The 2017 Audi Q7 e-tron was showcased last week and many are of the opinion that this might not have been the best time for the company to showcase a diesel hybrid plug-in, especially since the controversy regarding parent company Volkswagen failing to meet emission standards with their clean diesel technology entered its third month.
Powered by a 3.0-liter V6 bi-turbo engine block, the 2017 Audi Q7 e-tron is a powerful performer on the road. However, we aren’t sure whether the vehicle will be unveiled in America anytime soon. The biggest and most luxurious of SUVs from Audi competes with the latest and meanest SUVs from Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Cadillac.
By the time the vehicle is available across showrooms, hybrid SUVs such as the Volvo XC90, Mercedes-Benz GLE 550E and the BMW X5 Drive 40E are likely to be available at the dealerships. Hence, Audi has its work cut out for the moment.
The second-generation SUV is more aggressive than its predecessor, although, the stance has been lowered to lend greater on-road comfort. The Q7 is not built for off-roading, although, you could push it to soft road conditions if necessary.
Audi has reportedly reduced 475 pounds from its last-gen variant while the 2.0-liter powerhouse has been tuned to produce 252 BHP, ensuring maximum performance. The company also has plans to launch a 3.0-liter variant that is unlikely to enter American soil anytime soon.
Some of the major additions to the vehicle include a panoramic monoroof, power-folding mirrors, new off-road setting for Audi Drive Select and folding third-row seatbacks. Audi has enhanced their auto-braking tech, known as Audi pre-sense city, which detects obstacles and pedestrians till 52 MPH and applies the brake automatically.
The 3.0-liter engine variant develops 333 BHP along with 325 ft-lb of torque and features auto start-stop. Audi currently plans on launching the 3.0-liter variant of the vehicle, which is slated to sport a base price tag of $55,750. The 2.0-liter variant, which is priced around $49,225, will be introduced later on.
Audi is also expected to introduce the Prestige and Premium Plus packages priced at $65,250 and $59,750, which house a few standalone features along with additional packages. Audi is expected to introduce a Luxury package offering temperature-adjusting seats and arm rests. Premium quality leather covers the interior along with Alcantara headliners.
Adaptive ambient lighting is an interesting combination of connected LEDs that generate 900 combinations of lights. Audi has also introduced color heads-up display, LED headlamps and a 12.3-inchh touchscreen virtual cockpit digital console, similar to the TT and the R8.
No premium quality vehicle is complete without a premium audio system and the 2017 Audi Q7 e-tron boasts of a 23-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system with individual amplifiers! Apart from the standard instrument cluster, the vehicle features a few extra consoles that are part of hybrid drivetrain.
Audi has implemented numerous advanced features that aim at improving the fuel economy of the vehicle. One such measure is the Predictive Efficiency Assistant feature. This feature can determine speed, inclination, speed limits, the surrounding terrain and upcoming town signs and control the engine’s efficiency by calculating all of the above.
If you cruise around in Hybrid mode, the battery will automatically top up while the system will determine when to push the electric system into action so as to generate additional boost. The 17.3 kWh battery is put on reserve and is used in case of an emergency when driving around in Hybrid.
The best part about PEA is that, if you insert your location and destination, the system will save up the electrical power till you enter the city limits. Hence, while you drive on conventional fuel sources on the freeway, you drive around the city on clean fuel. This is precisely the type of technology that makes the 2017 Audi Q7 e-tron a ‘smart car’.