Q7 [Official] Audi Q7

[MDM]

Looks quite nice in silver, but still far from impressive.

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[Centurion]

Its growing on me.............as a family car. The appeal of the Q7 as a lifestyle vehicle has certainly dropped now. The same can be said for the new BMW X5 which is now also looks more like a station wagon. However BMW have the X4 and X6 on the market while Audi has nothing equivalent.

Meanwhile, the new Range Rover Sport is dropdead gorgeous and is likely to win over a good number of people who will be disappointed to see that Audi have don't have a single cool SUV in their range.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

The Q5 is very well proportioned and quite cool!

 

[klier]

Very nicely designed interior switch gear

Well I was just thinking the Airco unit is awfully close to what BMW has been doing for a decade or so...

 

[MDM]

 

[JHF]

.....Reviews yet?

 

[Rainer271]

Audi SQ7 coming next year with an e-turbo V8 engine
Audi's technical development boss has revealed some new details about the upcoming SQ7.

Speaking to Auto Express, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg confirmed the model will be launched next year and feature an e-turbo V8 diesel engine.

The executive declined to go into specifics but the magazine is reporting the engine will displace 4.0- or 4.2-liters and produce more than 400 bhp (298 kW). If these numbers pan out, the SQ7 could accelerate from 0-100 km/h in approximately 5.5 seconds

In related news, Hackenberg said the company could eventually introduce an off-road focused variant. While the executive admitted there isn't much demand for an off-road focus Q7 right now, he said one could eventually go into limited production if a business case can be built.

Source: Auto Express

 

[Giannis]

So they are moving forward with the e-turbo! That would be interesting!

 

[MDM]

http://www.autobild.de/artikel/audi-q7-2015-erster-fahrbericht-5548039.html

 

[kingjr9000]

^And here goes the MT review.

First Drive:
2016 Audi Q7
Sign 'n' Drive: We Help Audi Sign Off on its Flagship SUV's Final Development Drive
By Frank Markus | April 06, 2015 |



Report: Audi Q7 e-tron Plug-in Will Get Gasoline Engine for U.S.
This final drive includes a 200-plus-mile trek over rough gravel roads threading through a landscape that could largely pass for Arizona's Sonoran Desert, minus the cacti and plus several more exotic species, including oryx, springbok, ostriches, jackals, and at least one frightening 6-foot-long black spitting cobra. Toward the end of this drive, I strap in with Hackenberg, who is generally pleased with the results. "We made a previous drive four weeks ago, and we found some things we had to improve," he says. "Now it is done and the car has much better performance than it had before. There were some squeaks and rattles and some vibration from the powertrain — that's all fixed now, so I'm quite happy."


Most of the trip is spent driving with the various engineering honchos riding shotgun and imparting great wisdom. For example, we've already reported on the Q7's dramatic weight loss (U.S.-spec Q7s should be 600-plus pounds lighter). The mass came from all over, but vehicle-tech development boss Michael Neumayer boils it down this way: The original VW Touareg platform was pretty grossly overengineered. The company played it safe with its first large, off-road-capable, modern SUV, and extremely conservative safety factors added a lot of pounds.

From my very first stint at the wheel, the Q7 looks and feels nimbler than before, and its rigid chassis and suspension impress by soaking up bumps that look and sound harsher than they feel. Throughout the day, the few rattles and squeaks I detect are traced to water bottles, walkie-talkies, or cellphones. These vehicles all have the air suspension that will be optional in the U.S. (Steel springs are standard globally, and an inch-lower sport air suspension may be offered stateside.) They are also shod with special rock-resistant 255/55R19 General Grabbers. Tires and tire pressures, by the way, are the only meaningful differentiators in the Q7's global chassis tuning. Suspension boss Horst Glaser is rightfully proud of his team's ride-quality achievement in spite of the rising unsprung weight that comes with larger standard wheel sizes despite lightening the brakes — especially in back where simpler sliding calipers replace four-piston fixed units. The sprung weight of the suspension drops at both ends, with the front losing 44 pounds and the rear losing 88. He also explains that the optional electric rear steering (available on mid- and top-level trims) steers up to 5 degrees opposite the front wheels at speeds up to 25 mph to improve maneuverability and to shrink the turning circle by 3.3 feet to 36.4 feet. At higher speeds the rear wheels steer with the fronts up to 2.5 degrees to improve stability. He says the system greatly improves performance in an emergency double-lane change, dramatically stabilizing the sharp turn back into the lane.




