Q7 Sport Utility to be Audis First 7-Occupant Vehicle

Larger Q7 Derived from VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne Architecture

If you were at last years Detroit auto show you may have seen Audis first SUV in concept form debut amid a Technicolor lightshow of LEDs, dubbed the Pikes Peak in commemoration of the brands success hill climbing the Colorado mountain road. It was a spectacular sight, almost upstaging the new sport utility.

The Volkswagen-owned brand unveiled the real McCoy in Paris yesterday, and in doing so gave the vehicle a new name, the Q7. The new Q designation is new to Audi, signifying a larger, bolder "quattro", the brand name Audi uses for all-wheel drive which is always written in lower case.

"The letter Q denotes a new type family within our company, alongside A, S and RS," commented Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the Audi AG board of management. The 7 not only denotes passenger volume, as the new SUV will be the first 7-occupant vehicle sold under the quad-ringed brand, but also indicates its position in between the A6 and A8 sedans.

Being that the Q7 is to be based on the same overall architecture as the Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, both 5-passenger SUVs, it begs speculation that 7-passenger versions of these vehicles may be forthcoming.

Like the Volkswagen, the Q7 will feature Audis 40-valve, dual-overhead cam, 4.2-liter V8 engine, which in the Touareg is tuned to deliver 310 horsepower and 302 lb-ft of torque. It only makes sense that the engines performance will increase in Audi trim, possibly similar to that in the A6 sedan, which in 2005 specification produces 335 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque.

Audi is not saying whether the introduction of the new Q7 will usher out the Audi allroad crossover wagon, derived from the A6 Avant sport wagon. While the two vehicles are extremely different in purpose, if sales of the older model decline dramatically as the new model is selling well the allroad would likely be discontinued.

There is also no information on optional powertrains however. The Touareg is offered with Audis 3.2-liter V6, coupled to the same sophisticated 6-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission that controls the V8, as well as an extremely powerful turbodiesel V10. Audi may choose to offer an upgraded V6, similarly to what Porsche has done with its entry Cayenne, but if it chose to also retail the diesel it would be the first application of the fuel efficient engine-type ever sold under the German nameplate in North America. Likely is a 12-cylinder Q7, also becoming available in the Touareg.

Will the Q7 be as capable off-road as the Touareg or Cayenne. Again, not much is mentioned, but most likely Audi wouldnt want to be shown up by Volkswagen.

In the end, Volkswagen group will have two luxury SUVs targeting much the same audience. It will be difficult for the premium brand to beat the Touaregs fit and finish by any significant margin, as it is not only one of the best SUVs on the market but also features greater luxury and improvements in switchgear and tactile quality than some more expensive Audi products, and therefore the Q7 may be left fighting for customers on performance gains, higher tech electronics features as well as the marques prestigious brand name. Audi will launch the new Q7, with the V8 at least, in early 2006.