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The air suspension system is also a welcome addition. Switching between
driver profiles gives you immediate and obvious feedback, changing the suspen-
sion height in the process. The difference between ‘Comfort’ and ‘Dynamic’
makes the Q7 drive like two very different vehicles. Thankfully there’s an ‘Auto’
setting that takes care of everything and gives you the best of both worlds.
We did not have the opportunity to put the off-roading capabilities through
its paces, but we did take it off tarmac briefly for a photoshoot. The Q7 proved to
be extremely easy tomaneuver with its 360-degree camera providing the driver
with a bird’s eye view of the vehicle and providing auditory feedback through
its 19 speakers whenever objects got close. The sophisticated suspension and
4 wheel drive system are definitely up to the task of putting smiles on the faces
of timber tycoons from what we could tell.
As expected, the Q7 comes with a power boot with controls to higher or
lower the suspension to improve access. The rear seats can be folded flat using
electric motors. That’s right, just hold down a button and they go up or down
as needed. Pretty neat.
Speaking of automation, the car has very limited self-driving capabilities.
As in, it can self-park. Nice to have but in reality it is still to cumbersome to
use when there’s a line of cars behind you. This is not an Audi-specific defect.
Self-driving still feels too user-bound, and often involves more steps than
actual driving.
The Virtual Cockpit also makes its way into the new Q7. Instead of an
instrument cluster, you get a large, high-resolution displaywith fluid animations.
The BOSE sound system also deserves a lot of praise. It has pretty amazing
sound quality and enough customisability to keep things interesting for years
and years. Paired to the Audi Music Interface and taking into account the
fact that the Q7 has support for a wide variety of audio/visual inputs, you
have a media experience that matches the way the car drives. One thing that
appeared to be lacking was internet-based services, which BMW seems to
have the upper hand on.
All-in-all, the Q7 is a formidable luxury SUV. It is built like a tank, full of
great features, including one of the best infotainment packages ever. Plus it
has a powerful yet easy to manage drivetrain for any situation you get yourself
into. It is a bit difficult to recommend over the XC90, but it has definitely got
a better-looking exterior, more focused infotainment, sheer girth and slightly
lower maintenance costs on its side.
Factf ile
Audi Q7 3.0 V6 TFSI
Engine
V6 petrol enginewith demand-controlled
direct injection
Capacity
2995cc
Power
333hp@5500-6500RPM
Torque
440Nm@2900-5300RPM
Transmission
8-Speed tiptronic
0-100km/h
6.3 secs
Top speed
250km/h (electronically limited)
Price
RM589,900.00
feels inexpensive, and the leather-on-Alcantara
finish is something more manufacturers should
consider now that even sub RM50,000 cars come
with leather seats. The Audi Q7 does look and
feel great, but it’s just difficult to defend at this
price point.
Road warrior
Producing 333hp and 440Nm of torque, this 3-litre
V6 TFSI seems perfectly matched to the Q7 and
its 8-speed Tiptronic. This ZF-sourced auto is not
your typical slushbox. It is lightning fast, and feels
great in both traffic and overtaking manoeuvres.
And despite shedding 200kg, the Q7 still has
2,030kg to lug around. So you can imagine just
how surprised we were to find that you feel none
of that weight on most roads. The quattro system
never felt more at home than on the Q7, andmakes
it more confidence-inspiring than other SUVs in
this segment.