Twin radar units in the front corners work with the range-finding windshield-mount camera to increase the maximum adaptive cruise control set speeds to 155 mph. The next A8 will replace the radar units with a single laser.
Perhaps the most illuminating co-pilot is Ricky Hudi, the head of Audi's electrics/electronics group. He expresses his utter frustration with America's luddite lawmakers for outlawing his super-cool and ultra-safe Matrix LED headlight system, which uses the Q7's high-tech forward-looking camera to maintain high-beam illumination as much as possible while "throwing shade" at vehicles ahead in the same or opposite lanes so as not to blind anyone. He urges us to write our congressional reps to demand an update of our 1950s-era lighting regulations. He enthuses about the high-tech windshield-mounted camera that makes this all possible. Developed with Israel's Mobileye, this single camera manages to determine the size and distance of objects ahead by recording images every few milliseconds, comparing the size of objects in the images, and knowing the distance covered in the time between frames (via info from the vehicle's data bus). This camera will be a vital element of redundancy in Audi's much ballyhooed autonomous drive systems.

Hudi is especially proud of his ultra-big (12.3-inch), ultra-bright (850 candela/square meter brightness — double that of a typical smartphone), extra-high-def (1,440 x 540 resolution), fast refreshing (60 frames per second) "virtual cockpit" instrument-panel display. Not even noonday Namibian desert sunlight streaming through my panoramic sunroof washes out the Google Earth satellite image of this stark scenery. Viewing it on the cluster display allows me to lower the center one, affording my rear-seat passengers a better view of the epic red Sossusvlei dunes, some of the world's tallest. The voice commands are now more conversational and are processed onboard — not in the cloud — so they even work this far away from a 4G LTE connection.

Crisp lines of ambient lighting accent the cockpit, and the color of these lines and of the gentle flood lighting can be set independently. (I've selected a Christmassy light green for the lines and red for the floods.)


Hudi reserves special enthusiasm for discussing Audi's direct relationship with silicon providers such as Nvidia rather than leaving such relationships to the Tier-1 suppliers. He predicts that within two years it will be the automotive sector — not the mobile device sector — driving innovation and increased processing power. The Q7's is up to 740 gigaflops (billion floating-point operations per second, or three-quarters as fast as the world's greatest supercomputer back in 2000). It's not even autonomous, though with two radar units assisting that high-tech camera, it now provides adaptive cruise up to 155 mph (up from the previous 124). Processing all the various sensor and communications inputs required for full autonomy will vastly outpace the computational power required by the smartphone/tablet crowd.Our six test vehicles all run 3.0-liter TFSI (largely carryover from the former S-Line model) or TDI (output increased from 240 hp/406 lb-ft to 272/443) V-6s, but engine honcho Stefan Knirsch assures me I'll be suitably impressed with the 252-hp, 273-lb-ft, 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder that will follow the V-6s to market by six months or so. That engine won't get a towing package (the others can handle up to 7,700 pounds), but it will improve fuel consumption notably and lower the price to lure Acura MDX owners and to better align with Volvo's seven-seat XC90. Speaking of which, Volvo's top-line plug-in hybrid T8 model will be answered by a Q7 e-tron variant boasting 373 hp and 516 lb-ft from its V-6 TDI, 126-hp electric motor, and 17.3-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. Audi mounts the motor to the engine, ahead of its traditional Quattro AWD system, rather than powering the rear axle purely via electricity. This model is not yet confirmed for the U.S., but we expect to see it eventually.



