LuxuryCarMagazine En Luxury Car Review and News
Detroit, MI — Is it a wagon? An SUV? A crossover? Something else?
Either way, in this day in age, when so many car seem to be so many things, the 2016 should be right at home.
I will say this, however: it looks far closer to a wagon than its predecessor did. Then again, the last Q7 was quite the behemoth and it wouldn’t take all that much to lower all that in-your-face-ness.
So the 2016 Q7 debuted in Detroit, with a chopped roof, narrower headlights and—while you wouldn’t know it from looking at it—a reduced grille. More prominent fender flares and new rocker panels, meanwhile, also contribute to the Q7’s squatter stance.
Also contributing to some car-ness is the fact that the new Q7 saves some 325 kg thanks to extensive use of aluminum, newly-designed suspension both front and rear and a more compact transmission and drive system. Of course, lighter weight means more efficient motoring and better performance.
The available powerplants aren’t so new; both the 3.0L TDI diesel and 3.0 TFSI gas engines make their return for the car’s (SUV’s?) second generation; the TDI makes 272 hp, the TFSI 333.
However, if you really want to make a splash, an e-tron Quattro version of the Q7 is on the way, set to be released sometime after the other two. It’s a plug-in hybrid with a diesel engine—that’s an Audi first– capable of a max combined torque of 516 lb.-ft. That’s a whole lot of pull, especially when you consider that Audi is claiming just 1.5L/100 km of fuel usage.
Inside, a new Multi Media Interface requires less instructions and inputs to access, and allows users to search for their favorite song or destination. A “Natural Speech” feature allows for voice commands to be spoken as if you were talking to a real person, Siri-style, as opposed to a computer in need of specific instructions.
Whether it’s a station wagon, SUV or mix of both, the 2016 Q7 is sure to sell like gangbusters, as the current model does, when it goes on sale later this year.
