All-new 2015 Audi Q7: Full details and official pics of the second generation SUV revealed



After nearly a decade since the original gargantuan of an Audi Q7 was revealed to the world (in 2005), it’s only a matter of time before it gets a successor. Due for production as early as next year, the second generation all-new Audi Q7 is slimmer – both by dimensions and weight, and it has gone through one heck of a weight loss.Audi Q7

QUICK FACTS

Name Audi Q7 3.0 V6 TFSI Audi Q7 3.0 V6 TDI Audi Q7 2.0 TFSI
Drive Type Quattro permanent all-wheel drive
Engine 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol V6 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 2.0-litre inline-4 cylinder, turbocharged
Transmission 8-speed automatic with Tiptronic 8-speed automatic with Tiptronic 8-speed automatic with Tiptronic
Max Power 333 hp 272 hp 252 hp
Max Torque 440 Nm 600 Nm 370 Nm

This new Q7 weighs approximately 325kg less, and is about 37mm shorter and 15mm narrower. Despite the smaller footprint, Audi is claiming that the new SUV has more interior space – about 21mm more between the first and second row seats.Audi Q7

EXTERIOR

Truth be told, the new Q7’s silhouette looks strikingly similar on the outside when compared to the first-gen Q7, save for its aggressively redesigned front face. It also benefits from Audi’s current design theme, with profound use of sharp horizontal lines stretching from the hood all the way to the rear. Side mirrors (with integrated signal indicators) are now mounted on the doors.

At the front, the four-ringed large SUV gets the signature ‘Singleframe’ grille with thick horizontal crossbars all coated in chrome. The headlights can either be powered by xenon, LED or Matrix LED technology, depending on the customer’s choice. It also comes with integrated LED daytime running lights shaped like a double arrow.Audi Q7

Standard on the Q7 are the 18-inch wheels wrapped with 235/65R18 profile tyres, with additional wheel sizes up to 21 inches. In base trim, the lower side of the bumpers are plastic and finished in anthracite, while having it painted in body colour is an additional cost. If you go with the S-Line trim, you get bolder bumpers, spoiler, diffuser, air inlets, side sills and of course, the S-Line badge.

INTERIOR

Inside, the new Q7 tells us a different story altogether and is a clear departure from how things were laid out in the first-gen Q7. For a start, there’s a 7-inch non-touch colour display unit that pops out when the car is started, and can be upgraded to the optional 8.3-inch MMI navigation plus package.Audi Q7

Seats here can be wrapped either in fabric, Alcantara, Cricket leather or fine Valcona leather, and are electrically powered with 18-way adjustments with the optional massage function. There’s also the optional third row child seats which transforms the five-seater SUV into a seven-seater. Without the third row seats, you get 890 litres of boot capacity, which can be expanded up to a cavernous 2,075 litres with the second row seats folded down.

Also present in the new Q7 is the ambient lighting seen shared with some of Audi’s higher-end cars. It uses ultra-narrow light that follows the contours of the instrument panel and onto the doors, which can be further upgraded to light up the centre tunnel console. This ambient lighting can now be controlled via the MMI unit for the first time, with various colours to choose from.Audi Q7

Another interesting feature in the cabin is the rear seat entertainment that grants you a single 10.1-inch screen placed behind the front seats’ headrests. In standard trim you get one screen, but with a little extra dough you get two screens. These tablets are connected to the MMI navigation, allowing WiFi usage as well as access to the car’s main functions.

While we’re on that front, the Q7 comes standard with a 10-speaker configuration. If that’s not enough for you, there’s the optional Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System with 3D sound package, granting you a mind boggling 23-speakers with subwoofers and 1,920 watts of amplification.

PERFORMANCE

Two high-performance V6 engines will be making its way to the European market – the 3.0-litre TDI and TFSI mills. Both engines are Euro6 emission compliant. The TDI engine makes 272 hp and 600 Nm of torque, allowing it to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds before topping out at 234 km/h. This oil burning mill returns 5.7 litres per 100 km traveled.Audi Q7

The petrol V6 makes 333 hp and 440 Nm of torque, and is good for a century sprint time of 6.1 seconds, while managing a top speed of 250 km/h. Fuel consumption is rated at 7.7 litres per 100 km. There will also be another V6 TDI engine offered at a later date, and this cleaner engine makes 218 hp and 500 Nm of torque.

For the US and Asian markets, Audi is offering the 2.0-litre TFSI four cylinder engine producing 252 hp and 370 Nm of torque. In late 2015, Audi plans to introduce the Q7 e-tron plug in hybrid variant, which uses the same V6 TDI engine paired to an electric motor, putting out 373 hp and a whopping 700 Nm of torque.

It can do up to 56 km in pure electric mode, while in optimum hybrid mode it consumes just 1.7 litres of oil per 100 km. Top speed for the e-tron is 225 km/h. All engines are paired to an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox which offers a free-wheeling function when the driver steps off the throttle. The new vaporisation system allows the engine to run at speeds below 1,000 rpm, further contributing to its fuel efficiency.Audi Q7

SAFETY

The new Q7 comes equipped with rear parking aid, cruise control with adjustable speed limiter, rest recommendation and Audi pre-sense city safety system with braking intervention as standard. As with many other features on the car, there’s also the optional Safety pack: Parking, City and Tour.

The Parking package gives you an all-around view of the car with automated parking. For the City pack, you get cross-traffic assist and carpark exit warning system. The Tour pack comes with adaptive cruise control including stop and go traffic assist.Audi Q7

WHAT ELSE?

There are as many as seven driving modes here via Audi’s Drive Select: Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, Individual, Allroad and Lift/Offroad. First batch of delivery for the Q7 will begin as early as June or July next year in Germany, with a starting price of 61,000 Euros (RM265k). What do you guys think about the new Audi Q7? Yay, or nay?


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