[coolboy007]

Originally Posted by apurva512

Very interesting to note that the DSG seems to have been dropped in favour of the ZF even for the 3.0l engine.

Audi and VAG may have finally realized that using ZF's gearbox is far better than dealing with unreliable DSG's with their mechatronic woes. 8 speed ZF is a beautiful gearbox, ultra smooth shifts and does not hesitate to drop gears. There is a reason why it is being used by so many manufacturers.

[miharbe]

As GTO says this one's a lot softer in design than its predecessor which may hurt its image as it doesn't really carry forward the legacy and then becomes just another car in the stable. Make no mistake it does look great but somehow the XC90 really does set the benchmark in design!

Pricing seems alright when compared to the competition (GLS/E, X5, XC90). There was a time few years ago when the base 3.0 TDI could be had for around ~60 lacs OTR. However given the weight saving and performance of the new engine it would probably be an unfair comparison and a better one would be with the current 4.2 TDI. I have sat in that one and the acceleration is scary given the size of the car!

What's with those boring alloys especially given their similarity with the ones on the GLE! Its disappointing that we dont get the alloys from the pictures shared by Audi. I always wonder how much money these companies save whenever they give us detuned engines (not Q7 but referring to A Class, B Class, etc) or such poor alloys on their flagship models!

[venom_op]

Originally Posted by GTO

Starts where the GLE-Class ends, and ends where the GL-Class begins. The 6-cylinder Q7 Technology is priced about the same as the 4-cylinder XC90's highest variant.

In terms of styling though, it's a step behind its predecessor. One reason behind the Q7's success was the macho & imposing styling. The XC90 blows it away in the design department. Surprising - this is the only Audi whose styling I don't find appealing.

I agree. And personally, i find the new interior design theme that Audi has going on in this Q7 and the upcoming A4 pretty disappointing! I mean why have that faux AC vent design?! Looks so old school! Fortunately Merc is upping it's game!

In contrast i'm in love with the new interiors revealed for the 2016 E class! They remind me of the S Class from yesteryear!

[Shivank]

Originally Posted by apurva512

Very interesting to note that the DSG seems to have been dropped in favour of the ZF even for the 3.0l engine. They were using the ZF on the bigger diesels which produced torque in excess of what their DSG's could.

Don't think Audi ever offered the Q7 3.0 TDI with a DSG ever! There used to be a 6-speed Tiptronic that was offered earlier. After the facelift in 2009 or 2010, the Q7 got the new 8-speed 'box. I haven't heard Audi offering DSG in a Q7, ever, actually.

The 3.0 TDI in the A6 continues to come mated to a 7-speed DSG in international markets. In fact they have made DSG standard across the A6 range now. Even the new A4 comes with DSG as standard. Good move or not, only time will tell...

[apurva512]

Thanks for pointing it out. I didnt know that the Q7 came without the DSG. I am pretty sure the DSG was on offer even in the the Q5 3.0l. It comes as a relief to me as I am definitely partial to the DSG over the ZF. The ZF is a great gearbox no doubt, but you cant beat the smoothness and speed of the DSG upshifts.

Originally Posted by Shivank

Don't think Audi ever offered the Q7 3.0 TDI with a DSG ever! There used to be a 6-speed Tiptronic that was offered earlier. After the facelift in 2009 or 2010, the Q7 got the new 8-speed 'box. I haven't heard Audi offering DSG in a Q7, ever, actually.

The 3.0 TDI in the A6 continues to come mated to a 7-speed DSG in international markets. In fact they have made DSG standard across the A6 range now. Even the new A4 comes with DSG as standard. Good move or not, only time will tell...

[SUPERSPORT]

Sharing a few pics from the Audi Kochis Q7 launch held two weeks back at Ramada. Sorry for being late as I was too busy during this festive season. First impression is that the Q7 has lost a lot of muscle. Not just on looks but in real too. This ones 325 kgs lighter and it shows. New Q7 looks more like an estate version of the Q5. Not good for someone whos paying so much of a price for an SUV. In fact majority of the people who attended the event wasn't inspired by the looks. Build quality wise the doors felt a bit lighter than erstwhile Audis(lighter materials I suppose). Interiors are good. But still wasn't jaw dropping enough for me. Instrument cluster is a straight lift from the TT. Pop up screen has got good resolution but is small in size. Headlamps are all LEDs. Another highlighted feature of the Q7 is the 360 degree camera. Not a big fan of the fake AC vents on the dash. Third row seating is a joke. Suitable only for lil kids. And with the spare tyre on it reduces to just one seat. Alloys fails to grab your attention and are 19 inchers.

And in between I found that the hood release was broken and on the floor. Yes that too on a 1Cr SUV. What made me laugh though was that I have seen reviewers making a ruckus when they find something like this on cars having 1/10 of the price. Since this is a Q7 well they can pass it on as a 'one off event'. My friend is on the look out for an SUV in this price range and we might settle in for the XC90. XC90 has got looks, features, a lot better feeling interiors and finally is also a proper seven seater. Q7s positives are power, overall driving feel, badge, better reach of sevice centres and may be resale value. We weren't very impressed by the Q7. May be our priorities were different. The only negative I could find on the XC90 was the engine which didn't feel very powerful. Another thing to look out is resale as well as uncertainty about service quality. Experts in here please do give some pointers on what to look into between Q7 and the XC90. Now let the pics do the talking. The gorgeous TT too was on display grabbing a lot of eye balls from the Q7.

[dean5545]

With Audi testing the Q7 daily on the NH-8 I can safely say that I have seen the new Q7 more than the older one and I would just pass it off without even a second look. Even the humble Fortuner has more presence than the new Q7.
This one is more of a station wagon than a SUV.
P. S. With so much testing which was being done on the Q7 I would be surprised if the cars are prone to niggles. My rough estimate is around 50,000 km worth of testing just on Mumbai roads ie from andheri western express highway to virar and back.

[fre2bpowerless]

The technology pack is the one to get, matrix headlamps, digital speedo, etc. 5.50 over the base but prices might be revised as cars are not yet available.

Up close, the car looks great but lacks presence on road. Rear seat comfort is poor compared to the old Q7, no cabin seat option either.

[Fullrevs]

Have been seeing quite a few II gen Q7's going around town for what I feel are test drives for prospective buyers. Spotted one at Hebbal junction day before. I thought the new Q7 was a lot smaller in comparison to the previous generation. It is smaller but still has the 'girth' of the previous one. Quite attractive in dark blue. Hate the lower grey cladding of the white one.

[Aditya]

Mod Note: Our Audi Q7 Report has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!