Audi SQ7 breaks cover at Geneva

The Q7 is only the second Audi SUV to get the S-badge. The first SQ7 is touted to be the most powerful diesel SUV on sale and has been unveiled by the German manufacturer at the Geneva Motor Show.

The SQ7 is essentially your regular Q7 but with more tech, performance and luxury. The SQ7 is powered by a 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 diesel engine that develops 435bhp of power and 900Nm of torque. But what is interesting here is that Audi has added an auxiliary electrically driven compressor to these sequential turbos to provide boost from the beginning of the rev-range. This eliminates the turbo-lag almost completely, providing the driver with the power and torque on tap right from the word go. The Audi valve lift system uses two valves for inlet as well as exhaust to optimise the airflow to the engine and exhaust flow at both lower and higher rpm.

To transfer the engine performance to the road surface you have an eight-speed automatic Tiptronic gearbox mated to the famed Quattro all-wheel-drive system. To rein in the rolling characteristics of the SUV, you have electronic body-roll stabilisation built into the adaptive suspension. You can also opt for the Dynamic package that adds a sports differential, all-wheel steering and an electro-mechanical stabiliser unit to further the car’s ride and handling across all surfaces.

On the inside, the luxury SUV can seat seven. Along with the four-zone climate control with vents for the last row, electrically operated panoramic sunroof and luxuries like power adjustable seats, auto-dimming mirrors, automatic and adaptive LED headlamps, rain-sensing wipers are all standard. The SQ7 gets the virtual cockpit paired with the advanced Audi MMI and 23-speaker audio setup. The SQ7 carries forward the safety net of the Q7 with added valour that includes anticipatory warning and emergency braking function amongst others.

India is a hot market for expensive luxury SUVs. Though performance is not on the top of our list, an expensive diesel SUV is certainly a hot favourite. With other German manufacturers bringing the AMGs and the Ms to India, we expect the SQ7 to land here with the SQ5 by 2017.