What they said when the Audi Q7 was new… (Feb 6 2006)
AS motoring brands go, few have been more successful than quattro over the last quarter of a century.
Created by Audi, it was the name chosen for the company's all-wheel-drive system and it became synonymous with high performance models which dominated world rallying in the 1980s.
The quattro performance tradition has continued through into the 21st century, but now the system is also associated with the German maker's luxury models as well as sports cars like the Audi TT and hot saloons such as the RS4.
Oddly, however, the quattro system has never found its way into a true all-terrain vehicle. Audi has dabbled with the concept in the All Road quattro estate car, but while sales of off-road four wheel drives have mushroomed, Audi has never had an SUV worthy of the name in its line-up - until now.
Enter the Audi Q7 - a car which provides ample proof of the fact that it's often best to be last in the marketplace.
German rivals like Mercedes and BMW may have had SUVs in their model ranges for some time, but Audi has set out to create the first in a new line of what it calls "third generation" SUVs and to set new standards in this fastest growing sector of the car market.
Bristling with the latest technology, the Q7 is an awesome vehicle in more ways than one.
It's big, very big. At 5.09 metres long and 1.98 wide it is substantially larger than all its key rivals and that translates into considerably more room inside for passengers and their luggage, even in the seven seat configuration which will be standard for the British market.
And, in spite of the extensive use of aluminium in the bodyshell and suspension, it's also very heavy, weighing in at around two and a quarter tons unladen.
To haul that weight around it needs big power plants and the initial choice when it is launched in the summer will be from either a 4.2 litre, V8 petrol engine or a three litre, V6 turbodiesel.
And therein could lie the Q7s downfall. For while both engines endow this car with impressive performance, they're not going to win any friends amongst environmentalists, for they are greedier on fuel than most of their rivals and pump out more harmful gases.
Considerably more, in fact, in the case of the diesel which is expected to be the biggest seller.
Compared with the Volvo XC90 D5, for example, the Q7 3.0Tdi's average fuel consumption of 26.9 mpg is around 15 per cent worse while the Volvo also emits 15 per cent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Will that matter to potential buyers? Hardly, for the Q7 has plenty going for it - so much, in fact, that almost 1,000 have already been ordered by British buyers, some six months ahead of it arriving in showrooms.
Even without seeing one in the metal, they've already been sold on the Q7's stylish, coupe-like, cross-over design, impressive standard specification and technical sophistication.
And they're in for a real treat when they finally get behind the wheel, for the Q7 takes the SUV onto an altogether higher plane.
Not only does it redefine the boxy, rough-riding looks associated with traditional off-roaders it sets a new driving standard too. Audi says it has full off road capability, but on the road it rides, grips and handles like a thoroughbred, luxury sports saloon.
Hardly surprising given the barrage of high tech driving aids which come as standard including adaptive air suspension and an electronic stabilisation system which features a hill descent assist control for off road driving as well as anti lock brakes and traction control.
Whether you choose petrol or diesel engines, power is transmitted via a six speed tiptronic auto transmission to the latest quattro permanent four wheel drive system which features a 40:60 torque split.
The petrol version is the fastest car in its class with a top speed of 154mph, although some rivals can better its 0-62mph time of 7.4 seconds.Similarly the diesel version will max-out its rivals with a 134mph top speed but takes longer than comparable models from BMW and Merc - 9.1 seconds - to hit the 62mph mark from rest.
Audi, however, claims a significant price and equipment advantage over competitors from its two German rivals.
The interior is vast, luxurious and boasts plenty of lifestyle-friendly features and a host of potential configurations with the rear seats folding individually to form a completely flat floor.
The Q7 range will start from £37,285 for the 3.0Tdi with the 4.2FSI SE petrol model priced at £47,680. Standard equipment includes full electrics, rain and light sensors, fog lamps, radio and CD player, climate control air con, cruise control, rear parking sensors, Audi's multi media interface control system, multi-function controls on the steering wheel, auto dimming rear mirror and 18 inch alloys.
The SE specification - available for an extra £2,500 on the diesel - adds upgraded alloys, heated and electrically adjustable front seats and leather upholstery.
A further £900 spent on either the petrol or diesel version buys the sporty S-Line pack which provides bigger alloys, leather and alcantara upholstery, headlight washers and a number of special trim items. Significantly this is the trim level ordered by 73 per cent of advance customers.
In the case of the 4.2 FSI S-Line, that represents a £48,580 investment, but you don't have to stop spending there.
Any number of options are available including a clever new system which alerts the driver if there are overtaking vehicles in his or her blind spot. Other extra-cost high-tech gizmos include adaptive cruise control, a rear parking camera and adaptive headlights which help you see round bends.
On the comfort and convenience front you can have a panoramic sunroof, electrically operated tailgate and also opt to have six rather than seven seats.
It will be easily possible to rack up a bill of £60K or more on a Q7, and for those who do, there's consolation in the fact that they will see 44 per cent of the initial outlay coming back their way if they sell it on after three years - a better return than rival BMW and Merc models according to residual values experts at CAP.
They'll also have spent 36 months and many thousands of miles enjoying a car which sets a new benchmark in the luxury SUV sector.
And that's just about what you would expect from Audi which has been inching ever closer to its rivals with successive generations of cars.
In only a decade, Audi's range has extended from six models to 16, and now, with the Q7, it has finally and firmly established itself as the trendsetter among Germany's big three.
Words: David Whinyates
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