KEY POINTS:
The turbo diesel (TDI) version of Audi's Q7 crossover certainly stands as the sensible choice in the range. The 3.0-litre TDI provides a pretty decent mix of strong performance and excellent economy.
Naturally, the 4.2-litre V8 petrol version is much more exciting - but it costs a lot
to fuel that kind of aural pleasure and sheer acceleration. Or at least it did.
But come September, TDI power will be both the sensible and the exciting Q7 choice with the addition of a 4.2-litre V8 turbo diesel engine to the lineup. The TDI V8 engine we've seen already - it's offered here in the A8 luxury sedan. But for the Q7, Audi has added even more grunt: peak torque has increased from 650Nm in the A8 to an incredible 760Nm at just 1800rpm for the Q7.
That makes the monster Q7 substantially more powerful than the Range Rover TDV8 (200kW/640Nm).
It's even more muscular than Volkswagen's 10-cylinder TDI Touareg, which summons 230kW/750Nm. And it goes without saying it eats the Q7 V8 petrol for breakfast, since that model makes just 257kW/440Nm. In fact, the eight-pot TDI is a full second quicker to 100km/h than its petrol-V8 equivalent: it rockets to the open-road limit in a scarcely believable 6.4 seconds.
Pricing of the new model is yet to be determined, but if Audi New Zealand can maintain price parity between the petrol and diesel Q7 V8s - as it does with many other models - the TDI will make the $141,900 petrol version all but redundant. The 171kW/500Nm 3.0-litre TDI, which has a lower price ($122,900) and lower specification than the V8, will continue as the entry point to the range.
We drove the Q7 TDI V8 on both high-speed motorway sections and country roads during Audi's international launch function in Munich. While the jury is still out on the styling and packaging of the Q7, which remain unchanged for the new TDI model, the new powertrain is simply staggering.
It's superbly refined and very clean, with twin particulate filters and a European Combined fuel consumption figure of 11.1 litres per 100km.
There's the traditional diesel-hesitation when you plant the throttle, but then comes an overwhelming wave of torque. The rolling acceleration is epic, especially when you consider that the vehicle tips the scales at 2.5 tonnes.
The six-speed automatic transmission has been strengthened to handle the TDI's extra pulling power. On a very light throttle, it occasionally clunks into gear, but at speed, it's exceptionally smooth. Full-time four-wheel-drive and adaptive air suspension is standard on the Q7 TDI V8. Eighteen-inch wheels are standard in Europe, but expect bigger rims on the Kiwi model; we seem to like our luxury cars all blinged up. Customers can option the car right up to 21-inch alloys.
There's no disguising the bulk of the 5.1 metre Q7 in traffic, but it's staggeringly quick and scarily competent around corners for such a large vehicle.
Aside from that monster engine, the Q7 TDI V8 picks up something else from the luxury A8 sedan: the option of a bespoke high-powered stereo system from Danish specialist company Bang & Olufsen.
As with the A8, the Q7's "advanced sound system" has been configured especially for the car. Turn the ignition key, and two tweeters emerge from the dashboard. Music is pumped through 14 loudspeakers, output 1000 watts. Cost is yet to be decided, but don't expect much change from $12,000.
On the evidence of a demonstration car located indoors at the Audi launch function, it'll be worth the extra for audiophiles and the Bang & Olufsen system absolutely rocked the house with that AC/DC heavy metal song.
