2018 Audi Q7 Petrol Review
Car Tested: 2018 Audi Q7 Petrol; Road Test No. 946
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 82.02 lakhs – Rs. 90.08 lakhs
Performance from the 2.0-litre TFSI engine is just about adequate for daily usage
Petrol SUVs are not the need of the hour at all and yet Audi has rolled in the Q7 40 TFSI, essentially, a petrol variant of the Q7 as rivals like Land Rover are also introducing petrol SUVs in the market. The German carmaker, instead of giving us the 3.0-litre, six-cylinder engine has given a downsized 2.0-litre, four-cylinder motor. Audi has done this before with the A3 and the A4 sedans getting the 1.4-litre TFSI engine. Those being sedans it is pardonable but the question is, is the 2.0-litre petrol engine enough to pull this massive 2.2 tonne SUV? We find out.
Motor Quest: The first generation Audi Q7 was launched in 2005 and it was an absolute hit, especially among Bollywood celebrities and cricket stars. The second generation Q7 comes underpinned by a lighter MLB platform and gets a more subtle design.
The second generation Q7 has indeed lost the visual mass of the previous model
Exteriors – In terms of design and styling, the Audi Q7 40 TFSI is no different from its diesel counterpart. All the design elements like the sharp matrix LED headlamps with LED DRLs, hexagonal grille with chrome embellishments and the four-ringed badge, heavily sculpted bumper, 19-inch alloy wheels and the LED tail-lights are identical to the ones we’ve seen in the Q7 45 TDI.
The cabin is loaded with features, great attention to detail
Interiors – Hop inside the cabin and again things here are identical to the diesel-powered Q7. Nonetheless, the cabin feels luxurious and premium. The dual-tone brown and beige dashboard gets a brushed aluminium insert in the middle that separates the top and the bottom parts of the dash. The seamlessly running AC vents and of course, the Audi Virtual Cockpit are the design highlights of this cabin.
There is no dearth of space at all in the cabin of the Q7
The quality, fit and finish of the interior is commendable. In terms of features too, the Ingolstadt-based carmaker hasn’t omitted any of the features from the 45 TDI variant. You get features like a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system paired to a BOSE 3D Surround Sound system, auto park assist with a 360-degree surround view camera, genuine Cricket Leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof, 4-zone automatic climate control, Ambient Lighting with thirty colour combinations, Audi Phone Box with Wireless Qi-charging and the list goes on.
The 2.0-litre TFSI motor struggles to pull this behemoth of an SUV
Performance – The 2018 Audi Q7 comes powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder TFSI petrol motor that produces 252 HP of power and 370 Nm of torque. The power is on par with the diesel engine but the torque isn’t actually. The 600 Nm of torque of the oil-burner verses the 370 Nm of petrol engine, as expected, is considerably less and that’s evident. The car struggles to surge forward. Low-end lag is very much prominent and only past the 2000 RPM mark the turbo spools up dishing out the power. The mid-range and the top end performance is strong but this engine is a big downer for folks expecting performance. However, refinement levels are where this powerplant truly shines. The huge 75-litre fuel-tank is a boon but the fuel-efficiency isn’t. The ARAI-claimed mileage is 11.68 km/l but expect around 6-7 km/l in mixed driving conditions and less than 4 km/l in the city. There is also no ECO mode on offer.
Fuel efficiency with the petrol engine isn’t all that great
Performance isn’t very exciting but refinement is superb
Transferring all that power to all the four wheels is an 8-speed automatic transmission with Audi’s quattro system. The gearbox is super smooth in shifts and is slick. You can manually take control of things by engaging the gearbox in either Sport or Manual mode thereby using the paddle shifts. However, after doing so, the 8-speed unit starts to feel sluggish as it does not hold onto revs and talking about revs, the powertrain redlines nearly at 6700 RPM.
The Audi Q7 isn’t what you’d call a driver’s car
Driving Dynamics – The Q7 petrol gets an adaptive air suspension which offers six driving modes – Auto, Comfort, Dynamic, Individual, Allroad and Offroad. In the Offroad mode, the ride height can be increased by up to 60 mm to tackle rough and grueling terrains. Except for the Dynamic mode, the suspension doesn’t feel compliant in any other mode. The car feels jittery and there is just too much vertical movement at higher speeds. In Dynamic mode, the steering feels well weighted and offers good feedback but like most Audis, there isn’t good feel. Having said this, there is quite a bit of body roll even in Dynamic mode and overall the steering doesn’t inspire confidence to push the SUV hard around the corners.
The suspension feels pliant only in the Dynamic mode
The seating position isn’t as high as in the previous Q7 and you might end up feeling you’re sitting in a sedan rather than an SUV. Normally, the power is transmitted to the front and rear axles in 40:60 ratio but the quattro system can send up to 70% to the front axle and up to 85% to the rear axle depending on the situation. The full-size SUV gets limited slip differential and throughout the entire test drive we were driving with the Traction Control off and there wasn’t a single time where the wheels slipped. Brakes do a fantastic job of bringing this massive SUV to a halt without any drama while the grip from the 255-section tyres is just superb.
The Q7 petrol is bundled with a host of safety features
Safety and After Sales Service – The Q7 40 TFSI packs in 8 airbags, ABS, Hill Descent Control and Electronic Stability Control. The German automaker has a good reach across the major metro cities in India and is further improving at it. While there are no two thoughts on the quality of service, the cost of ownership and maintenance is slightly on the higher side but that is expected from all luxury cars.
The petrol-powered Q7 will appeal to very less buyers
Verdict – The Audi Q7 petrol is car that will find fewer number of buyers, especially in India. It makes sense to get the Q7 45 TDI especially after considering the fact it costs just around Rs. 6 lakhs more than the petrol version. The 45 TDI is more powerful offering great performance and also is very fuel-efficient than the 40 TFSI and thus the diesel variant continues to be our preferred choice over the petrol Q7.
Though the Q7 has lost some bulk, it still has immense road presence
What’s Cool
* Interiors are classy and premium, feel very good
* Ton of safety features offered
* Smooth gearbox
What’s Not So Cool
* 2.0-litre TFSI is small for an SUV as large as Q7
* Inappropriate placing of the spare wheel
Alternatives: Land Rover Discovery
Audi should have offered the 3.0-litre 6-cylinder petrol motor instead of the 2.0-litre TFSI
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