All-New Audi Q7 Officially Revealed: 325 kg Lighter, Gets Diesel PHEV

By the looks of things, Audi is ready to come out with a brand new Q7 SUV right now, after what seems like an eternity spent in the company of the first generation model. The official press release regarding this new flagship model has just come out, following leaked photos earlier today.

In terms of exterior styling, the Q7 is more of an evolution of the previous model than a complete re-write. However, we can note that it looks more like a quattro car and less like a fat cow on wheels, which most extremely large SUVs do. Audi's new designer recently gave an interview saying that he arrived too late at the company to give the Q7 a look matching that of the Prologue concept he masterminded.

The most distinctive features of the new Q7 are the grille, which now connects to the headlights over a wide squared off surface. Straight, simple sines were used for the LEDs at the front and back in a sort of double chevron design that will remind many of Lamborghini.

Massive weight loss

Just like the Range Rover, the Q7 managed to lose a huge chunk of its weight. That's because it's underpinned by a new MLB Evo platform, upon which Audi will base many other cars in the near future, including the A4 and the next A8.

Compared to the previous model, the Q7 is up to 325 kg (716.5 lbs) lighter, depending on the variant. That's a huge 26% chunk, it's like going on Weight Watchers and coming back a new man.

100 kilos or 220 lbs were dropped from the chassis alone, making use of aluminum and ultra high strength steel. Another key point is the body structure, where a new multimaterial design reduces its weight by an extra 71 kilograms (156.5 lb).

Up to 28% more efficient TFSI and 23% more efficient TDI engines

Being the flagship of the Q range, the Q7 gets the best engine tech possible. The range starts with the 3.0 TDI with 272 hp and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft), an engine shared with the A6/A7. It gets you from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds and has a top speed of 145.4 mph (234 km/h). Combined fuel consumption for this model is said to be only 5.7 l/100km (41.3 mpg US), equivalent to CO2 emissions of 149 g/km.

A second variant of the 3.0 TDI with 218 hp (160 kW) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque will follow at a later date. Another available engine is the 2.0 TFSI, a turbo with 252 hp (185 kW) and 370 Nm (272.9 lb-ft) of torque. The first 2-liter plant ever to be used on the Q7.

Finally, there's the headline grabber, the Q7 e-tron!

Audi say their new SUV is the first diesel plug-in hybrid with quattro drive in the premium segment… which is a really long title. Essentially, they've beaten everybody to the fuel economy punch by combining the 3.0 TDI with 258 HP (190 kW) to a 94 kW electric motor built into the 8-speed tiptronic gearbox.

What can it do? Well, with a combined output of 373 HP (275 kW) and 700 Nm (516.3 lb-ft), it takes only 6 seconds to reach 100 km/h. Thanks to an onboard battery, the Q7 e-tron can travel for up to 56 kilometers (35 miles) on electricity and supposedly averages just 1.7 liters / 100 km (138.4 mpg US).

Look for most of these amazing new models to come out in Germany next spring, when prices will start North of €60,000. US market details have yet to be announced.

Show Press Release

2015 Audi Q7 - photo gallery