The Mat Watson review: why the new Audi Q7 is like a coal-powered flagship smartphone
Car changing is a big deal
This is the new Audi Q7, and it’s a huge leap forward over the old one in more ways than one. Mat Watson has been driving it, and he’s going to deliver his expert verdict.
I’ve been driving around France in the all-new Audi Q7, and this is a car with a lot riding on it. The old one was one of the best luxury seven-seaters you could buy, and BMW has also just launched its new X5 to really put the pressure on.
So why is the new Q7 like a coal-powered flagship smartphone? Well it’s because it blends old and new technology in one luxurious package. It’s loaded with all the latest technology, but under the bonnet is an old-school diesel engine.
But is it any good, and should BMW be worried about this car? Well I’ve spent a day thoroughly testing it to find out.
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New Audi Q7 exterior design
When buying a big, luxurious SUV like this, you want it to have presence. The new Audi Q7 certainly looks more purposeful than the old car, partly thanks to the fact it’s a few centimeters wider.
It’s also got a much larger grille than before, and it now lights up. You can get your Audi badge illuminated in the United States, but there are some boring advertising laws in Europe which forbid Audi from lighting its logo.
No matter, because the new Q7 has some really clever light tech which I’ve never seen on a car before. At night, it’ll project a carpet of light onto the road in front of you which shifts over when you change lanes to warn other drivers, and the indicators project orange arrows onto the tarmac as well.
Beyond the clever lighting, the new Q7 comes on 20-inch wheels as standard, but the 23-inch rims on my test car fill the arches much better. I’m also very grateful for the real exhaust tips – no fakery here. Looks like Audi has finally learned its lesson.
New Audi Q7 interior and technology
The new Q7’s interior is a huge leap forward over the old car’s, and on the whole I think it looks really good – with one exception.
I don’t like the screen layout very much. The infotainment system and digital driver’s display have massive, awkwardly-shaped bezels, and you operate all the climate controls through the screen as well. That extends to moving the air vents, which is just a faff.
You also get a passenger display as standard, and I’ve always said that these are pretty pointless. Passengers will just use their phones.
But that’s where the negatives end. Other than the fiddly climate controls, the infotainment screen is super responsive and pretty easy to use. The wood trim looks great as well, and I like the fabric seats fitted to this test car. Who needs leather?
The seats themselves are super-comfy, and material quality is excellent. Everything is covered in either leather or soft-touch plastic, and the switchgear all feels solid.
New Audi Q7 space and practicality
Audi hasn’t cheaped out in the back seats, because the materials all feel just as posh as they do in the front. You also get loads of space to stretch out in the middle row.
There’s acres of legroom, headroom is plentiful and the seats can slide and recline. You also get six ISOFIX anchor points in this car, and they’re really easy to access. The rear bench is even wide enough to accommodate three child seats easily.
Things aren’t quite as good in the third row though. Legroom is pretty tight, and your knees sit quite high. It’s fine for kids though, and adults will be okay on short journeys.
You do get plenty of interior storage though. The glovebox is pretty big, as are the door bins, and you get a massive cubby under the central armrest. I’m not so sure about the wireless charging pads though.
They’re Magnalock pads which your phone is meant to stick to, but if your phone doesn’t have magnets in it then it’ll just fly off.
Moving to the boot, the new Q7 has 210 litres of space with all seven seats in place. That’s around 90 litres down on the Volvo XC90.
Fold the third row away and you liberate 581 litres of space. That’s 70 litres less than the new BMW X5, but you can slide the middle row forwards to free up as much as 722 litres.
New Audi Q7 engine, performance and driving
This Audi Q7 has a good old-fashioned 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine with a mild hybrid system, meaning it can creep along at manoeuvring speeds without using the engine at all. It also has 299hp and 630Nm of torque.
Audi says it’ll do 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds, and I managed to get exactly that figure using my specialist timing gear. That’s decent performance in a car as big as this, although it’s been so long since I’ve driven a diesel that I forgot that they can be a touch noisy.
It’s not overly intrusive, but you do notice the low grumble when you stab the throttle. That’s about the only sound you notice inside though, because the Q7 is incredibly well-insulated. The air suspension does a fantastic job of smoothing out bumps in the road, and it handles surprisingly well for such a big beast.
It’s not exactly a sports car, and you do get a bit of lean through the bends, but the steering is accurate and nicely weighted, and the rear-wheel steering makes it feel agile.
I was keen to try out some of the Q7’s tech in town as well, specifically the self-parking features. It managed to squeeze me into a parallel space with ease, and I like the fact it can warn you if the wheels are getting too close to the curb. I wouldn’t want to scuff them.
It also handled a perpendicular space pretty well, although I was surprised that it drove me in forwards rather than reversing.
When you’re not relying on the tech, the Q7 is pretty easy to manoeuvre on tight urban streets. The only fly in the ointment is the massive A-pillar causing a large blind spot, but the view out the back is really good.
New Audi Q7 price and alternatives
The new Audi Q7 is available to order now, with prices starting from £81,665. All cars get adaptive air suspension, seven seats and matrix LED headlights, but if you want those clever lights then you have to go for the £102,000 Vorsprung model.
For that sort of money you could consider a Mercedes GLE, and the Volvo XC90 is around £15,000 less expensive. The larger BMW X7 also costs about the same as a mid-spec Q7, and you can save an average of almost £18,000 on that car through Carwow at the time of writing. Prices for the comparable BMW X5 haven’t been confirmed yet, but I reckon it’ll cost about the same as this Audi.
So how does that affect my verdict?
New Audi Q7: Mat’s final verdict
Should you avoid, consider, shortlist or just go right ahead and buy the new Audi Q7?
Well after my day with the car, I reckon you should add it to your shortlist. It really is a very good, all-round, luxurious family SUV. I like the way it looks, the interior is lovely and it’s really practical, plus it’s brilliant to drive.
However, the real test will come when I finally get to drive the new BMW X5. That’ll be the Q7’s fiercest competitor, so stay tuned for my review of that car.
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