A short run into the deep sand of the Sossusvlei dunes with tires aired down to 13 psi reveals great traction from the lightened Quattro drive system. It normally splits torque 40-60 front-rear, but traction loss at either end can send 70 percent of the torque forward or 85 percent to the rear. The 2.0-inch lower center of gravity lessens the fear of toppling over when traversing a steeply angled dune.Our time with the car uncovers two failures. Two vehicles experienced a "vehicle lights fault," which we're told was caused by an out-of-adjustment switch that confirms closure of the clamshell rear hatch. (When it's open, the bumper lamps must provide rear illumination, and our cars weren't sure if it was open or closed.) And after Time Inc.'s Sue Callaway and I spent 40 minutes experiencing all 900 watts of glorious 14-speaker Bose 3D sound, the system developed a case of the hiccups, cutting out on about every other backbeat. We didn't get an explanation for that problem, but we had fun helping ferret it out (Meerkat it out?).




Standard equipment will include a power third-row seat and power hatch. With the optional air suspension, a button lowers the lift-in height (which is 1.8 inches lower than before, even on steel-spring Q7s). That power trailer-hitch switch is Euro-only.
Drives of this nature are useless for assessing things such as wind and road noise or on-road handling, but I can vouch for the Q7's road isolation and seat comfort (supreme in rows one and two, geometrically feasible if not comfortable in row three if row two scoots the full 4.3 inches forward). Visibility is great, and the touchpad and rotary-push knob HMI remains wonderful. This will be an easy vehicle to love. It feels far more agile and carlike than before, and it should easily outperform its Volvo competition at the stoplights and its BMW/Mercedes rivals at the pump. Oh, and if you buy one and your lights work perfectly and your stereo never misses a beat, you're welcome.




The camera inside the fourth Audi ring serves the night-vision system, which provides pedestrian and larger animal detection. A dedicated washer nozzle keeps it clean. The lower one serves the around-view parking assist function.


Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/1504_2016_audi_q7_first_drive/#ixzz3WaDZtXqt

 

[kingjr9000]

In natural lighting, i think it actually looks nice.

 

[JHF]

2015 Audi Q7 review
Audi's new Q7 will face some tough competition when it goes on sale in August, but we think its strengths will ensure it's a popular choice.

What is it?:
This is the second-generation Audi Q7 in pre-production form. We've been invited to Namibia to join Audi development boss Ulrich Hackenberg and a team of Ingolstadt engineers on their last validation drive in extreme conditions on a mixture of course-chip bitumen, gravel roads, rocky trails and sandy tracks before the SUV heads into UK showrooms at a starting price of £50,340.

Departing in every area of construction from its predecessor, the new Q7 is the first model to be based around Audi’s new, second-generation MLB platform. The multi-material structure is also earmarked to underpin upcoming successor models to the second-generation Porsche Cayenneand Volkswagen Touareg as well as the eagerly awaited Bentley Bentayga and a whole new generation of Audi models, including next year’s all-new A4.

Audi says the new platform offers far greater modularity than the older MLB structure and is key to a significant 325kg reduction in kerb weight over the first-generation Q7 thanks to the use of of hot formed steel and aluminium within the body, a heavily revised suspension featuring a greater number of aluminium components and the adoption of aluminium doors.

Up close, the new Q7 appears to be a fair bit smaller and generally less imposing than its predecessor, almost like high-riding estate with oversized wheel houses. These impressions are backed up by the dimensions. At 5050mm in length, 1970mm in width and 1741mm in height, the new Q7 is 370mm shorter and 15mm narrower than the outgoing model while sharing the same height.

The wheelbase has also been reduced, but only by 10mm at 2990mm, while the tracks are increased by 29mm and 11mm respectively front and rear to 1679mm and 1691mm.

You won’t have any trouble distinguishing Ingolstadt’s flagship SUV from its many competitors. Key styling cues, such as the bold single-frame grille, have been retained, although the surfacing treatment is now tauter than before, giving the new Q7 a more athletic look. Numerous crease lines within the flanks also give the impression that it sits closer to the ground.

A series of new aerodynamic refinements, including extensive underbody cladding to smooth air flow and a grille with flaps that automatically close to reduce wind turbulence when engine bay cooling is not required, have also netted the new Q7 a impressive drag co-efficient of 0.32.

