Text and photos by Timo Eskeli
This Audi has size and looks. And with a price tag that’s long enough to make your head spin, we decided to see if this car made sense
The redesigned Audi Q7 has been on the market for about a year now. The car underwent a major technical change from its predecessor. Fortunately, the car didn’t go for a larger size, but in a way the opposite was the case.
The car has been significantly lightened. The three-litre diesel version has lost 325 kg.
The new design has made the car look somewhat smaller than it actually is. In other words, the car is approximately the same size as its predecessor, i.e. very big.
It is just over five metres long, 174 cm high and weighs 2070 kg. On this basis, you would expect the car to be a real fuel guzzler.
Our test drive, with its three-litre 272-horsepower diesel engine, promises consumption of less than six litres in combined driving.
Although we didn’t quite manage to achieve that, consumption was still tolerable during our test drive. In practice, consumption was around eight litres per hundred.
Surprisingly clever to handle
Despite its large size, the car is surprisingly easy to handle. When I took a closer look at the documentation, it became clear that our car has four-wheel drive as an option. Well, either way, the car is a pleasure to drive and let go.
In all weathers, the Audi Q7 is stable and quiet. The high car also offers good visibility. It’s also fast when you need it to be. The car goes twice as fast as our maximum speed limit allows. From a standstill, it takes off so fast that the clock stops at about six seconds when the speedometer reads 100.
The interior is a luxury. The car is not a tool for fat cats, but a luxurious environment for the pleasure-seeker. The seats are leather and the trim is aluminium.
The car is loaded with great technology
The Audi Q7 has two screens. The main gauge is a fully electronic display. It was developed by the Finnish company Rightware.
The driver can program the display to his or her own preference. Its functions can be easily adjusted to suit the situation while driving.
A normal instrument display can be converted into a map, for example, without major adjustments. And that’s not all. The dashboard has its own MMI display. Its functions are focused on comfort. The content is varied and of high quality.
Outstanding traction
It’s likely that for many buyers, the car will be put to good use. There are many good reasons for this.
There’s plenty of space for luggage and passengers alike. The car can seat seven people if required. And when the two rear seats are converted into a boot, the volume is almost 900 litres.
The car has a tremendous towing capacity. The air-suspension model has a maximum trailer load of 3,500 kg. It can even carry a large boat.
Under normal conditions, the boot is hidden inside the bumper. By pressing a button, the hook can be pulled into the towing position without getting your fingers dirty. And as the roads deteriorate, the chassis can be adjusted higher.
Does this make any sense?
The Kuuseiska is a really nice car. Even though it’s big, it’s surprisingly supple to handle.
All in all, the car is insanely good to drive. Sure, our test-drive version was spoilt with about twenty grand worth of equipment.
The base model in the Audi Q7 family costs just under €86,000 and the most expensive version without options costs almost €111,000.
The car is a combination of luxury and common sense. A better locomotive could hardly be imagined. Now to make some money..
