New hybrid Q7 unveiled

The silhouette is familiar, as is the famous designation. The Audi Q7 has been a tremendous success internationally since it first appeared, and this latest plug-in hybrid version promises to continue the model’s great success while adding to the brand’s electric offering at the same.

This is not the first time that the Audi Q7 has been offered with hybrid drive – the Audi Q7 e-tron demonstrating that even a large SUV was perfectly suited to the duel power option. The new Q7 TFSI e quattro, combines a 3.0-litre petrol engine, where the Q7 e-tron married an electric motor with a TDI power plant.

The Q7 TFSI e quattro will be available in two power levels, with a top-of-the-line Q7 60 TFSI e producing 335kW and 700Nm and the Q7 55 TFSI e version delivering 280kW and 600Nm. 

Both are based on the same combination of TFSI engine and electric motor, but power outputs differ in terms of their boost strategy. The system consists of a 3.0-litre, turbocharged V6 petrol engine outputting 250kW and 450Nm of torque, and a permanently excited synchronous motor (PSM), serves as the electric motor. The PSM, which delivers a peak output of 94kW and 350Nm of torque, is integrated in the housing of the eight-speed tiptronic. Together with the coupling, which connects the combustion engine to the drivetrain, it forms what is known as the hybrid module. 

The electric motor is fed by a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery that is positioned under the luggage compartment floor and provides an energy capacity of 17.3 kWh at a voltage of 308 volts. 

Its 168 prismatic cells are divided into 14 modules that lie on top of each other on two levels. The battery cooling system, which also covers the charger, forms a separate low-temperature circuit. If necessary, it can be connected to the coolant circuit for the air conditioning system or the second low-temperature circuit, which cools the electric motor and power electronics. It converts the direct current from the high-voltage battery (HV) into three-phase current to power the electric motor. During recuperation, the electric motor functions as an alternator and feeds direct current back to the lithium-ion battery. 

The eight-speed tiptronic transfers the forces of the two motors via the quattro drivetrain to all four wheels. The core of the quattro permanent all-wheel drive is a centre differential with purely mechanical regulation that distributes the torque between the front and rear axles at a ratio of 40:60 in normal driving operation. When required, it transfers the majority of it to the axle with the better traction. 

The Q7 60 TFSI e quattro accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds using both powerplants, to a top speed of 140km/h – and can reach 135km/h on purely electric propulsion alone.

The Q7 55 TFSI e quattro takes 5.9 seconds to reach 100km/h from standstill and both variants can achieve 43km of purely electric driving.

The SUV starts in fully electric ‘EV’ mode and at speeds of up to 20km/h a speaker in the right wheel arch emits a synthetic e-sound to warn pedestrians and cyclists in city traffic. The vehicle will remain in EV mode unless the driver hits the accelerator and then the petrol motor kicks in for greater acceleration as required.

The ‘Hybrid’ mode offers  both ‘Auto’ and ‘Hold’ where Auto uses the predictive operating strategy when route guidance is started in the standard MMI navigation plus. The battery charge is spread intelligently along the route, with large electric portions in the city and in stop-and-go traffic. In most cases, the TFSI engine accelerates the vehicle and the electric motor provides support as needed. 

In Hold, the battery’s existing state of charge is kept at the current level with just minimum fluctuations. This is done by recovering brake energy, by means of targeted interventions in the management of the 3.0 TFSI. 

The vehicle’s operating strategy plans the management of the drives and uses a variety of data, always with the aim of optimising ride comfort and reducing the energy consumption and CO2 emissions. 

In addition, in overrun mode, the Q7 TFSI e quattro can recover up to 25kW of power and feed it back to the lithium-ion battery and operated as an alternator, the electric motor performs all light and medium brake applications up to 0.3 g, with the hydraulic wheel brakes only activated in the case of heavier deceleration processes. 

In the Audi virtual cockpit and on the display of the standard operating system MMI touch response, the driver can view a variety of information on electric driving – power meter, range and the current energy flows of the two drive units. As the central display element, the power meter provides information on the maximum electric performance as well as coasting or braking recuperation. 

There is also the Audi drive select system which allows the driver to change the ride characteristics with up to seven different options on top of the EV soft key. Depending on the settings, the way in which the drives work together changes when the driver depresses the accelerator pedal – whether that be more sporty performance for the ‘dynamic’ setting or more leisurely and economical in ‘comfort’ for example.

The Audi Q7 60 TFSI e quattro features an S line exterior as standard with a full paint finish in the body colour and striking design details at the front and rear ends. The look is completed by the black styling package and the Matrix LED headlights. Red brake calipers sit behind 20-inch wheels and the adaptive air suspension provides a great range from taut handling to comfortable rolling. 

Inside it features the interior S line/S line sport package which includes sport seats with S line embossing, black headlining and aluminium inlays. When the doors are opened, LED lights in the door sills project the four rings onto the ground and most of these equipment features are also available for the Audi Q7 55 TFSI e quattro upon request. 

The new Q7 TFSI E quattro interfaces with the myAudi app, which allows customers to use the services from the Audi connect portfolio on their smartphones. They can also check the battery and range status, start charging processes, program the charge timer and view the charge and consumption statistics, while charging stations are listed in both the app and the vehicle’s navigation system. 

The myAudi app also allows ‘pre-entry climate control’,  so that you can preset the temperature inside the cabin remotely, so that when you’re ready for your next journey, the Q7 TFSI e quattro is fully charged and the interior just the way you like it when you get in. While the Q7 TFSI e quattro will begin to appear on European roads from early 2020, at time of writing, no decision had been made as to its Australian introduction.