The changes inside are even more far reaching than those outside. As part of Audi’s effort to provide the Q7, which goes under the internal codename AU536, with a more upmarket positioning, it gains a high, contemporarily styled dashboard with an optional 12.3in digital instrument panel offering various displays, minimal switchgear and a retractable 8.3in infotainment monitor.

It is combined with a prominent centre console that houses a stubby gear lever and newly designed MMI multimedia controller, among other switchgear. The cars may be billed as pilot production prototypes but the quality throughout is outstanding, with leather, metal and soft plastic surfaces.

A generous amount of seat adjustment provides the new Q7 with a wide range of driving positions. Visibility is excellent, helped by the repositioning of the exterior mirrors from the front quarter window to arms attached to the doors. On first acquaintance the dashboard appears to sit too low and the centre console too high, almost as if Audi’s designers wanted to give it a sportscar-style feel.

Before we set off, though, we climb into the rear of the new Audi and discover added space all round. Despite the subtle reduction in external dimensions, the new Q7 offers greater rear accommodation with worthwhile improvements in both leg and head room.

All models destined for the UK will come as standard with a third row of seats, providing seating for up to seven in all. Getting into the two rearmost seats is made easier than before by a second row that now tilts further forward. There is sufficient room for adults under six feet tall, and as we would discover later, the seats offer enough comfort for them not to be restricted to short-journey use.

With seven occupants there are a nominal 295 litres of luggage space, or 770 litres when the third row of seats is automatically folded away into the somewhat high-set floor of the boot via a button. With the second row of seats folded away, there are 1955 litres of capacity on offer.

What's it like?:
We head off on a 300-mile loop through the Namib Desert in a Q7 3.0 TDI – the model Audi expects to garner the majority of sales. With 268bhp and generous 442lb ft on tap, it is authoritatively brisk with plenty of low-end urge and a nice smooth nature. There is excellent throttle response and sufficient flexibility through the mid-range to endow the new Audi with effortless performance up to and beyond UK speed limits.

Audi claims a 0-62mph time of 6.5sec and a 145mph top speed. Subjectively, it feels quicker. You sense the wholesale reduction in weight almost immediately out on the open road. Overall, the new Q7 feels significantly more fleet-footed and a lot more eager than its predecessor on the run.

The standard eight-speed gearbox, sourced from German transmission specialist ZF, comes with a range of revised ratios which allow the engine to operate at lower revs than in the previous model. This brings improved economy and reduced emissions without sacrificing overall accelerative ability or in-gear performance in any way.

Official figures point to 47.9mpg and a CO2 rating of 153g/km. As part of the focus on weight, Audi has once again decided not to offer the Q7 with the low-range transfer case.

Running at typical motorway speeds with little more than 2000rpm showing on the rev counter along arrow-straight desert roads, the engine is superbly isolated from the cabin and remarkably free of vibration for a diesel.

A noticeable reduction in wind buffeting around the repositioned exterior mirrors and excellent insulation of road noise completes an impressive performance on refinement and acoustic qualities for the big new Audi. Front and rear occupants can converse at all times without ever having to raise their voices.

Another significant improvement is the ride, which is much more controlled and offers outstanding rolling refinement across a wider range of speeds in Comfort mode than before. With aluminium now used within the front suspension strut towers and other areas of the floorpan, the second-generation Q7 benefits greatly from an overall increase in structural rigidity.

Riding on the optional air springs fitted to each of the various prototypes we drove in Namibia, the new Audi swallowed most bumps and transverse ridges with tremendous conviction. It also isolates road shock with far greater authority than the old Q7, bringing a polished smoothness to its on-road character even in the worst of driving conditions.

Switching into Dynamic mode brings noticeably firmer damping and a reduction in wheel travel, although happily the inherent control and compliance provided by the reworked underpinnings remains part and parcel of the driving experience.

Along with the giant strides made in ride quality, the new Q7 also handles with impressive poise, helped by a 50mm reduction in the centre of gravity and a thoroughly redesigned suspension set-up boasting greater adjustment in terms of camber control. With a direct nature to its electro-mechanical steering and outstanding body control, the big Audi is sufficient wieldy to engage the driver over challenging roads in its sportier mode.

