New Audi Q7 arrives with more luxury and space, but keeps diesel power
The latest evolution of the seven-seat Audi Q7 SUV has arrived just ahead of the next-generation BMW X5
Behold the all-new Audi Q7, the third evolution of the German brand’s large SUV, which is more spacious, feels more luxurious and features more innovations than ever before in the hope of trouncing the next-generation BMW X5, which is just around the corner.
The Q7 has been one of Audi’s core models since the seven-seater arrived back in 2005, and the launch of the third generation marks the latest step in the rejuvenation of the brand’s SUV line-up.
New iterations of the smaller Q3 and Q5 have already landed, the electric Q4 e-tron has just been heavily updated and very soon we’ll be introduced to the Q9 – an even bigger beast that’s designed to go after the mighty Range Rover and will become the brand’s luxury flagship.
What does the new Audi Q7 look like?
Audi wanted the new Q7 to look big, bold and very commanding, as befits a premium SUV, but a bit sporty at the same time. Up front, the bonnet is taller and more square than that of the outgoing model, while the recently redesigned four-ring badge sits higher up and the carefully sculpted, but almost bulging, wheelarches help to make this car look muscular and imposing.
The brand’s signature single-frame grille is present, of course, but is now illuminated. It’s backlit, to be specific, with light shining indirectly onto the segments of the honeycomb pattern from behind, which creates a much more subtle effect than the sort of glowing light strip that BMW and Mercedes like to add to their cars.
The super-slim customisable daytime running light units, with the pixelated LEDs we’ve seen on other Audi products, have made their way on to the new Q7 as well, while the enormous main headlights are below, flanking the grille and emphasising the car’s width.
Wheel sizes start at 20 inches, while range-topping models get a set of 23-inch rims, behind which are some massive brakes. Meanwhile, the rear of the new Q7 is more upright, resulting in a nearly horizontal roofline that creates more headroom and space inside.
At the rear is a full-width light bar, as you’d expect, that divides the tailgate and connects the OLED tail-light panels which are not just customisable, but supposed to improve safety. The hazard lights, meanwhile, display warning symbols to alert other road users. The design also changes when a car is performing an automated parking manoeuvre or if another vehicle gets too close while you’re stationary, in heavy traffic for example.
Audi has gone even further with the lighting innovations on the new Q7, though, creating what are possibly the world’s most advanced turn signals that at night project arrows on to the road when you turn on the indicators. It can do this even at motorway speeds.
Rolls-Royce style automatic doors
Getting into the new Q7 is effortless, because for the first time it features automatic doors, just like a Rolls-Royce Phantom, while LED modules project animations that unfurl on the ground as if a carpet is being rolled out for you and your passengers.
Parents concerned about their children pranging other cars with these highly advanced new doors can rest assured that they come with plenty of tech in an effort to prevent this. The exit warning system can stop the rear doors from opening (or opening any further if already started), and if the car detects a potential collision with another car, a cyclist or a pedestrian.
Audi Q7: interior and tech
The interior of the new Q7 is very similar to Audi’s other SUVs and more conservative than what we’re expecting from the next X5, because that will get BMW’s radical Panoramic iDrive set-up which stretches the driver’s display across the base of the windscreen. However, some people may prefer the Q7’s more conventional cabin design.
The ‘Digital Stage’ dashboard, as Audi calls it, includes a crystal clear 12.3-inch instrument display and a 14.5-inch touchscreen housed within a single unit that gently curves towards the driver and uses indirect lighting to create a subtle floating effect. Next to that is a separate 12.3-inch passenger screen.
Audi’s designers wanted to make the cabin a place to focus and relax, but presumably in the pursuit of clean lines and precision, they have included very few buttons, with the exception of a smattering on the steering wheel and a handful on the centre console. More eyebrow-raising than that, however, is the decision not to add any controls for the air vents; that is done by using the touchscreen, as in a Tesla.
While we may need some time to come around to Audi’s thinking on that, we wholeheartedly support the brand’s decision to use as little glossy black plastic as possible here. Modern Audis are normally full of the fingerprint-prone and easily scratched material, but the new Q7 features wood trim, fabric textiles and leathers to create a more sophisticated and inviting environment.
