Brian Joss –
The second generation edition of the Audi Q7,which was launched in South Africa last week, offers a new dimension in design, performance and technology. Its innovative assistance and infotainment systems along with revised engine performance make the large SUV an impressive package, Audi said. Its new engines consume significantly less fuel than the previous model and reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 50 g per kilometre.
The Audi Q7 was first introduced to South Africa in 2006 and since then has sold in excess of 4,700 units locally. The C-segment SUV will be available at all Audi dealerships in South Africa from October.
The Audi Q7 is slimmer than its predecessor; the new model is 5.05 metres in length, 1.97 metres in width, 1.74 metres in height and has a wheelbase of 2.99 metres, while the height has remained approximately the same.
Designwise it’s much more powerful and incisive, relies more on clearly accentuated lines and emphasises the horizontal through its more geometrical design.
The Audi Singleframe grille is three-dimensional in form; its horizontal toothed structure and its wide framing create an awareness of the status and presence of the vehicle. Above the wheels it conveys an impression of restrained muscularity.
The rear of the Audi Q7 is characterised by three horizontal lines. LED rear lights are standard on all Audi Q7 models. The wrap-around tailgate gives the rear a wider appearance and facilitates loading and unloading. It offers electrical opening and closing as standard.
Xenon headlights are offered as standard, however full LED headlights and Matrix LED headlights are also available as an option. A camera on the interior mirror analyses the traffic situation. Given this information, the control unit individually turns the diodes on and off, or dims in them in 64 stages each, depending on the situation. It offers the most spacious interior in the premium SUV segment, Audi said.
The new Audi Q7 comes with a large, highly variable luggage compartment. When all seven seats are occupied, it has a capacity of 295 litres. The five-seater offers 890 litres, and 2,075 litres with the second row seat backs folded down.
The \ Q7 will be launched in South Africa with one engine initially. The 3.0 TDI available now, delivers 183 kW of power and 600 Nm of torque from 1 500 to 3 000 rpm. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes 6.3 seconds, with a top speed of 234 km/h. On average, the 3.0 TDI consumes only 5.7 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, emitting only 149 grams of CO2 per kilometre, Audi claimed.
A petrol engine in the form of a 2.0T FSI with an output of 185 kW and 370 Nm of torque will be available in South Africa in January.
The new eight-speed tiptronic is designed as a classic torque-converter transmission, shifting smoothly, quickly and spontaneously.
The standard-equipped driving dynamics system, Audi drive select, completes the versatile character of the new Audi Q7. Standard are the eight-speed tiptronic, electromechanical power steering, engine management, the automatic air conditioning and the engine sound.
The standard MMI navigation plus with MMI touch includes a DVD drive, two card readers, a flash memory, Audi sound system, Audi music interface with two USB ports, a Bluetooth interface and the 8.3-inch high-resolution monitor. The MMI navigation plus with MMI touch provides access to the smartphone voice control, displays emails from the cell phone and reads them aloud. It cooperates closely with many assistance and safety systems in the new Audi Q7.
Together with the standard MMI navigation plus with MMI touch, the Audi Q7 optionally has the Audi virtual cockpit on board – a 12.3-inch TFT screen with a resolution of 1,440 x 540 pixels, displaying razor-sharp, fascinatingly detailed images. The needle of the rev counter, for example, is recalculated 60 times per second, so as to be absolutely fluid in operation.
For sophisticated sound system fans, the new Audi Q7 optionally offers a choice between two systems from Bose and Bang & Olufsen, respectively. Both offer the new 3D sound.
The Audi tablet for rear seat entertainment with its high-resolution 10.1-inch screen (1,920 x 1,200 pixels) is a newly tailored and flexible infotainment system. Connected to MMI navigation plus via Wi-Fi, it affords access to the radio, media, navigation and car functions menus.
The Audi tablet also provides access to the Internet – to approximately one million apps and games, movies and music, audiobooks, eBooks and office applications. The integrated full HD camera can be used to make a video call via Skype. After the trip, the user can take along the Audi tablet
Standard systems include the attention assist system, hold assist, cruise control, adjustable speed limiter, rear parking system, Audi pre-sense basic and Audi pre-sense city.
Optional assistance systems include adaptive cruise control, night vision assist, head up display, traffic jam assist, Audi active lane assist, collision avoidance assist, rear cross traffic assist and trailer manoeuvre assist. The new Audi Q7 3 TDI quattro tiptronic costs R 924,000 including a 5 year/100 000km Audi freeway plan with the option of extending it to 6 years/200 000km:
