Interestingly enough, this Audi Q7 has the entry-level 218 HP 3.0 TDI engine, instead of the 272 PS one which will get this SUV to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 6.3 seconds.
With “just” 218 HP, the all-new Q7 is still surprisingly quick. It also makes due with 500 Nm (368 lb-ft) of peak torque, heading towards 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.4 seconds.
During the video, you’ll see the car being slotted into ‘Dynamic’ mode, after the driver was done playing around with the Virtual Cockpit, and then it’s pedal to the metal. The reason why we say the Q7 is quick when it comes to this engine is, well, by comparison to everyone else.
Let’s start with the BMW X5 xDrive25d. Its 2.0 liter turbodiesel unit is good for 218 PS and 450 Nm (331 lb-ft) of torque (same power, less torque) but it will only hit 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds. That’s nearly a full second slower than the Audi.
Next up, the Mercedes-Benz GLE 250 d 4MATIC with its 204 HP engine and 500 Nm (368 lb-ft) of torque. It hits the mark in 8.6 seconds – so 1.2 seconds slower than the Q7.
Believe it or not the Volvo XC90 D5 AWD actually comes closest at 7.8 seconds, with its 224 HP, 470 Nm (346 lb-ft) engine. The XC90 is also lighter than both the X5 and the GLE.
And finally, let’s throw the VW Touareg 3.0 TDI in the ring, the 262 PS version. That’s a lot more power than any of the previously mentioned SUVs, yet it’s what the Touareg needs in order to accelerate to 100 km/h as quickly as the Audi Q7.
So, in the tired words of Charlie Sheen, that’s how you do ‘Winning’.