Audi Q7

Audi Q7 at a glance

The Q7 was Audi's first SUV and the last of the big German premium brands to enter the segment. It sold best in Europe in 2007, with 41,064 cars, and in the USA in 2017, with 38,346. The second generation is also assembled in India and Malaysia. The brand's story is told in the history of Audi, the coupé-styled sister model is the Audi Q8, and the range is in the Audi catalogue.

First-generation Audi Q7 (4L, 2005–2015)

Shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2005, the first Q7 went into production in Bratislava in November 2005. It was offered with two or three rows of seats and permanent quattro drive, with a six-speed Tiptronic automatic as standard; the 3.6 petrol could be ordered with a six-speed manual in Europe. The 2010 model-year facelift brought LED lights, the third-generation MMI system and an eight-speed automatic. Euro NCAP tested the Q7 in 2006 and gave it four stars.

With 1,000 Nm, the V12 TDI made the Q7 one of the most powerful diesel SUVs ever built.

Second-generation Audi Q7 (4M, 2015–2026)

Lighter body and design

Revealed at the Detroit motor show in January 2015, the second Q7 moved to the MLB platform. It is up to 325 kg lighter than its predecessor, 71 kg of that in the body, thanks to hot-formed high-strength steel and aluminium doors, bonnet, front wings and tailgate. A 3.0 TFSI weighs about 1,970 kg and a 3.0 TDI about 1,995 kg. The body is 5,050 mm long, 1,970 mm wide and 1,740 mm high, with a drag coefficient quoted at 0.32. The wide Singleframe grille has horizontal chrome bars, and buyers could choose xenon, LED or Matrix LED headlights, with 18- to 21-inch wheels.

Interior and boot

The cabin was completely redesigned, with a horizontal dashboard, air vents across its width and an optional 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit and head-up display. Rear legroom grew by 21 mm and headroom by 41 mm. The MMI screen of 7 or 8.3 inches rises out of the dashboard, and options included a Bang & Olufsen sound system, a panoramic roof and four-zone climate control. The power tailgate can open with a foot movement under the bumper, and the loading lip is 46 mm lower than before.

Audi Q7 4M engines

All 4M versions use the ZF eight-speed automatic and quattro with a self-locking centre differential and a default 40:60 front-to-rear torque split.

Plug-in hybrids

The 2015 Q7 e-tron combined the 3.0 TDI with a 94 kW electric motor and a 17.3 kWh battery for 190 kW system output, 600 Nm and about 54–56 km of electric range. In 2019 it was replaced by the 55 TFSI e, which uses a 3.0 V6 petrol engine with a 17.3 kWh battery, 280 kW (381 PS) and 600 Nm, and reaches 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds; the 60 TFSI e has 335 kW (456 PS) and 700 Nm.

Safety, facelifts and equipment

Driver aids include adaptive cruise control with traffic-jam assist, cross-traffic assist, lane assist, night vision and a 360-degree camera. In the 2019 Euro NCAP test, the 50 TDI scored 92% for adult occupants, 86% for children, 71% for pedestrians and 72% for safety assist. The 2019 facelift added mild-hybrid systems, a dual-touchscreen MMI and optional HD Matrix LED and laser headlights, and a second update in January 2024 brought revised headlights and OLED tail lights.

Third-generation Audi Q7 (from 2026)

The third Q7 was revealed on 9 June 2026 on the Premium Platform Combustion, and in July 2026 Audi placed the larger Q9 above it. It uses a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 rated at 429 hp (SAE) and 599 Nm, while the SQ7 has a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with 591 hp (SAE) and 800 Nm; Australia also gets a 3.0-litre diesel V6. European kW ratings were not confirmed in our sources at the time of writing.

Rivals: how the Audi Q7 compares

The Q7 competes with the BMW X5 and X7, Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS, Volvo XC90, Range Rover Sport, Porsche Cayenne and Toyota Land Cruiser. Its strengths are a quiet, high-quality cabin, seven seats, quattro drive and efficient diesels; its weaknesses are a tight third row, high option prices and the complexity of air suspension and electronics on used cars.