The moment I started driving, the first thing that struck me was the level of refinement and the ride quality. Even in a super-luxury sedan you can’t hear the diesel motor but you can feel the vibration from the oil-burner; in the new Q7 even that does not come through. The ride quality is also on a par with the A8 but, at the same time, the car feels fleet-footed thanks to the weight loss of 325 kg. Incidentally, it is the only SUV in its class to weigh less than two tonnes.
On the motorway you are barely over 1,500 RPM and the 120-km/h speed limit warning starts flashing. When we started climbing up the Swiss Alps was when the fun started. With a slight nudge by the right foot the big SUV shoots forward with urgency. The mountain roads are narrow, single-lane ones with different types of corners. Even on the tight twisty roads the big SUV handled like a sports car. You can throw it around corners without a problem and it holds the line as if it is moving on rails.
The 10-year wait has been well worth it as the new Q7 has set a new benchmark in all the departments. I am sure that Audi will not over-price the big SUV and it will rake in big numbers worldwide for Audi.
