The country’s leading premium 7-seat SUV, the Audi Q7, gets a substantial refresh four years after its global launch and introduction in the Philippines.
Many of the key features of the Q7 have been tweaked, improved and modernized to allow the country’s best-selling premium SUV to take on the fight against an onslaught of fresh new metal.
The most striking difference is the bold octagon-shaped Singleframe Grill, which now utilizes six vertical lines to give a bold sense of structure and confidence on the road. This massive opening feeds cooling air to the various heat exchangers of the engine as well as the front brake ducts, improving performance and reliability under the most extreme driving conditions. The large front sill-plate acts as a guard for the Q7’s underside, hinting at the all-road, all-weather capability. This luxurious SUV isn’t just for the high-street, but ready for adventure. The Singleframe Grill isn’t the only major exterior attraction: the latest Q7 now comes with Audi’s Matrix LED headlamps. Matrix LED headlamps utilize more bulbs per headlight enclosure and can automatically adjust brightness as the bulbs support up to 64 levels of illumination. When used in conjunction with technologies such as intelligent cruise control, the Matrix LED headlamps can automatically adjust brightness without the driver needing to do anything when an incoming car on the opposite lane appears, or suddenly comes up behind a slower moving vehicle ahead. Of course, the matrix design means the LED headlights can emit a more powerful, cleaner, and brighter beam on the road without glaring incoming motorists, thanks to precise bulb brightness, control and focus. You can drive more confidently even on very poor road and weather conditions.
On the restyled rear, a striking chrome strip creates the visual connection between the flat rear lights with their technical-looking graphics and carries forward the horizontal body line. The designers achieved the clear view with taut, flat surfaces, which span the entire width particularly in the license plate region. The Audi Q7 is even more striking with the optional S line exterior: A blade in the front bumper, sportily accentuated underbody protections at the rear, along with full paint finish, plus the option of bigger, more stylish alloy wheels and high-performance tires.
The Audi MMI Navigation Plus is arguably the simplest, most intuitive interface system of its kind in the entire automotive industry. First seen on the A8 Limousine and Q8, it delivers top-of-the-line connectivity as it features the fully digital Audi virtual cockpit LCD display and the optional head-up display to lessen the driver’s diversions off the road. For driver assistance systems, the adaptive cruise assist and active lane assist reduces the driver’s workload – particularly on long journeys, something many Q7 owners find themselves undertaking thanks to its long legs, comfort and refinement. In combination with efficiency assist, the Q7 can brake and accelerate in anticipation of the conditions ahead. The emergency assist is also new: If the driver is inactive, the system brings the car to a stop and initiates protective and rescue measures, like having your guardian angel take a more active role for your safety.
The cockpit architecture harmonizes perfectly with the new, digital operating concept, which incorporates two large touchscreens. They provide haptic and acoustic feedback when clicking on the touch controls. The optional contour ambient lighting package illuminates the interior in the dark. Convenient equipment options include four-zone automatic climate control, a power-assist function to close the doors quietly, the Bose Premium Surround Sound, and the air quality package with fragrance and ionizer. Of course, the Q7 boasts the roomiest interior in its class.
Dynamically, the new Q7 now comes available with rear-wheel steering which allows the rear wheels to steer by as much as five degrees in the opposite direction, aiding agility and responsiveness, a rare feature one wouldn’t normally expect from a luxurious, premium 7-seat, comfort and family-oriented SUV. There is also the option of automatically adjustable anti-sway bars to help reduce body roll, and keep the big SUV light and agile on its feet, akin to giving a heavyweight boxer the litheness of a ballerina on winding and challenging roads even when fully-laden. Combined with the adaptive adjustable air suspension, the latest Q7 delivers unsurpassed comfort with a degree of control not normally associated with such a luxurious premium 7-seat SUV.
There are also seven available driving modes which alter the suspension firmness, ride height, damping level, steering effort, the 8-speed transmission’s shifting algorithm and of course, the engine’s responsiveness, be it in all-out cocoon mode for cruising in peace over very long distances, to a more rock-and-roll driving environment when faced with challenging mountain roads, and an off-road mode which raises the suspension considerably should you wish to foray into unknown territory in supreme comfort and confidence.
The last addition to the Q7 is Audi’s mild-hybrid technology. All engines in the Audi Q7 range are coupled to an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission with Quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The standard mild hybrid technology plays a major part in the efficiency of the engines. In real-world driving conditions, this reduces fuel consumption by up to 0.7 liters per 100 kilometers. Its central component, the belt alternator starter (BAS), powers a 48-volt main electrical system in which a compact lithium-ion battery stores the energy. During braking, the BAS can recover up to 8 kW of power and feed it back into the battery.
Faced with stiffer and newer competition, Audi’s Q7 hasn’t backed down from the challenge, bringing with it a raft of new technologies to make your drive and your life better, safer, more dynamic, exciting and of course, luxurious. The best part? Audi Philippines is hinting they can bring it in starting at 5 Million Pesos very soon.
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