BUY, LEASE OR FINANCE A AUDI Q7 FROM OSV: bit.ly/2uXPZNu
Market and Model
Expect to be paying from just over £56,000 to around £95,000 for your Q7, depending on the variant you want. For that, you'd want a very high standard of specification - and this Q7 doesn't disappoint. There are four trim levels - 'Sport, 'S line', 'Black Edition' and 'Vorsprung'. Even base 'Sport' variants get fully digitised instrumentation and the 'MMI navigation plus' infotainment package delivers top-of-the-line connectivity by incorporating LTE Advanced streaming, a Wi-Fi hotspot, natural voice control and the extensive Audi connect portfolio, opening up everything from online traffic information and navigation with Google Earth to hybrid radio. The cloud-based Amazon voice service Alexa, which is integrated into the MMI operating system, is also new.
Top 'Vorsprung' variant include just about everything you could possibly want, with 22-inch wheels, S line detailing and a black styling pack they show the remodelled Q7 body in its most impactful light, and their powered soft-close doors set the tone for the exceptional comfort and luxury within. Occupants are treated to ultra-supportive front super sport seats with diamond-stitched Valcona leather upholstery, climate control and a massage function, plus an extended leather pack taking in the door pull handles, armrests and lower door trim, the front centre console trim and the underside of the instrument panel. Seat heating is also expanded to the second row, and attention is even lavished on the roof, which gains a soft-touch Alcantara headlining. The brand's 3D BOSE surround sound system is also installed to fill the interior with virtually cinematic sound quality.
Cost of Ownership
The now-standard mild hybrid technology plays a major part in the efficiency of the engines on offer here. It can reduce consumption by up to 0.7 litres per 100 kilometres. Its central component, the belt alternator starter (BAS), powers a 48-volt main electrical system in which a compact lithium-ion battery stores the energy. During braking, the BAS can recover up to 8kW of power and feed it back into the battery. If the driver eases off the accelerator at speeds of between 34mph and 99mph, the Audi Q7 recuperates energy, rolls at idle or coasts for up to 40 seconds with the engine switched off. The BAS restarts the engine the next time the accelerator is depressed, and does so faster and more gently than a conventional starter. The startstop range begins at 13mph.
This works with a clever starter motor / generator system and allows the car to coast at both high and low speeds using 48V electrical assistance. Hence the provision of efficiency figures that are difficult to better amongst large luxury SUVs. The volume 45 TDI version offers 33.2mpg on the WLTP combined cycle and 184g/km of NEDC-rated CO2. The two plug-in petrol Q7 models can offer around 26 miles of all-electric driving range and can recharge from a 7kW home charger in around two and a half hours. As before, all models have an unremarkable 3 year 60,000 mile warranty.
Summary
Here's a big Audi SUV that, in an eco-conscious world, you could now own proudly, rather than slightly awkwardly. A statement of technology and innovation with electronic intuition anticipating needs you didn't know you had. As well as simply a very plush and practical way to transport your household just about anywhere.
It looks the part, the badge works for the boardroom, it's as capable off road as most will ever need and the seven-seat format is fine for families. True, there are rival large SUVs that are better to drive in this segment - but none of them are as practical. And yes, there are certainly others that are significantly cheaper - but none of them are as advanced.
In summary, we're left with a car that's slimmed down and shaped up. Audi are certainly aware that a model of this kind can never be completely eco-centric, but as they've proved in this case, there's certainly plenty that can be done to reduce its environmental impact. In short, what we have here is simply this: a lesson in Vorsprung durch Technik.
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