It is common knowledge that sedans don't enjoy as much success as they used to, and that SUV sales are rising as we speak. However, it's the smaller SUVs that are enjoying the most attention at the moment, thanks to the global buying-down trend that has consumers pinching pennies more than ever, even the well-heeled ones who buy elite German soft-roaders.
Hence, Audi is not expecting to move huge numbers of the new Q7 every month. In order to aid new Q7s in finding owners, however, Audi has added a significant amount of luxury kit which makes its pricing very competitive. This means you wouldn't have to tick option box upon option box just to make the Q7 nice to drive and pleasant to spend time in. But first, let's delve into the new Q7's charms so you know what you're getting yourself into.
Styling
The most obvious exterior enhancement is Audi's octagonal single-frame grille with six vertical slats, and the sharper, more angular headlamps, optionally available with Matrix LED technology. At the rear, a chrome strip joins the LED taillights together, while a new sporty skid plate underscores the SUVs ready-for-anything intentions. The entire look, especially the taillights, seems more shapely and a little less flat than before. The Q7 seems less bulky, more taut and slightly more chiselled for 2021.
Our S Line model, in metallic Matador Red, had all the S-Line specific trimmings that include a blade in the front bumper, a titanium black radiator grille with vertical slats in silver matte aluminium, aluminium roof rails and standard 20-inch wheels.
Related: Watch our video review of the previous Audi Q7 3.0 TDI here!
Interior space
Audi has a gift when it comes to designing smart interiors. The cabin, now slightly larger, has class-leading amounts of space. Measuring nearly 2 metres wide (1970 mm) and almost 1741 mm in length, its roomy dimensions for rear passengers are unsurpassed. Should you feel the need to move the contents of your office to your home (including your desk!) you'll have up to 2050 litres available, and you can load everything onto a perfectly flat surface. An electrical tailgate (which can also be activated by swinging your foot underneath the rear bumper) is standard.
A third row of seats is optional at R20 800 but also forms part of the Comfort package (R33 200), comprising all-wheel steering, adaptive cruise control, and a digital control centre for the rear-passengers. Four-zone climate control is a standard feature, ensuring that everyone on board is comfortable and content. Cricket leather can be specified for extra durability if your offspring have destructive tendencies.
Cabin quality
Two large touchscreens as well as Audi's virtual cockpit plus (standard) turn the Q7 into an opulent FBI surveillance control room. No need to plug in your smartphone either — there's wireless charging, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be enabled via Bluetooth. The glossy screens seem as though they are connected, while the contour lighting package (optional) enhances the feeling of floating along in a vehicle operated by a supreme being from another galaxy. A satisfying click provides feedback when you're changing on-screen settings, and although it requires quite a firm prod, one quickly gets used to it.
Connectivity
Buyers of premium SUVs deem connectivity to be an all-important feature. Now that more professionals are working from home or on the go, the need for tech-rich vehicles with a w-fi hotspot and easy smartphone integration has become much greater. The new Q7 has a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, MMI navigation, voice control, and the full suite of Audi Connect features, such as live traffic and weather information, Google Earth navigation and Car2X services. The latter is a built-in safety feature that dispatches the nearest emergency or breakdown services via the Audi call centre, if you should find yourself in a bit of trouble. It can also detect the severity of an accident, and won't send the ambulance if you just need a tow and a lift to your hotel.
The downloadable MyAudi app allows for further functionality that includes remote door-unlocking, finding your Q7 in a crowded parking lot, turning on the air-conditioning, and even theft alerts - all via your smartphone. Should your spouse be prone to speeding, you'll be informed of this as well!
Driving the Audi Q7
With air suspension (optional, but free) and Audi's trusted 3.0-litre turbodiesel powertrain (183kW and 600Nm), you just seem to float, very precisely, wherever you need to go. Audi's drive select settings (there are seven!) were locked to Auto as we made our way from Idiom Winery to Clarence Drive, that beautiful stretch of coastal road between Gordon's Bay and Kleinmond in the Western Cape, which wasn't part of our designated test route. My driving partner was itching to get back to the airport as he had a flight to catch, and we decided to give the Q7 a short, but intensive run on that section of road which is particularly twisty - and I'm glad we did, as the hefty Q7 behaved itself as if it were a much more compact vehicle. A quick photo-session ensued, which involved plenty of three-point turns and positioning the Q7's nose in every possible direction, and this is where the all-wheel steering came in handy. You may as well be driving a Q3 - that's how easy it was to manoeuvre.
A short dirt-road detour (full of potholes) via Gordon's Bay's back roads, thoroughly tested the air suspension, which was as sophisticated as we had expected. You can also raise the Q7's ground clearance on rough sections and lower the vehicle when tackling the sportier bits. Over poorly-maintained sections, you are simply not aware of all the undulations and the ride quality is heavenly. The cabin is also quiet enough to hear a pin drop, if you don't have music playing or have the air-conditioning going at full tilt.
Pricing
There is only one model, the Q7 45 TDI quattro tiptronic at R1 328 500, but if you opt for the Q7 in S line trim, you'll spend R1 388 500 without optional extras. This puts the Q7 in the same league as the upper-crust variants of the Land Rover Discovery, Velar, Defender, Range Rover Sport, Jaguar F-Pace, Lexus RX, and even the top-spec Touareg, with whom it shares an engine. Watch out for in-depth comparison articles between the new Q7 and a few of these star players in the near future.
Verdict
You will want to make debt for sure, but it's a very close race between the Q7 and the under-appreciated VW Touareg V6 TDI Luxury R-Line which you can buy for R1 259 000. But when you're a high roller, surely this does not make that much of a difference. If you're an Audi fan and you need all that space, only the Q7 will do.
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