Audi Q7 e-tron locked in for January launch

AUDI Australia has confirmed its plug-in hybrid Q7 e-tron quattro SUV will arrive in Australian showrooms in January next year priced from $139,900 excluding before on-road costs, making it dearer than its direct rivals from Germany.

It will be the second e-tron model offered Down Under following the plug-in A3 Sportback that arrived in August 2015 priced from $62,490, and it will bring the Q7 variant count to four alongside the 160kW 3.0 TDI, 200kW 3.0 TDI and bahn-storming SQ7 performance SUV.

The electrified Q7 loses the third row due to the placement of the 17.3kWh lithium-ion battery pack, leaving it as a five-seat-only proposition.

When it goes on sale early next year, it will face plug-in hybrid rivals such as the $119,900 BMW X5 xDrive40e, $129,500 Mercedes-Benz GLE500e, $145,500 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid and the $120,900 Volvo XC90 T8, while non plug-in hybrid competitors include the Lexus RX450h from $90,160 and the $187,900 Range Rover Sport SDV6 HEV.

Powering the Q7 e-tron quattro is a 190kW/600Nm 3.0-litre TDI turbo-diesel paired with a 94kW/350Nm electric motor for a combined system output of 275kW/700Nm.

It drives all four wheels through Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system via an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission, and it can cover 0-100km/h in 6.2 seconds before hitting a top speed of 230km/h.

The plug-in hybrid powertrain ensures a low fuel economy rating of 1.9 litres per 100km on the combined cycle and CO2 emissions of 49g/km. The Q7 can drive for up to 56km in pure electric drive mode and hit an all-electric top speed of 135km/h.

Audi says the Q7 e-tron battery can be recharged with an industrial power outlet in two and a half hours, while a regular domestic set-up can take 10 hours. Buyers can opt for charging equipment to be set up at their home by “a dedicated Audi partner”.

Standard gear includes MMI Navigation with an 8.3-inch high-resolution screen, 3D maps, live traffic information, natural voice recognition, Audi Connect which enables 4G LTE internet connection via a regular data SIM card and Google Earth and Google Search functionality, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

The e-tron also gains the Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster, heated front seats, Audi drive select drive modes, 180W sound system, LED headlights, adaptive air suspension, e-tron specific styling tweaks and 19-inch alloy wheels.

It will carry over a five-star ANCAP crash rating and be offered with a full suite of standard safety gear, including Audi pre-sense city with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and pedestrian detection up to 85 km/h, adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go and Traffic Jam assist, Active Lane Assist, an exit warning system, cross traffic alert, side assist blind spot warning system, Audi pre-sense basic (belt tensioning, window closing and other preventative measures if an emergency is detected), Audi pre-sense rear (warns following traffic if they are at risk of running into the rear of the car) and parking system plus with rearview camera.

The Q7 range kicks off at $97,800 for the 160kW 3.0 TDI, hitting $106,900 for the 200kW 3.0 TDI and topping out at $155,511 for the potent SQ5.