Audi Q7 Review: The Q-ueue is over

You probably remember driving up that posh hotel driveway, and not being noticed or even glimpsed at. The only person who eventually noticed you is that friendly valet guy – well, he has to since it’s his job anyway. But you still haven’t quite figured out why...

Take a look at the set of wheels that you have arrived in. Sure, you paid premium for the “Merc”, “BM” or “L” badge and it should say something about you by itself. Hold on a second – take a look at the porch. See what I mean?

There are a few others parked over there, and they all look similar! It is times like this, that you wish you listened to your heart and ventured for something less common.

No worries, then. What you’re looking at now is definitely the set of wheels that will get you noticed soon. Especially when you’re in the market for a premium SUV.

The all-new Q7 is the Audi brand’s first foray into the SUV segment. You'll have to excuse Audi for taking quite a while before they joined the bandwagon – they needed time to perfect everything for the Q7 before releasing it to the market. By the first look, Audi seems to have gotten everything right.

Image counts big time for the Q7, and it’s hard to find any flaw with the exterior. Standing at 1737mm, the Q7 sure does give a commanding stance. Upfront, the Audi’s corporate look has been retained, but given a dose of steroids to match the “sporty but sleek” theme.

The air intake outlet under the headlamps might shout CAYENNE!, but at least, for the Q7, it definitely does not look out of place. It is a pity that the foglamps were placed all the way down there though, as it looks like an after-thought by the designers.

Thanks to the modern design of the tail lamps, the Q7 stands out when parked in crowded public carparks. Together with the foglamp and reverse lamp cluster, the whole rear makes it easy to spot a Q7.

Also worth mentioning, are the two exhaust tips jutting out of the rear bumper which will definitely scare off potential tail-gaters out for that few seconds of thrill.

The interior is typically Audi - fit and finishings are impressive by any standard. The plastics have a high quality feel to them. The aluminium trimmings give the interior that extra touch of opulence to the beige themed interior.

Subjectively, although the interior gives off a luxurious feel to the whole affair, a dark-themed cabin would have worked better for something like the Q7.

A more adventurous dashboard design should do justice for the Q7. It’s not saying the Q7’s dashboard is not as interesting as its other Teutonic compadres, but Audi’s designers should have a separate dashboard design to differentiate the sedan line up with their SUV’s.

This might be familiar to Audi fans – pop into an A6, and you’ll know what I mean. Something like the Range Rover’s will be a good base.

The Q7 is one of those SUV that can sit up to seven, and if your priority goes towards ferrying the family and all the necessary "barang-barang", the Q7 will not disappoint. Headroom is generous, but legroom wise, only the little ones are best left in the last row.

Alternatively, there’s the option of just hiding it away so that there will be more boot space. If you’re the sort who likes to get things organised, you should be glad to know that the Q7 has plenty of storage compartments.

One will instantly notice the advantage of being in a vehicle that has a high clearance. At 204.8mm off the ground, driver gets a commanding view of the road ahead, which also means there will be the occasional urge to take it off the beaten path.

Tried and tested, the Q7 is definitely an eager SUV when thrown at muddied routes - which means owning a car such as this lets you play Indiana Jones once in a while.

The 3.6 litre V6 engine is a lively FSI unit. Mated to a 6-speed automatic with manual selection mode, the Q7 achieves the century sprint in 8.5 seconds. Knowing how conservative Audi usually are with figures, we suspect the Q7 actually achieves a faster timing.

This is proven every time the accelerator is floored – the response is spot on, and the needle will eagerly climb up the tachometer, with enthusiastic growls coming from the bonnet making you wish there’s more to go before the redline is finally reached. When left to run on its own, the 6-speed automatic runs smoothly and follows every feeding of the right foot. Swap it to manual selection mode, and it’s hard not to notice how the response can be improved though.

Until recently, SUVs are usually known to be soft, wallowy, prone to understeer and generally no fun at all. The Q7 manage to go against this order, by which we mean a ride that feels sedan-like, and won’t bow down when driven enthusiastically.

There is an inspiring level of grip and cornering ability that the day-to-day driver will probably never fully explore or even exploit, courtesy of the Quattro system. When the nose starts diving wide into a corner, the Electronic Stabilization Programme will cool everything down before the information even reaches the steering wheel.

The Audi Q7 is currently the latest addition to the premium SUV market, and it has the potential to rake in Audi converts. It has it flaws like any other SUV, but for the Q7’s, it is easily forgivable. Well specified for our local market, the asking price of below $250k is surely justified. If you have the moolah and want to drive a satisfyingly different premium SUV that compliments your self-image, the Q7 should be on top of your shopping list.

Did we mention there’s also the top-end Audi Q7 4.2 litre Quattro FSI available at Premium Automobiles? Well, do drop by for a test drive. And tell them we sent you there.

Credits: Azfar Hashim