Sunday Drive: Audi Q7 50 TDI S Line

Monday, 24 August 2020

Watch how Audi's 48-volt mild hybrid system works. (Audi promotional video.)

AUDI Q7 50 TDI S line
Base price: $146,900
Powertrain and economy: 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6, 210kW/600Nm, 8-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 6.8L/100km, CO2 177g/km (source: RightCar).

The Q7’s fresh face gives it a wider, more aggressive stance.

Vital statistics: 5052mm long, 1968mm wide, 1741mm high, 2994mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 740 litres, 20-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Handsome, supremely comfortable, fantastic interior.

The widened visual themes continue at the rear with tweaks to the bumper and tailgate.

We don't like: Turbo lag, slick interior surfaces collect a lot of fingerprints.

While Audi is pumping out a serious number of high-performance variants of its large SUVs, the standard Q7 is still very much worthy of attention.

As usual, the Q7 has a spectacularly good interior, with several touchscreens replacing the traditional MMI dials.

So why would you buy a base one when the SQ7 is a thing? Price for a start - where the Audi asks a hefty $187,500 for the diesel V8 SQ7, the standard 50 TDI S line Q7 is a considerably lower $146,900 and while it doesn’t quite pack the SQ7’s 320kW/900Nm punch, its 210kW/600Nm 3.0-litre V6 diesel is hardly lacking in the grunt department.

Silky-smooth and wonderfully torquey in its mid-range, the big six is hooked up to a delightfully good 8-speed automatic transmission that is slick and refined, as well as Audi’s 48-volt mild-hybrid system.

There’s plenty of room in the back of the Q7, with a third row of seats that pop out of the floor at the touch of a button.

Audi’s brilliant haptic touch screens give a small vibration in response to your touch.

* Road test review: Audi RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback

* Road test review: Mercedes-Benz GLE 400d

The Q7 is big, handsome and unmistakably an Audi.

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It does have to be said, however, that despite having the mild hybrid system, the diesel V6 does suffer from that traditional low-down lethargy that a lot of VW Audi group diesels are afflicted with, making lunges for small gaps in traffic something best avoided, but once up and running it is a proper powerhouse pushing the Q7 to the legal limit from a standing start in 6.5 seconds, turbo lag included.

The Q7’s ride is what you expect from a big Audi SUV, with a tightly controlled feel that errs slightly on the firm side, but is never harsh or intrusive. It also comes standard with Audi’s active air suspension, which works beautifully well in the Q7, something we can’t say of all big Audis with air suspension.

As well as air suspension now being standard on the Q7, Audi has also now included its brilliant 48-volt active roll stabilisation in addition to all-wheel steering as well, meaning that the Q7 handles better than anything this size and shape has a right to.

The recent facelift gave the Q7 a new Audi single-frame grille which brings it more in line with the Audi family's design language and it now also has a wider lower apron to help broaden its visual stance.

And I would have to say it works brilliantly well, with the big Q7 being a very urbane and handsome thing, while it also gets Audi’s full-on Star Wars headlights that are not only LED but also laser and provide more than half a kilometre of night vision on full beam.

On the inside, Audi’s traditional MMI controls have been banished in favour of a pair of haptic touch screens that are both gorgeous and brilliantly functional.

Other standard goodies inside include a colour head-up display and QI charging unit under the central arm rest and plenty of clever tricks like the electric controls in the rear that not only operate the split folding of the rear seats from the boot, but also reveal the two occasion seats from the boot floor.

Speaking of the boot, when the rear two rows are tucked away you get a completely flat load space, good for 1925 litres of cargo space, while with the second row up you still get a more than decent 740 litres.

As to be expected, the Q7 has an utterly amazing interior. Audi has long been on top of its interior game, and the Q7 just takes things to another level again.

Everything from the gorgeous touchscreens with haptic feedback to the utterly brilliant seats not only look fantastic, but are a tactile joy to use as well. With top-line quality and unrivalled fit and finish, Audi really is at peak interior performance with its current range of large SUVs and sedans.

There is little wrong with the Q7 overall, which actually makes that lack of grunt down low possibly even more irritating than it would usually be.

Audi’s traditional rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz offer up the most direct competition for the Q7, with BMW starting with the X5 xDrive30d that undercuts the Q7 in terms of price ($137,800) and power (195kW), but outmuscles it with torque (620Nm). BMW also offers an “Edition” version of the X5 that is even cheaper again at $126,900, but it is well down on equipment in comparison.

BMW also offers petrol - the xDrive40i for $150,700 - and PHEV - the xDrive45e for $158,500 - versions of the X5 as well.

Mercedes-Benz throws the GLE 400d directly at the entry Q7, asking $144,600 for the more powerful (243kW/700Nm) diesel straight-six-powered SUV. It too offers a less powerful 180kW/500Nm four-cylinder diesel GLE 300d for $132,700.

Of course there is then the question of whether or not you need to look further up the Audi range at the powered-up SQ7 or the sportier Q8 and SQ8.

If you need the ultimate in handling for your large SUV and don’t care about losing out on luggage space and the third row of seats, then the Q8 is a fine thing indeed, with even better handling chops that the sharp Q7.

While the S variants of both adds extra spice with that commanding diesel V8, but at a large price premium. As it stands the Q7 50 TDI is such a competent and complete package that it makes the need shift further up the range at such a cost questionable indeed.