A new four-wheel steering system, which will come as an option on models bound for the UK, provides up to five degrees of opposite turn at low speeds for a one-metre reduction in the turning circle over the first-generation Q7, along with greater manoeuvrability around town.

At higher speeds, the system offers up to two degrees of parallel turn to improve stability. Spearing along at high speeds on the gravel roads outside Geluk proves the worth of the new system, which greatly enhances longitudinal consistency over the bumpy surface.

Given the conditions and the fact that the prototypes were running on all-terrain tyres, the grip levels also proved outstanding. In normal conditions the torque sensing quattro four-wheel drive system apportions the drive in a 40% front, 60% rear split, but it has been programmed to send up to 85% to the rear when required.

Heading off-road over rocks and sand, the Q7 made a pretty decent account of itself. But without the ground clearance and low-range gearing of some rivals, it is clearly focused more towards on-road driving than the rough stuff. Hackenberg hints that an off-road package will be offered at some point.

Should I buy one?:
Smooth, quiet, spacious, reasonably quick, economical and engaging to drive, the new Q7 is noticeably improved in every area. But with the luxury SUV ranks already crowded with a whole armada of rivals, and with new arrivals such as the Jaguar F-Pace not far off, the new Audi is clearly going to have its work cut out emulating the outstanding success of its predecessor, which has so far hauled in over 500,000 sales in the 10 years it has been on sale.

Even so, those that do opt for the big Audi will undoubtedly find it to be a very capable car, even in the harshest of driving conditions.

Audi Q7 3.0 TDI

Location Namibia; On sale August; Price £50,340; Engine V6, 2967cc, turbodiesel; Power 268bhp at 3250rpm; Torque 442lb ft at 1500rpm; Gearbox 8-spd automatic; Kerb weight 2060kg; Top speed 145mph; Economy 47.9mpg; 0-62mph6.5sec; CO2 emissions and tax band 153g/km, 28%

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/audi/first-drives/2015-audi-q7-review

 

[JHF]

New Audi Q7 2015 review

Exclusive first drive of pre-production version of the new Audi Q7 in Namibia. It's set for showrooms this summer
Verdict
4


In a world of car manufacturers, Audi included, that’s scrambling to build the next sub-division of the SUV market it’s refreshing to come across a car that does precisely what an SUV should. The Audi Q7 is big and useful, but refined and fun to drive at the same time. It’s not the last word in off-road ability, nor quite as dynamic as a BMW X5 - and the fussy styling won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it's a technical tour de force.


Reassuring, isn’t it, that while most Audi Q7s won’t see anything rougher than a speed bump on the school run, it’s tested to withstand some of the Earth’s harshest environments. From thirty below zero in the Arctic Circle to searing temperatures in the desert, the new Q7 needs to cope with them all.

As if to prove a point, Audi has brought us to the middle of the Namibian desert in southern Africa for a final sign-off drive in the all-new Q7 before it arrives in UK showrooms this summer.

The cars are pre-production models, but the fit and finish are already impeccable, and we’re putting them through their paces on 300 miles of gravel roads, winding mountain tracks and sand dunes. If it works here, we’re pretty sure it can handle your commute.

“There is a multiplication factor out here,” Dr Hackenberg, Audi’s head of technical development. “If it doesn’t squeak and rattle on surfaces like this, we know it’s going to be fine back on normal roads.”

This isn’t simply a re-skinned and re-trimmed version of the original model that launched nine years ago – it’s a rethink from the ground up. It’s the first VW Group product to use a new modular MLB-evo architecture designed for larger models with longitudinally-mounted engines. Eventually it will underpin the new Bentley Bentayga, replacements for the Porsche Cayenne andVW Touareg and every new front-engined Audi from the A4upwards.

