The Audi Q7 is a large luxury SUV that Audi presented in September 2005 as its first model of the kind. Built in Bratislava, it has gone through three generations and offered a V12 TDI, a plug-in hybrid and up to seven seats.
Audi Q7 at a glance
| Class | E-segment SUV with two or three rows of seats |
|---|---|
| Unveiled | September 2005, Frankfurt Motor Show |
| Production | from November 2005, Volkswagen Bratislava |
| First generation | Typ 4L, 2005 to 2015 |
| Platform | PL71 for the 4L, later MLB, shared with the Touareg and Cayenne |
| Drive | permanent quattro with a Torsen centre differential, 42/58 split |
| V12 TDI | 6.0 with 500 PS and 1,000 Nm, from 2009 |
| Second generation | 2015, up to 325 kg lighter |
| Q7 e-tron | 3.0 TDI plug-in with 374 PS |
| Facelift | 2020, mild-hybrid engines and two touchscreens |
| Third generation | July 2026, 3.0 diesel with 245 or 299 PS |
History of the Audi Q7
4L (2005)
Development began in 2002 under the code AU 716, based on the Pikes Peak quattro concept shown at the North American International Auto Show in January 2003. The production design was frozen in late 2003, prototypes were testing in 2004 and the Q7 went into production in November 2005 at the Volkswagen plant in Bratislava. It used a modified PL71 platform and permanent quattro with a Torsen centre differential splitting torque 42/58 between the front and rear axles, and it was designed for road use rather than serious off-roading. In 2009 Audi added the 6.0 V12 TDI with 500 PS and 1,000 Nm, the world’s most powerful diesel engine in a production passenger car at the time. A light facelift followed at the end of 2009; the first generation was also one of the models affected by the Volkswagen emissions scandal.
Second generation (2015)
The second generation was presented at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. It was slightly smaller than its predecessor and up to 325 kg lighter, and it introduced the Q7 e-tron: a plug-in hybrid with a 3.0 TDI V6, an electric motor in the gearbox, 374 PS and 700 Nm, a 17.3 kWh battery and an electric range of 56 km. A deep facelift in 2020 brought a new grille and bumpers, mild-hybrid engines and an infotainment system with two touchscreens.
Third generation (2026)
The third generation appeared in the middle of July 2026 with a single 3.0-litre mild-hybrid diesel in 245 or 299 PS form. It is sold in S line, Identity and Advanced trim levels.
Design and features
- First Audi SUV: the Q7 was Audi’s first SUV and was followed by the smaller Q5 in 2008.
- Torsen quattro: permanent four-wheel drive with a self-locking Torsen centre differential and a 42/58 front-to-rear torque split.
- Air suspension: adaptive air suspension with Continuous Damping Control was available for off-road use.
- V12 TDI: the 6.0-litre diesel was the only series-production passenger-car V12 TDI in the world.
- Q7 hybrid: a 2005 one-off concept paired the 4.2 FSI V8 with an electric motor and reached 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds.
Audi Q7 versions
- 3.6 FSI and 4.2 FSI: petrol V6 with 280 PS and V8 with 350 PS, sold from 2006 to 2010.
- 3.0 V6 TFSI: petrol with 270 or 333 PS from 2010.
- 3.0 V6 TDI: diesel with 204 or 239 PS.
- 4.2 V8 TDI: 326 PS until 2010 and 340 PS from 2010.
- 6.0 V12 TDI: 500 PS and 1,000 Nm from 2009, with a six-speed gearbox.
- Q7 e-tron: plug-in hybrid with 374 PS and 700 Nm.
The Q7 was followed by the smaller Audi Q5 and shares its platform with the Volkswagen Touareg; more models are in our Audi collection, including the A8.
Video: Audi Q7 3.0 TDI quattro Tiptronic S-line
Video by MAX-Performance, s.r.o. on YouTube.
Sources
- Audi Q7, English Wikipedia: development, platform, V12 TDI
- Audi Q7, German Wikipedia: production site, generations, registrations
- Audi Q7, Italian Wikipedia: engines, dimensions, e-tron, third generation
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