Audi Prepares a Refined SUV for the Upper Crust
The Audi Q7 just might be the industry's worst kept secret. Purposely, Audi's advertising agency released three series of teasers, several staged "spy
photos" and a hype-generating website, Audi is finally - and we mean it - ready to unwrap its new seven-seat Q7 sport utility vehicle. But aside from making the job of industry analysts just a little bit easier, Audi's decision to force the Q7 into the spotlight has made it easy to track the development progression of its first sport utility vehicle.
While Audi is the pioneer of all-wheel drive for road cars, this will be its first official sport utility vehicle. The allroad quattro (lower case intentional) initially eased the Volkswagen-owned premium division into the sport utility crossover segment, with its plastic body cladding, air suspension and quattro all-wheel
drive it was never a true SUV. And while the second-generation allroad will be making a return shortly, it's still about as much a sport utility vehicle as the Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon or Volvo's XC70.
The Q7 quattro is more or less the finished, production-ready version of the Pikes Peaks Quattro concept, introduced some three years ago. While consumers are starting to warm up to the new corporate schnozz, now fitted to all Audis bar the soon to be replaced TT sports coupe, it actually looks quite natural up front. Overall Q7 styling mimics the rest of the revised Audi range, particularly its roofline and shallow tailgate, though it differs by offering a higher metal to glass ratio than we're used to seeing. From the rear three-quarters, it is a close match to the A6 Avant, with similarly shaped LED tail lamps and a coke-bottle beltline. Standard to the Q7 are 18-inch alloy wheels, although optional 19- and 20-inchers are available.
The Audi Q7 just might be the industry's worst kept secret. Purposely, Audi's advertising agency released three series of teasers, several staged "spy
 |
| Purposely, Audi's advertising agency released three series of teasers, several staged "spy photos" and a hype-generating website. (Photo: Audi of America) |
While Audi is the pioneer of all-wheel drive for road cars, this will be its first official sport utility vehicle. The allroad quattro (lower case intentional) initially eased the Volkswagen-owned premium division into the sport utility crossover segment, with its plastic body cladding, air suspension and quattro all-wheel
 |
| The Q7 quattro is more or less the finished, production-ready version of the Pikes Peaks Quattro concept, introduced some three years ago. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press) |
The Q7 quattro is more or less the finished, production-ready version of the Pikes Peaks Quattro concept, introduced some three years ago. While consumers are starting to warm up to the new corporate schnozz, now fitted to all Audis bar the soon to be replaced TT sports coupe, it actually looks quite natural up front. Overall Q7 styling mimics the rest of the revised Audi range, particularly its roofline and shallow tailgate, though it differs by offering a higher metal to glass ratio than we're used to seeing. From the rear three-quarters, it is a close match to the A6 Avant, with similarly shaped LED tail lamps and a coke-bottle beltline. Standard to the Q7 are 18-inch alloy wheels, although optional 19- and 20-inchers are available.
