Audi Q7 : The morning light danced off the Glacier White metallic paint of my loaner as I wove the revised Audi Q7 up to the lookout overlooking Palm Beach.
Nik Relph, Telegraph men We were with it whenever we parked up as tourists posed next to it while it was parked and from our open air roadside breakfast table I could see people lift their gaze from their morning coffee to admire this massive German SUV – it’s bulky, bold and elegant all at once in the midst of the instantly recognisable Australian coastline.
Audi Australia last week formally unveiled the updated Q7, which it said will serve as its flagship for those looking to carry the family in relative luxury – and even some European sedans if we’re honest.
After three days driving this seven-seater up Australia’s east coast, taking in Sydney’s urban jungle and the twisting coastal roads of northern NSW, I now have a better understanding of why this car strikes a chord with those who buy premium SUVs in Australia, despite its not-for-the-faint-hearted price.
Upgraded Look That Takes Charge The Tractionlights Updated Styling that Demands Attention!
Handsome beast: The Q7 has always been a good looker, but the latest model cuts an ever more aggressive figure on Australian roads.
The biggest thing you’re going to see is the gigantic octagonal Singleframe grille that stretches front to rear across the front, unabashed in its size and in line with the German brand’s updated design language.
First of all, during a coffee stop in Byron Bay, a local Range Rover tragic actually sidled over to specifically say the new grille gives Q7 a much more imposing road presence.
“It’s not any more conservative looking than it was before,” said Mr. Heffer, walking around the vehicle. “Lookin’ fucking premium now Rusto, not just like big.”
The Matrix LED headlights bring an unmistakable mug, especially as dusk came when I was finding my way back to where I’m sleeping only to, and I’m SURE you won’t believe me when I say that I did this again.
Some cars even made space next to us on the Pacific Highway when they saw that light signature in their rearview mirror – an unintended but not undesirable outcome of the aggressive front-end design.
Down the sides, the character lines are more prominent than previously, to add a bit of visual interest to the massive body and keep it from looking like too much of a basic two-box design.
The optional 22-inch alloys on my test car (a $3,900 option) absolutely filled the arches and yet somehow managed to not look too in-your-face, despite the fact they’re massive – that’s a tough trick to pull off.
Audi Q7 An Interior Worthy of the Numbers on the Tab
Get behind the wheel of the Q7, though, and the pricetag (from $128,300 before on-roads for the 50 TDI Quattro) starts to feel more justified.
The cabin is a masterclass in intelligent restraint – high end without going over-the-top, technical but not too techie.
In stop-start Sydney traffic, the first thing that stood out was how good the cabin is at cocooning you away from the outside world.
Even with Harbour Bridge roadworks providing a backdrop cacophony from outside, the Q7 is a distant whirr inside and not something that is ever going to interrupt conversation or sneak its way into the excellent Bang & Olufsen sound system (the $12,100 optional equipment pack in the test car, well worth it).
Audi Australia product planning manager David Goodwin told me at the launch we’ve added wheel arch and firewall sound insulation for the Australian market.”
“We know road noise can be an issue on our surfaces in Australia, so we’ve gone and done that little bit extra mimicking the fans and their noise.”
And then there’s the dual touchscreens (10.1-inch upper, 8.6-inch lower) that control everything from navigation to climate.
At first, I was opposed to ditching physical buttons to fiddle with temperatures, but after a day the haptic feedback and sensible layout of the new setup won me over.
It’s possible to use these without taking your eyes off the road for riskily long periods, a claim you can’t make with some touchscreen setups.
Special mention should also be made of the seat comfort, and for a vehicle that will see long-distance duty, this is a good thing.
On the run up from Coffs Harbour to Port Macquarie – a couple of hours straight driving – I emerged with none of the stiffness or fatigue that I am accustomed to.
The optional massage feature (included in the Premium plus package) undoubtedly helped, with a soft rolling and kneading taking place that would guard against back stiffness.
Audi Q7 Power and Performance: The Austra I ian Style
Powering the 50 TDI Quattro is a 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel V6 engine good for 210kW and a muscular 600Nm.
This is an engine that feels perfectly suited to Australian driving conditions – there’s plenty of effortless overtaking capability for country highways, a surfeit of low-down grunt for steep rurual and coastal roads, and not too bad fuel consumption from such a big car.
