Audi Q7 e quattro drive by Steve Rogers
Once it breathed fire, now the mighty Q7 is as quiet as a mouse. So has Audi turned the beast into a pussycat? As if!
But the motoring world is going through its biggest upheaval since Carl Benz built his first car 139 years ago.
No reason for alarm. All that has happened is Audi is moving with the times and throwing just about everything into electric and plug-in petrol hybrids. The diesel hasn’t been retired, just pushed to the side a bit. Audi is one of an increasingly small number of companies still producing diesel engines but the take up is dwindling as e day 2030 gets ever closer.
Apart from the new hybrid engine, the Q7 has been given a major update this year and there is no mistaking the chunky black grille. Talk about in your face, Audi is making a bold statement here no doubt taking note of the flurry of new SUVs that have monstrous grilles.
So what’s been happening on the hybrid front? Quite a lot. The electric motor has been upgraded to 130kW with a more powerful lithium battery. The upshot is an electric only range of 52 miles which is pretty reasonable given the size of Q7.
Of course there is no range anxiety to worry about because there is still a three litre petrol under the bonnet, and that is a bit of a peach. It is remarkably refined, well would we expect anything else from Audi, with an armful of overtaking pick up. The 600Nm of torque is a smidge down on the diesel but is still monstrously strong when overtaking yet remarkably refined with barely a hint of noise when cruising either from the engine or the chunky tyres.
With a full charge the official economy figure is a heady 216mpg so if your journeys are short it is worth keeping the battery topped up from a home source which will take under four hours. Once the electric power is spent on a longer trip you can expect high twenties although the battery is recharged to a small extent every time you lift off the accelerator.
I regularly managed 29-30mpg which is good considering the Q7 weighs in at just under two and a half tonnes.
If the new hybrid is the main event then next in line is the ride. Q7 comes with air suspension and it really does give you a magic carpet ride. It has to be the most comfortable SUV I have driven and would take a crater in the road to throw it off course.
My S-Line test car comes with active sport suspension and while an SUV this size can hardly be described as agile there was no rolly-polly nonsense as it swept through tight bends.
So we have given high marks to performance and ride, but what do we make of the Q7s cabin? A bit of a mixed bag, but this is very personal. There is no denying the Q7, or any Audi for that matter, is beautifully trimmed with top class materials everywhere. My beef is with the infotainment set up.
I fell out of love with the interface when Audi dropped the excellent rotary controller. You could make selections on the move with just a glance at the display which to my mind is safer when driving.
Yes, everything is typically orderly but there is a lot more going on and you have to touch the screen so eyes are leaving the road. I will give credit for a definite soft click when making the selection so you know it has happened. At least the heating controls are permanently displayed in the lower screen and voice control will respond to certain commands like changing a radio station.
Audi has a bit of an obsession with black and there are lots of piano black facings across the dashboard and centre console. It looks impessive when it is not plastered in fingerprints, which is most of the time, so if fussy, like me, carry a duster!
It goes without saying the Q7 has masses of cabin space, this is a big car, but one of the penalties of storing a battery pack is the loss of the third row of seats. Hardly a deal breaker.
Fast facts
Q7 55 TFSI e quattro Black edition
£86,605 (starts £66,605)
3-petrol hybrid; 386bhp
Eight speed tiptronic
0-62mph 5.7secs; 149mph
29g/km. 1st VED £110
28.8mpg (petrol only)
Insurance group 44-50
Boot: 563-1863 litres
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