Surprisingly spirited V6
Mated to a 6-speed Tiptronic gearbox, the 3.6L engine deserves kudos. Despite weighing more than 5,100 pounds, the base Q7 reaches 100 km/h in just under 10 seconds. As for passing maneuvers, you'll save one second if you rely on the third gear to get you from 80 to 120 km/h (6.6 seconds instead of 7.6); that's a confidence-inspiring, albeit surprising, safety margin.

Even more surprising, though, was the fuel economy achieved by my tester. Through moderate use of the throttle in the city, I wound up with an average of 10.5 liters per 100 kilometers. At $1.43 for a single liter of premium gasoline, you'd better think twice about driving any other way.

Finally, the Q7's braking performance is also worthy of praise. Repeated stops from 100 to 0 km/h took 40.5 meters on average.

Mated to a 6-speed Tiptronic gearbox, the 3.6L engine deserves kudos.

Driving in style with the Q7
When Audi launched its first-ever SUV, the goal was to make a strong statement in the premium segment. Well, it's mission accomplished, as the Q7 is bold and distinctive. But is the third row necessary? I don't think so.


Photo Credit : Philippe Champoux