2015 Audi Q7: Official images & details revealed

Audi has officially revealed the details on the 2015 Q7. The 2nd generation Q7 weighs in at 1,995 kgs (diesel) making it 325 kgs lighter than the outgoing model. The petrol variant is a good 350 kgs lighter. Length x width x height x wheelbase dimensions come in at 5050 mm x 1970 mm x 1740 mm x 2990 mm. The new Q7's length is down by 37 mm while the width is reduced by 15 mm. On the inside, headroom is up by 41 mm & 23 mm in the first and second rows respectively.

The new Audi Q7 is coming to the European market with 3.0-litre V6 TDI & TFSI engines. The 3.0-litre TDI produces 268 bhp & 600 Nm of torque. With this engine the Q7 does the 0-100 km/h run in 6.3 seconds before hitting its top speed of 234 km/h.  A second variant of the 3.0-litre TDI that makes a lower 215 bhp and 500 Nm of torque will be added later.

The 3.0 TFSI produces 329 bhp and 440 Nm of torque. The petrol Q7 manages the 0-100 km/h sprint in 6.1 seconds & hits a top speed of 250 km/h. Audi will also offer an Asia & USA focused variant which uses a 2.0-litre TFSI unit. This engine makes 248 bhp and 370 Nm of torque

The highlight though, is the addition of the e-tron 3.0-litre diesel plug in hybrid. This variant produces 368 bhp and a peak torque of 700 Nm.

The new Q7 gets an eight-speed tiptronic automatic transmission that transfers the engine’s power to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. The Q7 will also be offered with an optional all wheel steer system that turns the rear wheels by as much as 5 degrees.

The features and options list includes a choice of xenon, LED or Matrix LED headlamps depending on the variant chosen, while higher variants get Audi's 'dynamic' turn signals in the taillights. The interiors feature a newly developed MMI all-in-touch control unit for the infotainment system. Displays are shown on a central monitor that rises up from the instrument panel when the system is started. Rear passengers get one or optionally two Audi tablets with 10.1 inch screens.

The Audi connect portfolio includes the “Apple Car Play” and “Google Android Auto” apps for smartphones. These can support navigation, missed call/appointment reminders and messaging functions. Third-party applications such as Pandora, Spotify and WhatsApp will be supported later. Music can be played through a Bose sound system with 3D sound or a more expensive Bang & Olufsen advanced sound system with 3D sound.

Available driver assistance and safety features include park assist, cruise control, rest recommendation, Audi pre sense, brake assist & cross traffic assist among others.

In Germany the Q7 will be available at a starting price of around 61,000 euros ( INR 47.62 Lakh approx).