Audi Q7 2006 Review

The Audi Q7 premium SUV has mountains of work ahead of it, because it's six years behind the game. The Mercedes-Benz ML famously debuted in the Hollywood film Jurassic Park before pounding the pavement for real in 1998. BMW's desirable X5 four-wheel drive arrived two years later and wasted no time finding favour with buyers.

Audi, meanwhile, persevered with the 'wagon-oid' allroad quattro – and will continue to do so for years to come (so don't mistake the Q7 for an allroad replacement). The Q7 is an all-new vehicle in its own right, and one with the practical and performance goods to give established models a real shake up.

Audi's position as part of the Volkswagen empire gives it special access to Touareg SUV components and developmental learning, which puts it ahead of the curve from the start (incidentally Audi began feasibility work on adding an SUV to its range way back in 2000). Thus it's no surprise the Q7 shares 15 per cent of its hidden bits with the similar-sized Volkswagen offroader. That said, the core differences are substantial and pivotal.

For starters the Q7's wheelbase has been stretched to accommodate a third row of seats, making it a true seven-seater. The stretch also enhances the vehicle's on-road dynamics and poise, but bigger dimensions mean more weight, and the Q7's no featherweight at 2245kg in its lightest form.

Audi will off two version of the Q7 at Australian launch in September 2006 – an $85,000 model with a 3.0-litre turbodiesel six-cylinder engine and a high performance 4.2-litre V8 petrol version for $115,000. In November a mid-model 3.6-litre petrol V6 will land sporting a pricetag around $90,000. All models are equipped with six-speed automatic gearboxes and Audi's trademark quattro all-wheel drive.

Equipment levels are impressive. Even the relative cheapie has enough electrickery and chromified wing-dings to keep up with the Jones, even surpass them.

Audi's aces in the hole include a reversing camera with 'reverse-parking guidelines', a blind-spot warning radar to ward against changing lanes into another vehicle, and radar cruise control which tempers the Q7's speed when cars come into range on the road ahead. Two out of three will be offered on Australian models, but the blind-spot warning radar uses a radio frequency ruled out by Australian law. Audi is currently investigating...

Anyone who has spent time in an Audi A6 or A8 sedan will be immediately at home in the Q7's cabin. It's a familiar dashboard and instrument layout complete with Audi's MultiMedia Interface (MMI) which distils myriad secondary controls into one device. Stereo, air conditioning, satellite navigation, vehicle trip computer; they're all easily accessed through the intuitive MMI. Pay extra for adjustable air suspension and its controls will be added to the MMI.

The seats themselves are wonderfully comfortable and supportive in the first two rows. The (optional) third row is best suited for those below legal drinking age, because adults will require gymnastic flexibility to gain access and a modicum of comfort once ensconced. When not in use the third row can be easily folded flat beneath the floor.

One point worth noting is that Australian five-seat versions will come with a full-size spare, seven-seaters will not.

The Q7 V8 includes an easy open electric tailgate which rises and closes at the push of a button, revealing decent amounts of cargo space within. There's also an underfloor storage bin for wet items which can be removed for cleaning.

As with any Audi vehicle high levels of active and passive safety is a given.

The Q7's quattro all-wheel drive provides traction beyond a two-wheel drive's ability to keep up. Firmly-sprung (optional) air-suspension keeps bodyroll to a minimum, thus enhancing dynamic response in emergency manoeuvres, and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, traction control, stability control and many other electronic chassis control systems maximise the driver's control over the big wagon in moments of crisis.

Every seat in the Q7 is equipped with a three-point seatbelt, and there are more airbags than a pensioners' convention.

The Q7 impressive size makes it an easy find in a crowded carpark. It's almost 5.1m bumper to bumper, nearly 2.0m wide (excluding wing mirrors) and 1.74m tall. This does free up a lot of interior space, but also needs more sheetmetal to cover, which is why the Q7 weighs between 2240kg and 2300kg depending on which engine you choose.

Audi's engineers did employ lightweight aluminium in various suspension components and body panels to keep mass down, but even so the Q7 is one of the heaviest light-duty SUVs around.

To reduce the impact on fuel consumption Audi has equipped the Q7 with its latest range of engines, and made a diesel alternative the price leader. The 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 is rated at 10.5lt/100km yet still capable of accelerating from rest to 100km/h in a spritely 9.1sec.

Benz and BMW – and Porsche – all have 'high performance' versions on offer and the word is Audi will too when it slots a 331kW 5.2-litre V10 under the bonnet. Audi won't confirm anything at this stage, and there's no launch scheduled but it's unlikely before mid-2007.

For those after a little more urge the 4.2-litre V8 engine's 257kW slices the acceleration time to 7.4sec but raises the economy rating to 13.6lt/100km. Figures for the 3.6-litre petrol were not available at the time of writing, but we can expect it to sit somewhere in between.

The Q7's quattro all-wheel drive system is split 40/60 front to rear to give a slightly rear-drive feel to all-wheel drive. It uses a mechanical centre differential which locks up progressively on slippery roads. But this is not a serious offroad wagon, because it lacks the ability to lock either axle and does not come with a low range transfer case.

Buyers have two suspension systems from which to choose; a four-wheel double wishbone configuration with conventional springs and shock absorbers is standard, or there's an optional air-suspension system. The latter uses air-filled bags to adjust not only the ride height (between 170-240mm) but also the ride characteristics to provide more comfort or sportiness depending on the driver's desire.

We mentioned the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz ML-class earlier on, which are the Q7's greatest rivals.

The Q7 is price and equipment competitive and has the added advantage of (optional) seven seats, which the others don't. Those chasing seven seats may consider the Volvo XC90 which is more affordable, has the interior practicality to beat the Q7 but doesn't compare dynamically.

Five-seat alternatives include the Volkswagen Touareg and Honda MDX, neither of which can keep up with the Q7's rich feature list. For pace the Porsche Cayenne may be considered but carries a pricetag beyond the Audi's.

Smooth and refined sums up the Q7's on-road demeanour.

We tested a 4.2-litre V8 on the unfamiliar desert roads of Phoenix Arizona (USA) at the world launch in February 2006 and came away very impressed with the Q7's composure and class. The engine and transmission are a quality team, moving the Q7 quickly as the need arises.

It's no surprise the Q7's bulk tempers the V8's power somewhat but there's enough mumbo to meet most needs.

At normal speeds the Q7 is a sedate and near-soundless traveller, only the light hum of the tyres and subtle thrum of the V8 engine pointing to its effortless mile-eating gait. Our test vehicle's air suspension dealt easily with the road's smaller irregularities, though the optional 20-inch wheels and tyres didn't cope as well with sharp bumps and road joins or on dirt.

carsales will have to wait until the September Australian launch to drive a more representative Q7 with standard suspension. At that time, and on familiar roads, we'll know for sure if the Q7's early promise of class-leading performance and value holds true.

If it does, and there's no reason to think otherwise, then Audi's dream of toppling the Teutonic twosome of BMW and Benz could well be on its way to becoming reality.