The benefits of the MLB platform are stark: the new Q7 weighs up to 325kg less than its predecessor thanks largely to a new steel and aluminium body (-71kg), redesigned multi-link front and rear suspension (-67kg) and all-aluminium doors (-24kg). Around 41 per cent of the Q7’s body structure is aluminium – not as much as the all-aluminium Range Rover (which shed 500kg compared to its predecessor), but then with prices starting from £50,340 the Q7 is an altogether more affordable car.

Choosing which one to go for couldn’t be easier, either. From launch, the only engine is a revamped 268bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel, connected to an eight-speed torque converter auto and available in SE or S line trim.

Even this more powerful diesel returns nearly 50mpg (a 26 per cent improvement), but a more economical 215bhp 3.0 TDI version will follow later in 2015, as will a diesel-electric plug-in Q7 e-tron producing a juicy 368bhp, but returning a claimed 166mpg and emitting 50g/km of CO2, Unfortunately, public charging points are a bit scarce around these parts, so we’re sticking to the 268bhp 3.0 TDI today.

Driving at 70mph on gravel is a unique experience – the loose stones mean the car’s constantly moving around underneath you.

What you need in these conditions is smooth, predictable steering, superb damping and plenty of sound deadening to keep the road roar out. Fortunately, those are three areas in which the new Q7 excels. Steel springs are fitted as standard, but our test car came with the optional adaptive air-suspension, which
does an incredible job of smothering the endlessly bumpy surface.

Dips and peaks that would have less well-controlled cars leaving the road, or bottoming out on their suspension, are dispatched with a pillowy softness in the Q7.

It’s quiet, too. At 70mph on gravel you can talk to passengers in the back without raising your voice – useful when the kids are playing up – suggesting that the Q7 will at least match the Range Rover for refinement on tarmac roads.

A new four-wheel steering system, also optional, can dial in up to five degrees of opposite turn at the rear
at slow speeds to reduce the turning circle by a full metre. At higher speeds, they turn by two degrees with the front wheels to improve stability, and on loose surfaces that makes a difference.

When we do encounter a few twists and turns, the Q7’s new-found nimbleness is immediately apparent.
As well as shedding 325kg, the centre of gravity is 50mm lower – demonstrated by the way it stays flat and, dare I say, feels adjustable in corners. OK, sliding around on gravel hardly represents real-world conditions, but the fact that we wanted to turn the traction control off and have a play speaks volumes.

With 600Nm at your disposal the diesel responds instantly, while the eight-speed auto delivers the torque to all four wheels in a seamless linear rush.

Given the conditions, grip is fairly unbreakable, too. In normal conditions the centre differential splits the torque 40/60 front/rear, but can send up to 85 per cent to the rear axle as required.

Although not destined for the UK, we tried a 3.0-litre supercharged petrol engine as well as the 3.0-litre TDI, and the difference in sound intrusion and smoothness is marginal. And as for weaknesses? Well, when the Q7 made its debut at January’s Detroit Motor Show, we weren’t bowled over by the styling, and it’s still not wholly convincing.

With all the bodywork now painted, it somehow seems lower to the ground, while the mass of lines around the wheelarches and shoulder line seem overly fussy. Still, there’s no denying it has presence, thanks largely to its enormous three-dimensional grille.

Open the door and there’s witchcraft going on inside. Despite being shorter, narrower and no taller than the old Q7, there’s more rear legroom and more headroom, too. All UK cars will be seven- seaters and thanks to a powered tailgate, plus a second row that folds and tips forward for easy access to the back seats, loading a five-a-side football team of kids, and all their kit, should be a breeze.

With seven on board there’s 295 litres of space, or 770 litres with the third row collapsed flush into the boot floor (done electrically with a button in the boot). With the second row folded forward, there’s 1,955 litres to play with. We climbed into the back, purely for research purposes, and can confirm that a five foot nine journalist can fit there, with the second row slid forward.

As for interior quality? Well, if this is a pre-production car, then the real thing should be typically magnificent. The 12.3-inch virtual cockpit is an option, but worth having, while the central pop-up screen is controlled via a huge touchpad and a more traditional wheel. Everywhere you look there are chunks of expensive-looking metal, supple leather and soft-touch materials on the dash – and we haven’t even got to the tech underneath.

