2020 Audi Q7 gets a bold new face and improved interior tech
It sure has been a busy final quarter for Audi with the luxury German marque unleashing a salvo of fresh metal upon our shores. And the latest in the Ingolstadt onslaught is the new 2020 Q7 that receives a host of interior and exterior tweaks to help keep it relevant.
Up front you will notice that this flagship SUV now sports a revised octagon-shaped “Singleframe” grille with six upright slats providing the structure. This standout feature is flanked by a pair of restyled headlamps that can be upgraded to feature Matrix LED technology. At the rear you'll find redesigned taillamp clusters linked by a chrome strip.
Those seeking a little more visual substance can opt for the sporty S line model variant that gains a raft of cosmetic upgrades including a blade in the front bumper, radiator grille in titanium black with vertical slats in aluminium sliver matte, underbody protection, a high gloss package, roof rails in aluminium and 20-inch alloy wheels.
The cabin has been upgraded and now comes standard with the same dual-screen infotainment system that's fitted to the Q8 and A6. Indeed, with old-school buttons and knobs relegated to the rubbish bin all of the car's major controls are now fully digital.
MMI navigation plus is standard and is boosted by an embedded SIM, a Wi-Fi hotspot, natural voice control and Audi connect. The latter gains you access to traffic information, point of interest search, navigation with Google Earth and live weather updates. Also standard is Audi's Virtual Cockpit Plus system and four-zone automatic air conditioning.
Under the bonnet things stay pretty much the same as they were before with only one engine derivative on offer. No matter because the creamy 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel in the Q7 45 TDI quattro delivers a handy 183kW and 600Nm worth of torque — good enough to sprint from 0-100km/h in a sprightly 6.9 seconds and reach a claimed top speed of 225km/h. Power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed tiptronic transmission.
One thing that has been upgraded on the hardware front is the chassis that now benefits from an enhanced all-wheel steer system that Audi says improves the car's handling dynamics. This can be mated to an optional adaptive air suspension system that provides variable ground clearance and prepares the Q7 with its standard quattro all-wheel drive for terrain off the beaten track. The relevant off-road mode can be selected via the standard Audi drive select dynamic handling system with its seven factory-set profiles.
As with other new Audi products customers can personalise their 2020 Q7 with three optional accessory packages. These include “Comfort,” “Black Styling” and “S line interior.”
The new Audi Q7 is now available for sale at all Audi dealerships in SA. Pricing is as follows:
Audi Q7 45 TDI quattro tiptronic: R 1,328,500
Audi Q7 45 TDI quattro S line tiptronic: R 1,388,500