Audi is readying a really big car called the Q9 that offers up to seven seats, but before that, here’s another really big car that might just undermine it a tad. It’s the new, third-generation Audi Q7. As you can see, it big.
And it will offer up to seven seats, including, for the first time, a six-seat option for the full ‘business class’ experience. Quite how that’ll feel when you tank it with vegetable oil remains to be seen.
Because this new Q7 is a diesel-only affair, with a 3.0-liter V6 bolted in offered in 295hp or 242hp tunes, mild hybrid assistance in the form of a 24hp electric motor and electric-powered compressor, and the option of pouring in hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). No, you now want a bag of chips.
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About the hybrid bits. There’s a belt alternator starter, a ‘refined’ e-motor, and a small battery. You can go for ‘short periods’ on e-power alone, while the compressor is always on, boosting midrange power and improving your efficiency.
There’s a standard-fit eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox and permanent AWD (something called ‘quattro’), naturally, along with a new limited-slip center diff that, says Audi, offers up better traction and steering. Including during “rapid and sudden load changes,” which is a polite way of saying “watch this.”
Audi promises “outstanding ride comfort” and the ability for the Q7 to handle “any terrain with ease.” There’s a standard passive steel-spring suspension setup, or the option of adaptive air suspension or sportier air suspension. There are big brakes, six-pot calipers, 20-inch wheels as standard and the ability to run up to 23-inch rims, and a data center’s worth of assistance: auto brakes, traffic alerts, 360-degree camera, park assist...you get the gist.
Audi has also fitted in a new emergency function that automatically steers the car to an empty hard shoulder if it detects the driver is ‘inactive’ at the wheel. Should the driver fail to respond to the myriad prompts, it’ll take over and guide you safely to a stop.
It’ll also park itself. And this new car features interesting functionality whereby at night, it’ll project the turn signals onto the ground to give pedestrians and cyclists notice of which way the Q7 intends to go. Yes, that’s right: Big Audi. Dynamic indicators. Writes itself, really.
Saying that, this is no shrinking violet on the roads. Audi calls it ‘muscular’ and ‘confident.’ There’s the now-obligatory angry LEDs, that singleframe grille, slightly flared arches, rear light strips, and a full-on box as a silhouette. Inside, what you’d expect from a plush, posh Audi: massive panoramic OLED display, huge multimedia touchscreen with speakers in the headrests, a new pano roof, storage, charging ports, comfy electrically adjustable seats, and a ton of optional extras.
Still want that Q9?
More photos of the Audi Q9 2027:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
