Audi Q7: Bird’s Eye View
It has been some time since I last drove a car this big.
Driving the Audi Q7 meant being able to see across to the other side of the expressway above the bushes in the middle, having to look for a parking lot that is wide enough for you to get out of the car after parking, and a bird eye’s view of all that was happening in the car next to me.
Introduced in Singapore last August, this facelifted Q7 is available in two petrol engine variants – 3.6- and 4.2-litre. The facelift for the Q7 includes slight external changes like the LED head and tail lights, new wheel trims and a refined engine for better efficiency.
The Q7 I test drove was the 3.6-litre V6 version with 276bhp of power and can reach 100 km/h from rest in 8.5 seconds. Standing at 1.74 metres tall, the Q7 towered above me and I felt so small standing beside it.
Inside, I felt even smaller in the 7-seater but once at the wheel, I felt this surge of power – just think, this beast no matter how massive, is still in my hands at my control and command.
At 5.09 metres long and 2.18 metres wide, the car did pose quite a parking challenge. When I was circling car parks, I took my time to choose a spacious lot (that is, if I had the luxury to).
The Q7 is not difficult to park – there are parking sensors, a reverse camera, huge side mirrors and bigger angle of elevation – but it was getting out of the car after parking that was a small issue.
Sending power to all four wheels via the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system is a six-speed tiptronic transmission. Although big and heavy at a kerb weight of 2,205kg, the Q7 wasn’t very sluggish as it was capable of delivering its maximum torque of 360Nm at 2,500rpm.
Anyone looking at the Q7 from the outside would immediately be able to tell how huge it is on the inside without even having to sit inside it. The back of the seats in the second row is divided into three fold-down sections so you can have a flat cabin floor.
Boot space is also enhanced from 775 litres to a whopping 2,035 litres with the seats down. Now just imagine the various possibilities you can have with all that space… (ed: Hmmm….)
 |
 |
Editor’s Note: In Malaysia, the Q7 is only available in 3.0 TDI quattro and 4.2 FSI quattro guise. The 3.0 TDI goes for more than RM590k all-in, whereas the 4.2 FSI adds up to over RM700k.
*This story was first published in FASTLANE #13 (Feb/Mar 2010) issue.