A built-in 4G Wifi connection is available, but subject to a monthly subscription, while traffic jam assist accelerates, brakes and steers the car for you up to 37mph. There’s even a predictive efficiency system that reads road sign and nav data and warns you in advance if you need to slow down. Fortunately, none of these works in the Namibian desert, which let us appreciate, without distraction, what an amazingly accomplished car the new Q7 is.

Key specs

• Price: £50,340 (SE), £53,835 (S line)
• Engine: 3.0-litre six-cyl turbodiesel
• Transmission: Eight-speed auto, four-wheel drive
• Power/torque: 268bhp/600Nm

• 0-62mph: 6.5 seconds
• Top speed: 145mph
• Economy/CO2: 47.9mpg/153g/km
• On sale: Now

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/q7/91067/new-audi-q7-2015-review

 

[martinbo]

I came into this thread once more with an open mind. Nah, it's still fugly.

A couple of observations regarding journalistic license:
Autocar without fail has to mention a JLR product in its report - this is absolutely a regular occurrence which I have observed personally so don't shoot the moderator
Auto Express claims it has an "Exclusive First Drive". Err, right you are chaps...

 

[klier]

Autocar without fail has to mention a JLR product in its report - this is absolutely a regular occurrence which I have observed personally so don't shoot the moderator

Shhhhh! You are about to awaken the beast with endless rants

On topic, the "ultra-big (12.3-inch), ultra-bright (850 candela/square meter brightness — double that of a typical smartphone), extra-high-def (1,440 x 540 resolution), fast refreshing (60 frames per second) "virtual cockpit" instrument-panel display" is some seriously cool tech.

 

[Beemer B773ER]

The stance/profile looks quite good in this photo, but the dull front and rear styling put the eyes and mind to sleep.

 

[Giannis]

The stance/profile looks quite good in this photo,

Yes, because it's covered in sand.

 

[Beemer B773ER]

Yes, because it's covered in sand.

Wow, check it out! Giannis crackin' a joke!

 

[tristatez28lt1]

I came into this thread once more with an open mind. Nah, it's still fugly.

A couple of observations regarding journalistic license:
Autocar without fail has to mention a JLR product in its report - this is absolutely a regular occurrence which I have observed personally so don't shoot the moderator
Auto Express claims it has an "Exclusive First Drive". Err, right you are chaps...

The English press is comical, auto express writes:

"Around 41 per cent of the Q7’s body structure is aluminium – not as much as the all-aluminium Range Rover (which shed 500 kg compared to its predecessor), but then with prices starting from £50,340 the Q7 is an altogether more affordable car."

Show me one Range Rover that has shed 500 kg compared to its predecessor. Actually, show me one LR RR that is 200 kg lighter than before. I'll tell you there are none. Last I checked, the new Range weighed ~ 200 lbs less than the previous gen. That's less than a 1/4 of claimed weight savings. The 500 kg number is typical JLR made up marketing material just like the weight of the XF that was at least 200 lbs more than what Jaguar claimed.

2010 Range Rover HSE: 5800 lbs
2010 Range Rover S/C: 5900 lbs
2006 Range Rover Sport S/C: 5820 lbs

2013 Range Rover S/C: 5612 lbs
2013 Range Rover S/C 5562 lbs

Sources:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2010-land-rover-range-rover-hse-road-test-review
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2010-land-rover-range-rover-supercharged-instrumented-test
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2013-land-rover-range-rover-supercharged-road-test-review
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests...charged_vs_mercedees_benz_gl63_amg/specs.html

 

[martinbo]

I really don't wish to drag this too much off topic but I am convinced that JLR pays/incentivises Haymarket and Dennis publishers to insert references to Jaguar and Land Rover products in articles covering competitor products. The reference - and it's supposed context - to the as yet unreleased and unappraised Jaguar F-Pace (what a stupid name) is so lacking in subtlety that "obvious" isn't a strong enough word.

To my mind, the most obvious and direct comparator to the Q7 is the Mercedes Benz GL - it too being an "uber-wagon" SUV. Why the GL isn't mentioned as the Q7's most direct rival is telling in itself.