2016 Audi Q7 e-tron TDI PHEV quattro Preview

No guarantee it will arrive here but it sure looks like it will be the first Turbo Diesel PHEV offered in North America.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Dec. 12, 2014



2016 Audi Q7 e-tron TDI PHEV quattro – Pricing TBA - It will not be cheap, all-electric range (AER) of possibly 20 miles and an EPA probably north of 30/35 mpgUS city/highway.



The upcoming all-new Audi Q7 is set to make a big statement in North America. Not since the Mercury Meta-One Turbo Diesel Hybrid Concept shown almost 9-years ago have I been so encouraged about a vehicle that those considering a large SUV can soon purchase. Meaning much lower fuel consumption, all-electric for most local trips, and 40 + mpg highway results for many.



From the Audi release, they pulled 715 pounds from the current base non-hybrid platform while lowering the center of gravity for improved agility. The TDI engine by its lonesome is 26 percent more efficient than its predecessor as well. Considering the current 2015 Q7 TDI is EPA rated at 19/28/22 mpgUS city/highway/combined, the new Q7 TDI should come close to a homologated 24/35/28 mpgUS city/highway/combined before the HEV and PHEV drivetrain is considered.



2016 Audi Q7 Design Details



The Audi Singleframe grille features thicker crossbars. The Q7 will include standard Xenons or optional LED or Matrix LED headlamps. The new DRL LEDs are shaped like a double arrow. The taillights of the top trim will incorporate dynamic turn signals.









2016 Audi Q7 Exterior and Chassis Details

The Euro centric 2016 Audi Q7 TDI has a curb weight of 4,398 lbs. thanks to a lightweight, multi-material body and an all-new chassis.



The new Q7 is 16.6 ft. long, 6.5’ ft. wide, 5.7 ft. tall, has a 117.6” wheelbase and up to a 9.3” wheelbase. Despite the shorter and narrower footprint than its predecessor, the passenger and cargo volume have been increased.



The big SUV has a cd value of just 0.32 thanks in part to a complete underbody covering and a small spoiler in the area of the rear axle to reduce lift.



Lightweight construction has been applied in all areas, from the electrical system to the luggage compartment floor. The key is the body structure, where a new multi-material design reduces its weight by 156.5 lb.



The chassis is over 220 lbs. lighter thanks to new aluminum and high-strength steel components.



Ultra-high-strength parts made of hot-shaped steel form the backbone of the passenger cell. Aluminum castings, extruded sections and panels are used in the front and rear ends as well as the superstructure. They account for 41 percent of the body structure. Other parts made entirely of aluminum are the doors, which shave 52.9 lb of weight, the front fenders, the engine hood and the rear hatch. Audi uses new manufacturing methods for the production and assembly of the parts.



Three torsion rings reinforce the front end, the area of the C-pillars and the rear hatch cutout. These play a major role in the vastly improved static and dynamic stiffness of the body. The torsion rings are the foundation for the precise handling and superior vibrational comfort in the car’s interior.



Audi will be offering all-wheel steering that can reduce the big Q7s turning radius by up to one meter 3.3 ft. and provides faster steering response at higher speeds.



An optional adaptive air suspension can lower the body by as much as 1.2” on the highway and raise the Q7 up by 2.4” when off-road at low speeds.



2016 Audi Q7 Interior



Regarding the cabin, the driver is provided with all-new NVIDIA powered displays and occupants were provided more head, shoulder and knee room. Second row adjustable seatbacks and third row seating to carry as many as 7 passengers is standard. Those rear seat occupants better be small however.

A high-end option will include the Audi head-up display (HUD) that projects basic driver information onto the windshield.



Seating Utility - With the seats folded down, the seat backs are integrated into the cargo floor and can be raised or lowered electrically using rocker switches ergonomically located in the area of the C-pillars and in the cargo compartment.



To access the third row, the seats in the second row can be folded down and tipped up on edge as a compact package. Think of Nissan’s EZ Flex Seating System we reviewed in both the Pathfinder and Rogue for an idea as to how good it can be.



