General Introduction
The ever-elegant, classic, and luxurious SUVs have been around for about a decade now. And so far, it has brought a lot of challenges as well as recognition both for the consumers and the automakers. The introduction of the Audi Q7 chnaged the whole SUV market and the whole SUV market has never been the same again.
Design
The design of Audi Q7 maybe similar to what you’ve seen before. After all, it almost shares the same technical aspects with its counterparts, such as the Porsche Cayenne and the Volkswagen Touareg. This means that it has an underlying car-based architecture that ensures excellent performance on the road while establishing comfort for all its passengers. It achieves power from either a V8 or V6 engine and has enough room to occupy at most seven passengers, not to mention that it will certainly stand out if placed in between other cars.
Yet one should never discount the fact that Audi Q7 is beautiful. Any car enthusiast should be able to look further and observe what Audi Q7 can offer. For one, the Audi Q7 has a longer wheelbase compared to Volkswagen. The wheelbase is around 13 inches longer. Hence the length is sufficient enough for a a third-row seat. It also has standard suspension complete with steel springs, along with a system of air spring controlled electronically by dampers. Although Touareg can also contain an air suspension, it’s the Audi Q7 that can be fine tuned to produce more effective steering response and handling. The automobile is also popular for its typical Audi style, which is made of a large sunroof, a highly innovative system for cruise control, and a monitoring feature for blind spots.
For the Audi Q7 models, you can choose between a base model and the premium model. All Q7 base models come with the following features: 7 seats in 3 rows (the last two rows can be folded and split to fit more storage), 18-inch wheels, headlights that adapt to various conditions, dual zone climate control, six-CD player, and an audio system by Bose. Leather upholstery, power front seats plus a driver seat that remembers the specifications of different occupants are also included. Premium makes the wheels 19 inches, GPS system, rearview camera for par assist, sunroof, additional air conditioning units and satellite radio. There is also “S” line which adds sportier seats, unique front and back fascias plus 21-inch alloys performance tires. You can also order most of the Premium features individually to add on base model. Other options for the base model include the air suspension system, adaptive cruise control, and 20-inch wheels.
Engine
Lift the hood and you will see either a 280 horsepower, 266 pound-feet torque 3.6-liter V6 or the 350 horsepower and 325 pound-feet torque 4.2-liter V8. Direct fuel injection, along with other latest engine technologies are standard with both engines. Both vehicles also feature a six-speed manual transmission. All Q7s come with the company’s Quattro all-wheel drive system, hence the ‘Q’ moniker. Though it has considerable power, its weight of more than 5000 pounds hampers its performance a little. Depending on the options, this car can tow an average of 6,600 pounds. The usual test reaching 60 mph is acceptable; V8 gets it in 8 seconds while the V6 in 10.
Space
The dash layout is very similar to A6 sedan, with Audi’s MMI (Multi-Media Interface) as standard. Though it has seven seats the third row can easily fit smaller passengers so it is much better to keep it folded and used for storage. Fold the second row as well and you will be able to hold an additional 71 cubic feet of space. This makes the Q7 very competitive even with the larger luxury SUVs. High-quality construction and high grade materials make the interior of the Q7 very luxurious.
Other Features
Antilock brake with assist, a system that controls stability with hill descent monitor and roll-over detection, tire pressure control, side airbags for passengers near the doors and front side airbags come in as standard options. The other options include seat mounted airbags in the second row, Audi’s Side Assist. The last feature becomes very useful for the driver; they are alerted when other vehicles pass the car’s blind spots with blinking yellow LEDs in outside mirrors. The Q7 was also awarded 5 stars by the NHTSA safety test.
