2017 Audi Q7
Impress friends during the kids’ carpool with this new Audi Q7. Seating up to seven, it is like a minivan but it leaves that middle-class-family look behind. According to Consumer Reports, it feels and operates like a small SUV, but it has impressive safety features, towing capacity, and luxury like a larger vehicle. It has enough gadgets inside to appeal to the tech-savvy, but it is returning to its Audi style roots for a classic and polished look.
What's New?Though the vehicle is slightly shorter and narrower, the newest model has more headroom, giving the impression of more space. As far as technology, it now has better voice controls and integration with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Most vehicles with a third-row option are not easy to maneuver, but the Q7 managed to combine both options. It is also equipped with an adaptive air suspension that is customizable: Comfort, Individual, Auto Dynamic and Off-road modes.
Exterior FeaturesThe Q7 is still the fiercest looking SUV on the road, but this time, Audi is trying to honor its roots. The ostentatious new grille and its boxy fenders allude to Audi's legendary Quattro coupe. The previous look was to capture those with the off-roading look in mind, but this lighter, sleeker version has a different attitude. The ultra-high-strength steel, as well as aluminum castings, help to save about 700 pounds from the previous version. Quality noise-cancelling insulation helps for a quiet ride.
Interior FeaturesWith the Q7, Audi emerges as a leader in design. Inside materials are primarily leather and metal, or metallic-finished plastic that is contemporary but functional. The driver gets a Virtual Cockpit system, capable of displaying everything from traditional gauges to full navigation. The center screen in the front holds a MMI infotainment system. The redesigned third-row seating is easy to deploy and stow because of automatic raising and lowering via buttons in the rear cargo area, but it is still a tight squeeze.
TechnologyThe Virtual Cockpit and its MMI infotainment system each have their own powerful graphics processors. It also includes a full stop-and-go adaptive cruise-control system, a trailer assistant, a head-up display, and either a Bose sound system or a 23-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. Audi also introduced in its latest models a new vehicle-to-infrastructure technology. The platform will let drivers know how long they will have to wait at a red light using real-time information wirelessly sent, and this is just the beginning for this technology.
Engine/Fuel EfficiencyThe gasoline supercharged V-6 could get better gas mileage, so the 19 city and 25 highway is not as impressive. For now, there is only a one powertrain model, but a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 is in the works. The fuel tank capacity is 22.5 gallons, and the top speed is between 145 and 155 mph. It has an 8-speed automatic transmission, and it is all-wheel drive.
SafetyQ7 offers a very strong set of advanced safety features, as well as a full set of standard airbags, which helped it gain the highest IIHS' Top Safety Pick+ rating. The Q7 has a suite of sensors that will keep a driver from backing into traffic and hitting pedestrians, and it will brake for hazards and keep the vehicle at safe following distance. It also has traffic jam assistant, cross-traffic assist, blind-spot monitoring, lane-change assist, lane-keeping assist, parking assist and night vision.