Among the smaller details we particularly like are the leather airbag cover on the steering wheel, and the cup-holders that have been designed to accommodate the enormous tumbler bottles that are so popular these days. Meanwhile, the wireless charging pads have MagSafe built-in, which means iPhone owners can throw their device down on to them and know they’re going to be topped up.
Then there’s the panoramic glass roof which incorporates more ambient lighting and is opacifying, meaning you can use it as a virtual sunshade by changing the transparency via the touchscreen.
Finally, the new Q7 is available with a 22-speaker Bang & Olufsen 4D surround sound system that uses speakers in the headrests and actuators in the seats that allow occupants, for lack of a better phrase, to really ‘feel’ the music.
How practical is the new Audi Q7?
In the UK, the new Q7 will be available with a choice of five-seat and seven-seat layouts. The model we got access to in a studio, before the car’s world premiere, featured the optional third row and we found it provides a frankly ridiculous amount of headroom all-around.
One thing we also noticed, however, is that there is a large hump in the floor that might make seating three adults across the second row a little difficult. Children and teenagers will have no qualms, though, and they’ll appreciate the USB-C charging ports in the backs of the front seats to keep their devices topped up.
Opt for the seven-seat version, and the middle-row seats fold down and slide forward electronically – a very easy process, but not a particularly quick one. Fortunately, they can be controlled by the touchscreen as well, so everything can be ready and waiting for the kids when you pick them up from school. They’ve also been designed so that child seats don’t block them from moving.
We did try the rearmost seats, and found that there’s not enough legroom for six-foot tall adults to sit comfortably back there. But the seats are heated, which will be a treat for anyone who can squeeze in.
In terms of luggage capacity, the five-seater Q7 has a 670-litre boot, which expands to 806 litres with the back bench slid forward or 2,075 litres when the rear seats are folded down. The seven-seater offers between 581 litres with the rearmost seats tucked away, 722 litres with the middle-row pushed forward, and a still impressive 1,980 litres with just the front ones in place. One particularly handy feature sees the parcel shelf fit under the boot floor.
And if somehow that’s still not enough space for you, you might want to hang on for the all-new, even larger Q9 that’s coming soon.
Powertrains and chassis
At launch, the Q7 will be available exclusively with good old-fashioned diesel power, with petrol and plug-in hybrid versions coming later. An extra powerful SQ7 should join the line-up at some point, too, likely packing a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine.
The 3.0-litre diesel V6 produces either 242bhp or 295bhp, plus up to 630Nm of torque, and is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Plus, this being an Audi, quattro all-wheel drive is standard.
Audi has also added its latest mild-hybrid tech to the engine to help improve efficiency, boost performance slightly and make the driving experience smoother, particularly torque delivery. Supposedly, this set-up will deliver up to 40mpg, which is a slight improvement to the roughly 35mpg the previous diesel model could return.
The Q7 comes as standard with steel spring suspension, but adaptive air-suspension will be available along with a limited-slip differential for better traction and agility – exactly what you want in a wood-lined, seven-seater SUV. The rear-wheel steering on offer will be more useful, as this helps improve manoeuvrability at low speeds and stability on the motorway.
Order books for the Q7 will open later this year, and we expect prices to start from around £75,000, which is on a par with what the outgoing model cost, as well as the diesel version of the current X5.
Rivals
BMW X5
The next-generation X5 arriving soon will be even bolder than the new Q7, as it will incorporate the retro-futuristic Neue Klasse design language seen on the iX3 as well as its Panoramic iDrive interior. It’s also going to be available with a vast selection of combustion, hybrid, pure-electric and even hydrogen powertrains, embodying BMW’s philosophy of ‘Power of Choice’.
Mercedes GLE
The Mercedes GLE has just received a substantial update for 2026, introducing a range of upgraded powertrains, a new screen-centric interior and plenty of high-end features, including a very clever new suspension system called E-Active body control. There will be both a standard SUV and a sleeker coupé model, plus a souped-up AMG variant with a new V8 engine under the bonnet.
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