Roller blinds and dark “privacy” glazing is available for the rear windows. The panoramic glass sunroof – another option – makes the generous interior even brighter and airier.



With the third row seats upright, the new Q7 has a smallish cargo volume of 10.4 cu ft. and 27.2 cu ft. with the third row stowed. With the second and third row seats stowed, the Q7 provides 73.3 cu f of cargo volume.



A power rear hatch is standard. In combination with the advanced key, Audi also offers gesture control – kicking motion in the center below the rear hatch similar to Ford’s system and the hatch opens automatically. The same foot gesture can also be used to close the hatch again.



The new Audi Q7 interior includes two‑piece inlays available in a number of material combinations.



Wrap-around trim running from the doors through the instrument panel provides a unique interior appearance. The center console is oriented toward the driver. Besides the standard Audi high-quality finishes, there are a number of aluminum and wood variants from which to choose including Beaufort walnut. Audi offer a choice of fabric, Alcantara, robust Cricket leather and fine Valcona leather for the seat coverings.



Audi will offer three leather packages and two design selections. One elegant and one sporty design includes full leather with contrast stitching, Alcantara headlining, luxury velour floor mats plus exclusive color and material combinations and application strips.



LED ambient lighting is used exclusively. Ultra-narrow light guides follow the contours on the instrument panel and in the doors (including exit warning) as standard, and in an upgrade option they also include the center tunnel console. For the first time the lighting can be controlled via the MMI. In top trim, various colors can be selected.



All controls are framed in aluminum with fewer buttons being a highlight. Front seat choices include standard seats - I believe they are 10-way, standard seats with climate function, sport seats, sport seats with pneumatics and the custom contour seat. The design of the second and third row can be adapted to the variants chosen for the front seats.



The top of the line 18-way climate-controlled seats with an optional massage function with five different intensity levels. Yeah, that will be fun. ;)



A number of other options are available for making interactions with the big SUV practical and convenient: a power cargo compartment cover, power door closers and a heated windshield.



2016 Audi Q7 Trims



The new Audi Q7 arrives with 18” alloys with a number of rim and tire sizes up to 21” available.



In the base configuration, the bottom section of the bumpers and the wheel arches are anthracite, textured plastic. These are also available in the body color as an option. Borrowing from the bolt-on parts, the radiator grille is finished with a new, lightly structured paint that underscores the off-road character of the car.



The S line exterior sees the bumpers, the air inlets, the side sills, the roof spoiler and the diffuser feature a new design. The radiator grille and the slats in the lateral air intakes feature a newly developed, progressive, dark gray, high-gloss finish that replaces the familiar high-gloss black.



2016 Audi Q7 Drivetrain Details



The Full sized AWD engines will include yet another new 272 hp 3.0L TDI and 333 hp 3.0 TFSI allowing this monster to reach 60 in just 6 and 6.2 seconds respectively. That is quick for a full sized anything!



Europe will be receiving an efficiency model with a detuned 218 hp 3.0L V6 TDI featuring louvers between the Singleframe grille and the top section of the main radiator. The plastic slats open and – for better aerodynamics – close as necessary.



Audi stated a 252 hp and 273 lb-ft. of torque 2.0L TFSI is planned primarily for the U.S. at a later date.



So what about this Plug-in thingie? The Audi Q7 e‑tron Quattro will be launched shortly after the 3.0L TDI and TFSI and will be the first plug in hybrid from Audi with a turbo diesel engine.



The electric motor mated to the 8-speed AT and TDI combined for a total system output of 373 hp and 516.3 lb‑ft of torque. This should drive the comfortably appointed monster to 60 in under 6-seconds on electric power alone and approach 30/35 mpgUS city/highway rating when on the TDI. More with the hybrid drivetrain but any numbers would be a WAG.



The Q7 PHEV incorporates a useable 17.3 kWh Li-Ion enabling an NEDC rated 34.8 miles of AER or 20 to 25 miles when on the plug per the EPA.



