g/mile).


The chassis: Safe and sporty

In its suspension technology too the Audi Q7 is exceptional. As a customer option, Audi equips the Q7 4.2 as a standard with adaptive air suspension – a pneumatic suspension system that operates in conjunction with an electronic shock absorber control, varies the ground clearance at five different levels, and lets the driver select three driving modes: comfort, automatic and dynamic. In its road handling the Q7 excels in its sporty, highly responsive precision.

Large brake discs provide superb deceleration – with 18-inch diameter front and 17-inch diameter rear. For all Q7 with a V8 engine is the diameter 18-inch front and rear.

Optionally available in the eight-cylinder models are carbon-fiber ceramic disk brakes which further enhance the dynamic character of this performance SUV: they are lighter than their steel equivalents, extremely abrasion-resistant and virtually fading-free. They achieve high driving performance and ensure short braking distances. The diameters of the ceramic discs are 420 millimeters in front and 370 millimeters at the rear. The calipers are black and adorned with the wording “Audi ceramic”. A total of 24 pistons are used on the front and rear axles.

The equipment: Luxury and high-tech

The Q7 comes with a splendid range of standard equipment. The speed dependent servotronic steering system is standard, as is the four zone automatic air conditioning, the electric seat adjustment with lumbar support for the front seats and an MMI radio operating system complete with a CD player in the 3.6 and CD changer in the 4.2. The Audi Q7 3.6 is equipped with the Audi Parking System plus standard as a standard and the Q7 4.2 with the Audi Parking System advanced with rear view camera.

Also included in the standard package are five years free service, rear side airbags, ISOFIX child seat preparation as well as a double floor in the cargo area complete with a storage compartment and a dirt tray. The 4.2 additionally features the panoramic sunroof, the navigation system plus and Audi music interface as a standard.

The option program includes luxury features such as the climate-controlled comfort seat, which can keep the body warm or cool it by means of small fans. Particularly dynamic Q7 drivers may wish to consider the S line exterior package, that enhances the styling with details such as distinctive bumpers and a solid paint finish.

In the infotainment field, Audi provides a carefully differentiated selection of modules. The three optional systems are part of the new generation of Audi devices. The top-of-the-line version integrates a hard drive for navigation, music and telephone data, a high-resolution color monitor and 3D map graphics, a DVD player as well as voice control. It can be expanded into a luxury media center with features such as a Bluetooth telephone, a TV tuner, plus rear seat entertainment. A very special highlight is the advanced sound system from Bang & Olufsen with its 14 channels, 1000 watts of power and 14 loudspeakers.

The range of optional equipment is rounded off by technologies from the luxury class. The radar-supported adaptive cruise control regulates the speed and the distance to the preceding vehicle in a range from 30 to 200 km/h by acceleration and deceleration. If a threat is detected, the integrated Audi braking guard warns the driver at two levels. Audi side assist ensures safe lane changes above 30 km/h (18.64 mph) with the aid of a radar system that monitors the traffic pattern within 70 meters (229.66 feet) behind the vehicle. Finally, the Audi parking system advanced assists parking by means of a rearview camera and reference lines on the onboard monitor.

The Q7 also offers many intelligent solutions for the practical needs of everyday use – such as an electric luggage space cover, a reversible floor mat, a set of luggage rails, a removable ski bag, and a moveable storage box. The options program includes separation grids, an interior bicycle stand, various roof mounted carriers, and a pivoting trailer hitch: this powerful SUV can tow up to 3.5 tons.

Case study: The Q7 3.0 TDI clean diesel

The 3.0 TDI clean diesel puts out 176 kW (240 bhp) and delivers as much as 550 Nm between 2,000 and 2,250 rpm, yet despite highly complex exhaust gas recirculation and the resulting world’s cleanest diesel technology, it consumes just 8.9 liters/100 km. It meets the strict LEV II Bin 5 US standard and already complies with the Euro 6 limits announced for 2014.

The technology of the TDI clean diesel is highly complex. An advanced version of the common rail injection system with 2,000 bars of pressure, new combustion chamber sensors and a high-performance exhaust recirculating system ensure a highly efficient combustion process. An innovative DeNOx catalytic converter reduces the remaining nitrogen oxides. Just upstream of it, a pump injects an additive named AdBlue into the hot exhaust flow, where this solution decomposes into ammonia, which splits the nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen and water. Audi partners replenish the additive during regular maintenance servicing.

Due to the diesel quality in the region, this engine is not available yet in the Middle East.