Auto123.com - Helping you drive happy

The 2010 Audi Q7 is the large Audi for the sporty individualist

|
Get the best interest rate
Khatir Soltani
As reported by Audi

Engines: a new range
Even more power, even higher efficiency: Audi has revised the engine lineup for the Q7. The two gasoline engines, both V6 units but with different power outputs, are new, and so is the second-generation V6 TDI. A mighty V8 diesel completes the range. All the engines for the Q7 combine two technologies: forced induction and direct fuel injection. A high-performance recuperation system that recovers energy during braking is also a standard item with all six- and eight-cylinder engines.

Photo: Audi

The new 3.0 TFSI gasoline engine embodies Audi's downsizing strategy: replacing engine displacement with supercharging. Within the 90-degree angle formed by its cylinder blocks there is an engine-driven supercharger that compresses the intake air. Two charge-air intercoolers prevent the air temperature from rising, so that the engine draws in more oxygen for the combustion process. Vigorous thrust and spontaneous throttle response make the 3.0 TFSI engine, with its sonorous note, an ideal source of power for the large high-performance SUV from Audi.

Power transmission: eight speeds are standard
Audi has given all six- and eight-cylinder Q7 versions a new automatic transmission. The eight-speed tiptronic lowers fuel consumption by about five percent. It is based on the six-speed unit, but with another friction-clutch shift element added. Being able to shift between eight ratios keeps the jumps in engine speed low: the engine always runs close to its ideal operating point. All gear shifts are fast, flexible and take place extremely smoothly without delay.

At 7.25 to 1, the overall spread of ratios in the eight-speed tiptronic is unusually wide. In the lower ratios the Q7 accelerates powerfully; in the higher ratios it rolls along efficiently at low engine speeds.

The chassis: agile and safe
The Q7 is one of those personalities who are at home wherever they may be. On the road it excels with its precise, sporty handling, and where the hardtop surface ends it demonstrates impressive offroad characteristics. The suspension uses double wishbones made of aluminum, attached to separate subframes. The wheel bearings have been optimized to reduce friction. The servotronic steering varies the degree of power assistance according to the vehicle's speed.

Photo: Audi
Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada