The outstanding Audi Q7 55 TFSI e offers a relaxing blend of comfort and peaceful cruising manners while proving surprisingly agile for such a spacious seven-seat luxury SUV.
Rhapsody Magazine had in tests the Audi Q7 S Line, with a sporty look, complemented by S line design details, including privacy glass, side ventilation grilles, and S line roof spoiler.
As the ‘TFSI’ part of its name suggests, this Q7 is a petrol-electric plug-in that employs a forced-induction 3.0-liter V6 petrol with a 100kW (136hp)/400Nm electric motor and 17.9kWh lithium-ion battery, for total figures of 381hp. The top speed increases marginally to 149mph in Hybrid and 84mph in electric, while the 0-62 mph time is reached in 5.9 seconds.
As I would expect, it’s a very comfortable vehicle to drive. The interior of the car is gorgeous and incredibly comfortable.
Design-wise, the interior looked very familiar, although some new features were changed or added.
The wheel had been given a facelift and, the space immediately above the gear stick accommodates a touch screen/keyboard for operating the sat nav. The instrument panel is clear and shows exactly how far you can expect to drive using a hybrid motor, petrol engine, or a combination of the two.
The cabin is huge, with all the main controls close to hand, easy to find, and the instrument panel easy to use. It has leather seats, electrically adjustable, with memory function for the driver’s seat.
3-zone climate control including remote pre-conditioning keeps a comfortable and constant ambient temperature, whilst allowing you to heat or cool the car before you enter to the temperature you left it at.
The interior of the Q7 55 TFSI e features the interior S line sport package. This includes sport seats with S-line embossing, black headlining, and aluminum inlays.
When the doors are opened, LED lights in the door sills project the four rings onto the ground. Most equipment features are also available for the Audi Q7 55 TFSI e, upon request.
Audi Q7 55 TFSI e is equipped also with a rearview camera with Parking System Plus, and with the Lane Assist feature, that keeps you safe in the lane by performing corrective steering interventions to prevent you from traversing out of your lane.
Other features to be aware of: the touchscreen for the satnav – while you can use a keyboard if you wish, the touchscreen enables you to write your destination on the touchpad; the matrix LED headlights, that are amazingly bright; the boot, that is large and in some models, features two pull-up seats making the Q7 a seven-seater.
The engine is also very well sound proofed, and you will get very little engine noise in the cabin.
The V6 engine runs perfectly in ‘efficiency mode’ and ‘dynamic’ mode gives it an extra punch.
As for road handling, the Q7 did very well. Being a Quatro four-wheel drive, I had high expectations and it met them. I drove it on a rainy day, and on wet roads it stuck to the road surface incredibly well, especially so considering the vehicle’s size.
In electric operation, the Q7 achieves the range of up to 43 kilometers in accordance with the WLTP procedure, and the hybrid management of the Audi Q7 TFSI e chooses the optimum operating strategy for each journey automatically. The SUV starts in fully electric “EV” mode.
Main technical specifications
| Audi Q7 TFSI e 55 quattro tiptronic (250/280 kW) | |
|---|---|
| Engine type | V6 engine |
| Displacement in cc / bore x stroke in mm / compression | 2995 / 84.5 x 89.0 / 11.2 |
| Max. power output in kW (hp) / at rpm | 250 (340) / 5300 – 6400 |
| Max. torque in Nm (lb-ft) / at rpm | 450 (331.9) / 1340 – 5300 |
| Top speed in km/h (mph) | 240 (149.1) |
| Acceleration, 0-100 km/h (0-62.1 mph) in sec | 5.8 |
| Combined electrical consumption in kWh/100 km | 22.6 – 21.7 |
| Combined fuel consumption in l/100km | 2.7 – 2.6 |
| Combined CO2-emissions in g/km | 62 – 59 |
| Unladen weight according to EU (excluding driver) / (including driver) / gross weight limit in kg (lb) | 2375 (5236.0) / 2450 (5401.3) / 3025 (6669.0) |
