Introducing the new Audi Q7
For more than twenty years, the Audi Q7 has shaped what buyers expect from a full-size premium SUV, and the third generation arrives with the confidence of a model that has done all this before. Most of the time, it is simply an exceptional family car. Then, a longer drive comes along on the calendar, and it starts to feel like a grand tourer instead.
Sitting at the top of Audi's combustion-engined SUV range, the Q7 is the most spacious model in that line-up — and arguably the most versatile. It is built for drivers who expect both serious practicality and the refinement that comes with the badge. For UK buyers, this means a car designed primarily around daily use, though it remains every bit as accomplished as you would expect from an Audi.
Design and Practicality
The new Q7 adopts a noticeably more upright stance than its predecessor. The raised Singleframe and four rings give the front end a distinctive appeal. At the rear, quattro blisters run down from the shoulder into a steeper D-pillar, and the roofline now sits almost horizontal.
Inside, the cabin can be specified with five, six or seven seats, and the second row is wide enough for three child seats side by side, with access to the third row unaffected. The centre console offers wireless charging for two phones at once. The standout feature is the panoramic sunroof, switchable between transparent and opaque across nine segments, which floods the cabin with light across all three rows.
The boot holds up to 1,980 litres with the second and third-row seats folded, or 722 litres with the third row stowed. Fit the optional electrically deployable towing hitch and the Q7 will pull up to 3,500kg, enough for a horsebox, a caravan or whatever else family life demands.
Technology and Safety
At the centre of the cabin sits the Audi MMI panoramic display, a curved unit combining the touchscreen with the virtual cockpit, Audi's name for the fully digital instrument cluster ahead of the driver. This is complemented by a standard passenger screen and an optional head-up display that provides information without crowding the driver's view.
The Audi assistant manages voice commands for navigation and more, while the optional Bang & Olufsen 4D sound system adds seat-mounted actuators, small vibration units that let occupants feel the bass as much as hear it.
Safety technology is spread throughout the car rather than limited to one optional package. Adaptive driving assistant plus manages acceleration, braking and lane-keeping on longer journeys, and the digital matrix LED headlights include a marking light that picks out pedestrians in the dark. A world first for the Q7: its turn signals project onto the road surface in sync with the indicators, an extra cue specifically aimed at alerting cyclists and pedestrians.
Audi's new emergency assist function first detects when the driver becomes inactive, then prompts them to take back control through visual, audible and haptic cues — a warning they can see, hear and feel. If those prompts go unanswered, the system steers the Q7 onto the hard shoulder where possible and brings it to a stop. Trained parking, meanwhile, lets the car learn and repeat tricky manoeuvres at home, a feature worth having if the driveway or garage is particularly tight.
Engines and Performance
The Q7's 3.0-litre V6 diesel is available in two forms. The more powerful produces 295bhp and 465lb ft of torque, while entry-level variants are anything but, producing 241bhp and 369lb ft. Mild hybrid technology underpins both versions.
When the driver pulls away or puts their foot down to overtake, the powertrain generator adds a useful surge of up to 24bhp. The compressor runs continuously. It keeps throttle response sharp across the entire rev range, no matter how hard the car is driven.
The Q7 feels sharper off the line than its diesel roots suggest, and stays efficient enough for daily use regardless. Owners can also run the engine on HVO fuel, a straightforward way to further lower emissions. Every Q7 comes with quattro all-wheel drive as standard. This is paired with an eight-speed tiptronic gearbox, and the most powerful version reaches 62mph in 6.2 seconds.
The optional adaptive air suspension lets the driver choose between a comfort-focused setting for motorway miles and a firmer feel when the road turns more interesting. The system can also use GPS data to recognise an approaching level crossing and automatically adjust the ride height in advance.
Experience the Audi Q7 with Stratstone
Two decades of experience building large premium SUVs sit behind every decision made on the new Audi Q7, and it shows in a model that feels properly considered from the first moment behind the wheel. Spacious, thoroughly equipped and built for the demands of UK drivers, it remains an easy car to recommend.
If you are interested in experiencing the new Audi Q7, please get in touch with your nearest Stratstone Audi retailer, and our team will arrange an appointment once the model officially launches.
