The landscape for luxury SUVs is about to get something of a reshape. For years, Audi’s Q7, along with Land Rover’s finest and a handful of other German rivals, has been the top of the tree for the discerning driver who wants style, performance and a high riding position. Sure, Lexus has put in an offering that’s proved popular, but it’s little more than a re-skinned Toyota – and that just won’t do if you want the best.
Soon though, the establishment will be rocked by the really big players: by Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Lamborghini, all of which are working on their own interpretation of the sports utility vehicle. That must be a bit daunting for Audi, which is about to launch the second-generation Q7. Do you try to settle into the niche below the forthcoming uber-SUVs, or try to predict what features will take on the luxury elite over the next few years?
The decision seems to have been to take everything that made the original Q7 popular, and make each element a bit better. This new machine, launched in the beautiful surroundings of Sion and Verbier in Switzerland, is instantly recognisable as Audi’s flagship people hauler, but it has been honed, toned and tweaked to perform better in all areas. Visually, it’s sharper, with bulged wheel arches and an expanded front grille, but it’s shorter and narrower than the old car, and lighter, tipping the scales at a shade less than two tonnes.
Audi is very keen to point out the weight reduction in the new car, which is genuinely impressive. The boys and girls in Ingolstadt would have us believe this diet of aluminium and cleverness, which has stripped 325 kilograms from the Q7, makes for nimbler handling and a sportier drive.
The interior is familiar Audi, which means excellent materials and build quality, plus a reassuring sense of solidity and roominess. There are some new and clever features – as well as a zillion safety systems, featuring numerous cameras, sensors and automatic everything, the infotainment system has been upgraded and a Wi-Fi hot spot installed, capable of supporting multiple devices at the same time.
When the car touches down in the Middle East, only one engine choice will be offered: a supercharged 3.0L V6 with 333hp, sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed tiptronic gearbox. Is a V6 enough to give the promised sporty experience?
Well, no, not really. Even with the reduced weight, it feels strained at low revs and only really gets going if you work it hard – not what you want in a premium SUV. Europe gets a 3.0L diesel with more torque that does a better job, but even then it’s not an exhilarating car to drive, with a lack of feel and heft in the wheel. The Q7 is comfortable, though – on the switchbacks climbing Swiss mountains it’s composed through the corners and the ride is nice and supple. But there’s little to spur you on to really enjoy any fun sections of tarmac you might happen upon.
A word on the sound system: normally in such road tests, where space is at a premium and not all points can be covered, stereos get bumped out of coverage. But the Bang & Olufsen system available in highly specced Q7s is a bit special. With 23 speakers and 1,920 watts of oomph, combined with clever 3-D software, it can bring out elements you’d never heard before in songs you know well. Cruising on the motorway between Sion and Verbier, it’s a genuinely entertaining experience to flick through my music library streamed via Bluetooth from my phone. This is where the new Q7 is at its best – crossing large distances in comfort, not trying to turn a behemoth into a mountain road weapon.
So what of taking the battle to the forthcoming big boys? According to Trevor Hill, the boss of Audi Middle East, performance will be Ingolstadt’s go-to weapon, which is a bit disconcerting given the lukewarm feel of the new car and the current lack of a V8 option. However, a high-performance SQ7 is likely to appear in the near future, which will almost definitely be V8 powered. That said, it may well be a V8 fuelled by diesel rather than petrol, as Audi strives to hit emissions targets around the world.
That doesn’t mean we won’t see the SQ7 in the Middle East though – with diesel performance improving along with the quality of the available fuel in the region, Hill says he’s mulling the possibility of bringing the oil-burning V8 to these parts. Perhaps the appeal of more cylinders and tarmac-rippling torque will convince the UAE’s diesel doubters.
For now, though, the Q7 is a very comfortable, well-made machine, better in almost all areas than its predecessor. It’s not as sporty to drive as Audi would have you believe, and the petrol V6 feels weedy compared to the diesel model. But if power isn’t a big priority, and if you have a penchant for listening to music on the move, then Audi’s latest offering is absolutely worth considering. At least until the new boys come to town.
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