Audi Q7 is a fast, roomy ride for the family

Seven-seat SUVs are the modern family workhorse, particularly for those moms and dads who fancy themselves weekend warriors. The premium end of the market has several offerings and one of the best-balanced of the bunch is the Audi Q7.

The Audi Q7 combines a cavernous, seven-seat interior with a sleek silhouette and a technologically advanced drivetrain. The Q7 is powered by a 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine with 272ps, or a 3.3-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with 333 ps. Mated to the 8-speed automatic transmission, the diesel can sprint to 100 kph in 6.3 seconds. The signature quattro all-wheel drive technology is standard, helping to put all the 8 torque to the road, and providing a measure of all-weather safety and stability.

That’s partly due to the Q7’s relatively lightweight structure, which cuts 71 kg vs a conventional steel construction. Sans driver, the Audi weighs in at just under 2 metric tons.

Weight savings will be the furthest from your mind when you enter the Q7. The plush leather seats are supremely comfortable. The dashboard and door panel inlays can be ordered in one of several options. The air vent stretches across the entire instrument panel. Available four-zone airconditioning allows individual adjustment of temperature and airflow. The Q7 has an electrically-folding third row of seats, allowing seven to ride in comfort and silence.

Helpfully useful is the driver interface, which combines a touchpad with multi-finger gesture input, as well as voice command. One pioneering feature is the Audi virtual cockpit. The centerpiece is a 12.3-inch high-resolution display that configures itself to what the driver needs: a full-width map, or analog-style instruments, navigation, or a combination of those.

The Audi Q7 is quick and agile. The kilometers simply zoom by, with the powerful diesel engine making easy work of long-distance driving. It’s one of the best-driving seven-seaters currently available.