Audi SQ7 2019 Tow Test Review

The whole concept of towing heavy trailers brings with it a mindset of deliberation. You’re hauling a big, heavy slab of steel on wheels (and wood, fibreglass and the rest), linked by a 50mm tow ball.

For safety’s sake, everything you do must be slowed down: braking and cornering all are dialled down several notches compared with solo driving, but acceleration is of course blunted too. Several extra tonnes to pull will do that.

That’s the case with most tow vehicles. Not quite so much with the 2019 Audi SQ7.

Performance hero

Here we have the performance model of the Audi Q7 range; a big, seven-seat luxury SUV that builds on its accomplished base with a big slab of extra power, torque and braking capability, among other technical highlights.

There’s no pretending that the Audi SQ7 is your go-to heavy-duty tow hauler such as the the Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series or even the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Yes, like these vehicles it’ll tow up to 3500kg, but the Audi SQ7 isn’t priced under $100K; here we’re talking $160K-plus. That’ll buy you a new Grand Cherokee and a very nice caravan or boat…

The Audi SQ7 instead plays against other big performance Germans like the BMW X5 M50d and the Porsche Cayenne Diesel S. If we’re talking big premium sports towing SUVs, it’s also worth considering the Lexus LX570 S, although unlike the others it has a petrol V8. Like the Audi, all of these big hi-po brutes provide 3500kg towing capacity.

While we grabbed the opportunity to tow test the current MY19 Audi SQ7, there is a refreshed model due by mid-2020. But while the 2020 SQ7 will bring infotainment improvements and a minor styling and spec touch-up, the rest of it will remain much the same.

At the heart of the Audi SQ7 is a triple-turbo diesel V8 that develops its beefy 900Nm of torque from just 1000rpm (peak power of 320kW is reached over 3750-5000rpm).

The trick with this engine is it has an electric 48-volt compressor that shoves air into the conventional sequential twin-turbos at low rpm to reduce turbo lag. The driveline also includes an eight-speed auto (with paddle shifters) and quattro all-wheel drive.

The Audi SQ7 has the equipment list you expect for a vehicle that’ll easily nudge $200K on the road with all options. Safety highlights are autonomous emergency braking, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, 360-degree camera and rear cross traffic alert.

There’s also active cruise control (with a traffic jam assist function that steers and brakes the vehicle in slow traffic using radar and cameras), an 8.3-inch touch-screen that serves as the centre of the MMI navigation, Audi Connect with Google services and a Wi-Fi hotspot, and Audi smartphone interface for Android and iOS (bringing Apple CarPlay or Android Auto capability).

But there’s no spare wheel in the Audi SQ7; you have to rely on its air compressor and tyre repair kit, which is not ideal if you’re unlucky enough to shred a tyre when towing out in the boondocks.

Our Audi SQ7 Limited Edition test vehicle starts at $165,842 (plus on-road costs) and includes metallic paint, 22-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels in a five-V-spoke star design, panoramic sunroof, matrix LED headlights and privacy glass.

There are also sport seats plus in Valcona leather with diamond pattern contrasting stitching and pneumatic backrest bolster adjustment, electric steering column adjustment, power-assisted door closure, all-wheel steering (which reduces the turning circle by approximately a metre at low speeds and improves responsiveness and stability at higher speeds).

The vehicle was also fitted with an optional Audi exclusive titanium black gloss styling package with high-gloss black mirror housings ($1850), a tow bar and wiring ($2049 including tow ball and tongue but not including fitting) and lastly the Dynamic package ($10,200).

The Dynamic package includes a self-locking centre differential, sport differential on the rear axle and electromechanical active roll stabilisation.

All-wheel steering is normally included in this package, but it already comes with the Limited Edition. All up, the test vehicle was priced at $179,681 (plus on-road costs).

You can read a more detailed Audi SQ7 road test here but, like my fellow writers, I was impressed by the SQ7’s overall poise and stellar performance.

It does not have the agility and feel of a lightweight sports car of course, but it’ll sledgehammer its way around corners faster than you’d think possible for a 2300kg SUV.

Straight line performance is nothing short of astounding for a big heavyweight too: a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.9sec is not hanging around. The engine is smooth and responsive right from idle and the eight-speed auto picks gears smoothly and decisively.

While the cabin is comfortable and has plenty of room, you pay for it in exterior dimensions -- the SQ7 at just over 2.2m wide at the mirrors feels big when threading through tight urban enclaves.

The Audi SQ7 has a big 3500kg maximum braked towing capacity, of which up to 350kg can be placed on the tow ball.

Gross combined mass is 6440kg, so while the SQ7 can’t be loaded to its 3200kg gross vehicle weight while also towing its maximum 3500kg, there’s only a relatively low 260kg to be shed between vehicle and van to not exceed its GCM.

We borrowed a 2800kg Jayco Silverline (with 220kg tow ball download) from the guys at Jayco Sydney to put the SQ7 to the acid towing test. With both the rear-view camera screen (which depicts the tow ball in the image, essential for accurate hitching-up) and 360-degree camera, coupling the caravan was easy.

The tow bar shackle points and seven-pin plug were easy to access and the SQ7’s self-levelling air suspension automatically levelled out the rig once the van was coupled.

The only dowside is if you use magnetic towing mirror supports as we do, they won’t stick to the (aluminium) doors. The mirrors are quite large too, so if you use the type of towing mirror that clamps onto the mirror shells you’ll need extension pieces on the mirror brackets to do so.

Joining the freeway, the Audi SQ7 barrelled its way up from the tight 40km/h on-ramp to a 100km/h cruising speed without much effort.

When stuck behind a truck doing 70km/h in the middle lane, the Audi safely took advantage of a traffic gap to overtake what would have been on the tight side if it wasn’t for its ability to get up to speed so quickly.

The steep freeway test hill climb was dispatched with ease, the Audi SQ7 kicking down a couple gears but able to power up the hill at the 90/km/h with about half throttle.

On the descent, engine braking was very good for such a free-revving diesel, the Audi pegging 60km/h with a 70km/h start speed at the top of the hill.

Even when cruising on the plains, the Audi SQ7 idles along at around 1300rpm at 100km/h. It’s a very relaxed, quiet and smooth towing tourer.

For such great performance you would expect a penalty at the bowser, but the big barrel-chested Audi achieved an average of 15.2L/100km while towing.

With its 85-litre fuel tank, you’ll get a range of about 510km (with a 50km safety margin) before needing to top up with diesel. When used in a blend of highway and city driving when not towing, the Audi averaged 8.7L/100km.

The Audi SQ7 felt very stable on test both on the freeway and 100km/h secondary roads, although a series of undulations at one point saw the rig pitching more than you might expect.

The Audi SQ7 might not be the best vehicle in which to do a loop of Australia with a caravan behind, given its lack of full-size spare and minimal remote regional service support,

However, if you stay closer to civilisation and can afford a premium SUV that’ll tow a heavy trailer with plenty of power in reserve and doesn’t suck down fuel at an alarming rate, the Audi SQ7 makes a lot of sense.

How much does the 2019 Audi SQ7 cost?
Price: $179,681 (as tested plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 triple turbo-diesel
Output: 320kW/900Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 15.2L/100km (as tested, while towing)
CO2: 190g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP)