Audi's first SUV, the Q7, emphasizes sporty handling and performance. If you are keeping track, Jaguar is now the only major luxury brand selling vehicles in the U.S. that doesn't offer an SUV — not that it should. The Q7 is chiefly about style, comfort and luxury, but can also prove itself well in the bush. It is a large, reasonably serious 4WD with some genuine off-road ability. Where some of the original off roaders were rugged, reliable and competent in the rough, but lacked on road demeanour and luxury, the new "Third Generation SUV" the Q7 is a vehicle that has all the style and luxury of the "soft off roaders" but can also acquit itself well in the bush.
Aimed primarily at the American market, it is certainly not out of place in Australia. It is spacious, pleasant to drive and ride in particularly in the front seats, which are almost armchair like in their cushy feel.
In suburban driving, tight carparks can cause hassles because you have a lot of car to squeeze into a spot that was probably designed for something smaller.
Audi Q7 has a Torsen, mechanical limited-slip centre differential which has an initial split of 60 per cent torque to the rear wheels and 40 per cent to the front.
More torque is progressively applied to the front wheels when the rear wheels lose traction until, ultimately, they have the lion's share of the torque which causes the vehicle to settle into a safe understeer attitude.
The Q7 is available as a five, six or seven seater.
The top-of-the-range V8s have adaptive air suspension and the ride height can be varied between 180mm and 240mm, depending on conditions and on the mode selected by the driver. When in off-road setting, running at maximum height, to provide a lower centre of gravity the system will lower the ride height once the vehicle exceeds 100km/h.
