New Q7 takes a technological leap

Unless these first official pictures are just not doing it much justice, the all-new Audi Q7 is anything but visually arresting. Yet if there is any real wow factor, it's on the technological front. Audi board member Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg describes the new SUV as a statement of Audi's "competence in lightweight construction, efficiency and assistance systems" and that's no understatement. This new Q7 is 325kg lighter than its predecessor, with kerb weights starting at 1995kg in the case of the 3.0 TDI model. Set to be launched at the NAIAS motor show in Detroit in January, before a global roll-out during the course of 2015, the new Q7 takes a pragmatic approach to design. Despite being smaller than its predecessor (37mm shorter and 15mm narrower), the new Q7 offers "substantially more" interior room, making it the most spacious vehicle in its class, according to Audi. This is the first vehicle to sit on the VW Group's second-generation modular longitudinal platform which, as the name implies, was designed for vehicles with longitudinally-mounted engines. TDI, TFSI OR E-TRON? On that subject, the Q7 is powered by a range of TDI and TFSI engines and the aforementioned weight reduction helps make them up to 23 percent more economical than before. Depending on the country in question, the Q7 will be available with a 185kW/370Nm 2-litre TFSI or 245kW/440Nm V6 TFSI turbopetrol, with diesel-heads being offered a 200kW/600Nm 3.0 V6 TDI. That latter takes an alleged 6.3 seconds to get to 100km/h, while the V6 petrol runs it in 6.1s. Audi is also bringing a plug-in hybrid variant to market shortly after its conventionally-powered siblings hits the streets. The Q7 e-tron quattro is motivated by a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain with system outputs of 274kW and 700Nm and it can run on electricity alone for around 56km. “VIRTUAL COCKPIT” The Q7's technological revolution continues in the cabin, where it's available with Audi's 'virtual cockpit' digital instrument cluster that made its debut in the new TT. This nifty cluster allows drivers to swop between a 'classic view' with rendered instrument dials or an 'infotainment view' that puts the satnav map and other relevant data in front of the steering wheel. The geeky greatness continues with Audi's large touchpad control system and it's one of the first cars in the world to offer smartphone integration with Google Android Auto and Apple CarPlay systems. Audi has even designed its own tablets to keep backseat drivers distracted. Buyers can choose between the usual long list of driver assistance systems, which now includes adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assistant. Question is, would the new Q7 be your premium SUV of choice? IOL MOTORING