Across my three-day test, including crawling through the city and genuinely enthusiastic driving across the Oxley Highway – the Q7 used 8.9L/100km, which is damn close to that claimed 7.7L/100km considering I was hardly driving Miss Daisy.
The 8-speed tiptronic transmission gets a big tick for its smarts – it never seems to be in the wrong ratio at the wrong time, and especially not when it comes to tackling the rolling hills that surround Bellingen.
The 48V mild-hybrid also brings an extra layer of refinement, cutting the engine when coasting and delivering silent and smooth restarts.
The other thing I recommend with the new Touareg is the car’s adaptive air suspension’s ability to respond to the various (often rough) road surfaces here in Australia.
From the severe expansion joints of Sydney’s Anzac Bridge to the washboard corrugations of a detour near Grafton, the Q7 held its poise while isolating its occupants from the worst of it.
“The suspension has been specially setup to cater for local road conditions,” Goodwin added.
“Australian roads are unique and we’ve tweaked the damping rates and air spring settings to cope with everything from inner city potholes to country unsealed roads.
Audi Q7 Practical Luxury: The Family Pull
Not only does the Q7 perform as a premier luxury car, its’ utilitarian merits should not go unnoticed, especially for the affluent household market it presumably is aiming for.
The seven-seat configuration is seriously usable unlike some rivals that relegate the third row for tiny children or worst-case scenarios.
During my stint with the car, I had a family of five – three of them teenagers – hopped in to test its real-world usability.
Even at capacity (at least for the middle two rows), the back seat wasn’t full of complaints about space or comfort from teens in the way-back seats—remarkable since two of those teens are nearly-adult height.
And with all seven seats in place, boot space drops to 295 litres – capable of fitting a groceries shop or a couple of soft bags.
Electrically drop the third row flat, and that swells to a sizeable 770 litres. With second and third rows folded, the 1,955 litres of cargo can take a small apartment’s worth of IKEA.
“Approximately 70% of our Q7 sales are with third-row usage on a regular basis,” Goodwin said. “That’s in contrast to some European markets where the third row is more of an occasional thing.”
Audi Q7 Devices That Aid Rather Than Intrude
The tech pack in the Q7 is comprehensive without going overboard – which is a hard line to walk that many luxury car makers screw up.
The virtual cockpit plus digital instrument display is still one of the best and most user-friendly in the business, giving drivers visibility to the information that’s most important to them.
On my way down the Pacific Highway, I came to appreciate the adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist which flowed imperceptibly amid the stop-start traffic around roadworks about Ballina.
The lane-keeping assistance was more natural feeling than intrusive – as has sometimes seemed to be the case with some systems fighting the driver.
Smartphone integration is perfect, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard at any level of trim.
The wireless phone charger is discretely placed to keep the phone out of sight but readily reachable – a small detail revealing Audi’s understanding of how people actually use their cars.
Audi Q7 Placemeant in the Market: The Premium Sugar Spot
Priced from $128,300 before on-roads for the 50 TDI Quattro (launching to $169,900 for the sporty-tuned SQ7), the Audi Q7 stands in an interesting landscape in Australia’s premium SUV market.
It’s pricier than entry-level models from BMW and Mercedes-Benz but provides more room and presence than similarly priced models from both of those manufacturers.
It seems to be working nicely, the Q7 remains Audi’s top-selling model in Australia, despite being pitched at a distinctly premium sticker price.
It’s the sort of vehicle that attracts buyers who seek to avoid making an apparent compromise because they want real-world utility but don’t want to give up luxury or performance – a market that’s particularly strong in this country, in our cashed-up coastal regions.
As I rolled away for that last drive through the Northern Beaches of Sydney on my final day with the Q7, the equation was laid out even more clearly.
This is not just some luxury badge hanging on a family hauler, nor a ridiculous status symbol.
It’s not though – instead, it’s a well-sorted vehicle which significantly improves the drive experience and suits the pragmatic needs of a local premium buyer.
Whether it’s worth the hefty investment will ultimately come down to personal priorities, but it’s worth the money for those who can stomach the entry price, hardly any vehicle is as adept at juggling luxury, tech and indeed practicality as this flagship Audi SUV.