They’re also, by today’s standards, quite thirsty, advertising consumptions of between 10.5L (TDI six) and 13.6L (FSI V8) claimed. Nice wheels, electric leather seating and a sunroof could be a five-figure on-cost.
They’re also, by today’s standards, quite thirsty, advertising consumptions of between 10.5L (TDI six)Īvailable in five-, seven- and a rarely optioned six-seat (2+2+2) guises, the Q7 was big, comfy, reasonably well equipped in low-grade from a lobbed at time where premium European marques charged for extra like wounded bulls. A six-speed auto was fitted range wide, while Audi’s penchant for ‘quattro’ permanent all-wheel drive was also par for the Q7 course.Īvailable in five-, seven- and a rarely optioned six-seat (2+2+2) guises, the Q7 was big, comfy, reasonably well equipped in low-grade from a lobbed at time where premium European marques charged for extra like wounded bulls. The tree-topper was a naturally aspirated FSI petrol V8 good for 257kW and 440Nm that fitted adaptive air suspension rather than the conventional spring format of the sixes. Underpinned by a version of the Volkswagen Group’s PL71 and built alongside Touareg in Slovakia, the gen-one Q7 was initially offered in both TDI and FSI petrol guises, entering the fray with a choice of two six-pot engines: a 3.0-litre oiler good for 171kW/500Nm or a naturally aspirated 3.6 petrol at 206kW and 360Nm, both priced around the mid-$80k mark. By all accounts, it proved its mettle handsomely, even if conventional wisdom was, prior to today’s SUV hysteria, few owners would ever tackle serious off-roading. They will also use the latest version of Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system.Audi’s Q7 was initially gun shy about SUV, its first, the large-segment Q7, arriving in 2006, fashionably much later the established competition from BMW (X5), Mercedes-Benz (ML-Class), Porsche (Cayenne) and Volkswagen (Touareg).Īudi’s largest model to date launched locally via a lengthy media tour of Outback Australia to prove its multi-terrain capabilities. Power for all initial examples comes from the latest version of Audi's 4.2-liter V-8, with a model featuring a new 3.6-liter V-6 to debut later in the year. The Q7 is longer and considerably more spacious inside, with standard seating for seven in three rows. Parts commonality is 15 percent, mostly in suspension pieces. Contrary to expectations, it is not merely a stretched version of the Volkswagen Touareg. As Audi CEO Johan de Nysschen said during the recent Q7 press launch in San Diego, California, it is "the most important new model launch in the history of Audi in North America."Īudi considers the Q7 to be a third-generation performance-luxury SUV, with truck-based models making up the first generation and car-based crossovers the second. Even if SUV sales have flattened out, they still represent a significant portion of the American automotive market, and the Q7 was designed with American sales first in mind. Aren't SUVs supposed to be dead? With the introduction of the 2007 Audi Q7, the company's first SUV, Audi is betting that they're not.
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