A more modern variant of the current 8-speed handles the large power increases while increasing efficiency with the new free-wheeling function.



An all-new vaporization system enables the engine to run at extremely slow speeds below 1,000 rpm. Yes!!!! :D



Finally the Q7 PHEV will be the world’s first PHEV with a heat pump, which minimizes the energy requirement for heating and A/C without compromising customer comfort. Furthermore, the customer can preheat or precool the car via an app.



2016 Audi Q7 Infotainment Details

Infotainment did you say? Expect the AT&T 4G LTE onboard connection and latest Audi MMI driver assistance systems including an even larger haptic touchpad, and two new 3D sound systems from Bose and Bang & Olufsen. What is really cool however is the new Q7 will allow Apple’s CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone integration. There is nothing on the market that can compete with these two systems and Audi will be just behind Hyundai in releasing them to the public at large.



The optional MMI navigation plus is available with the Audi virtual cockpit and includes a 12.3-inch TFT display.



One or optionally two Audi tablets with 10.1 inch screens and a fine finish serve as rear seat monitors. A rear seat passenger can send a navigation destination to the MMI navigation via the rear seat Audi tablet. The passenger can also surf the Internet via the Wi-Fi connection. The use of the Android operating system in the Audi tablet and the availability of the Google Play store give the customer access to a huge number of applications, games, movies, music, eBooks and much more. The Audi tablet can be removed from its mount and used offline or on any external Wi-Fi network. The Audi tablet features a full HD camera, 32 GB of internal storage and an additional Bluetooth and NFC interface for connecting headphones, for example.



There is a lot more here including an even better natural speech algorithm to explore. I will add to this when we get some time behind the wheel sometime late next year.



2016 Audi Q7 Safety Details



Driver Assistance and Safety functions will include what I consider to be the best in the business adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assistant. No other production vehicle in the world currently offers a better system in my experience to date.



Standard in the Q7 will include the rear view camera, adjustable speed limiter, rest recommendation and the safety system Audi pre sense city. At city speeds it warns the driver of impending collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians and will initiate heavy braking in an emergency.



If the collision is inevitable, the multicollision brake assist system uses controlled braking maneuvers during the accident to aid the driver. This can help to prevent the car from skidding and thus additional collisions.



An optional “Audi pre sense basic” initiates preventive protective measures for the occupants in instable driving states, such as tightening of the front seat belts.



Optional solutions - “Parking”, “City” and “Tour” - includes a surround view camera system and the park assist system, cross-traffic assist, exit warning system and trailer assistant.



The “City” cross-traffic assist warns the driver of other vehicles when driving slowly in reverse, such as when pulling out from a perpendicular parking spot. The exit warning system indicates vehicles or cyclists approaching from the rear before the door is opened.



The all-new “Tour” package includes adaptive cruise control can take over the steering, braking and acceleration on congested highways below 37 mph. Not sure how the steering function works just yet?



Active lane assist uses a camera and small steering interventions to keep the driver between the lane markers. Audi pre sense front warns of an impending rear-end collision with the vehicle ahead, tensions the belts and brakes the car autonomously, if necessary. It does both of these things in multiple stages.



A predictive efficiency assistant uses the route data from the navigation system to alert the driver of situations in which it would make sense to reduce speed, such as before curves, towns or speed limit signs that are not yet visible. In collaboration with adaptive cruise control (ACC) and traffic sign recognition, the system adapts the preselected speed to the route and the speed limits.



Also available as an option is the night vision assistant. It uses an infrared camera to detect pedestrians and larger wild animals at long distances in the dark and issues appropriate warnings. The camera-based traffic sign recognition system rounds out the spectrum.

2016 Audo e-tron TDI PHEV quattro





No compromise power and efficiency for the future of the SUV.

Audi will introduce the all-new 2016 Audi Q7 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in just two weeks.

2016 Audi Q7 e-tron TDI PHEV quattro Preview