More than three years in the market have been
sufficient for the Audi SQ7 TDI to get a styling makeover, which brings it in
line with the 2020 Q7, as well as the performance-oriented SQ8. The exterior styling differences
compared to the outgoing iteration include new headlamps, grille, and front and
rear bumpers, plus the addition of a chrome strip that joins the taillights
together. The squared quad exhaust pipes have been replaced by round ones and
the wheels are newly designed too.
It is inside, that the company’s designers
and engineers concentrated most of their efforts. As with the latest Q7, the
performance model gains two screens in the center of the dashboard, with the
top one serving as the infotainment system and the bottom one being used for
controlling the air conditioning.
Other improvements include the addition of more
glossy materials. The list of tech features is extensive and includes standard
digital instrument cluster and optional head-up display, an Alexa virtual
assistant, Wi-Fi hot spot, voice control, traffic information online,
navigation with Google Earth, four-zone air-con, soft-close doors, Bang &
Olufsen sound system, air quality package, ambient lighting, HD Matrix LED
headlights and so on.
The 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 diesel engine with the
electric-powered compressor has been carried over. It continues to deliver 435
PS and 900 Nm of torque. As before, 0-100 km/h acceleration is completed in 4.8 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h.
The standard Quattro permanent all-wheel drive
system is coupled to an eight-speed tiptronic transmission. The SUV still comes
with all-wheel steering while the stopping distance can be improved by opting
for the pricey carbon ceramic brakes.
Audi will open the order books for the facelifted
SQ7 at the end of the month, and it will arrive at dealers across Europe at the
end of September. Pricing will kick off from € 94,900 (US$ 106,456) for the
five-seater and € 96,420 (US$ 108,161) for the seven-seater model in Germany.
