We'll sum up this car in two words. Enormous and powerful. There you have it, our article is pretty much done. If you'd like to read more though, we did spend some time penning down our thoughts.
Photos: Low Fai Ming
This is the first Q7 I'm driving, and I must say that inital impressions are good. Spacious on the inside, humongous on the outside, yet nimble enough to handle around town. Power is more than decent too, the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI uses a 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel engine to push out a healthy 240 bhp and a punchy 550 Nm of torque. On top of that, you can expect a combined fuel economy of about 11 km per litre.
So that's enormous and powerful explained, what about the rest of the car? The massive SUV has always been handsome, so there's no denying that it is a good-looker. A strong and burly front-end with DRLs and a colossal signature Audi grille all combine to give the Q7 a tough yet subtle demeanor.
From the rear, chunky rear lamps with LEDs form the main look. Brawny and muscular with flared wheel arches that cover monstrous 20" wheels, the car takes no prisoners when it comes to road presence. It will simply tower above everything else.
Peak through the window and you'll like what you see. Quality materials (leather and wood top the list) are used and the fit and finish is as always, impeccable.
Nothing else looks and feels quite as good. The boys from Ingolstadt still do a pretty mean job when it comes to interiors.
More wood. More leather. Getting cosy in a car that's as large as your house won't be difficult.
You really appreciate this function when you're in a car this huge (I know I've said it numerous times). That said, parking it was not a problem at all. Just try to choose a corner lot, as the car WILL take up the whole lot, so some buffer on either side is always welcomed.
One of the few SUVs that will seat 7 adults comfortably. With enough torque for overtaking maneuvers and a plushy ride, this would make a superb tool for North South Highway blasts.
Passengers can rest easy with powerful air conditioning vents at the back...
... while the driver gets to enjoy the torquey engine. With my full family of five in tow, I was able to easily pull away from almost any traffic situation, be it from the lights or on the highway. 0-100 km/h is dispatched in 8.5 seconds - not as quick as say a BMW X5 xDrive35i, but still more than enough for most needs. The V6 is fairly quiet too, with little of the clatter that is usually found in diesel cars.
The Audi Q7 3.0 TDi is a pretty cool all rounder if you want to waft in comfort and style - yet have some space and pace. If I may add once more, it's so huge you could almost live in there too! What's more, with the revised diesel taxation in 2013, owning a diesel car is starting to look like a promising option.
