Audi Q7 4.2 TDI

[EXTRACT]#EANF# What‘s it? The newest iteration of Audi’s big-selling Q7 SUV. Anyone who believes big off-roaders are losing their appeal clearly hasn’t been following the impressive sales numbers being racked in the Q7. Launched little over a year ago now, sales of Ingolstadt’s boldly styled SUV have now surpassed the 88, 000 mark globally. So it’s little surprise that Audi has wasted short amount of time in setting about to ratchet in the Q7’s appeal even further. Inside a move that adds a further dimension to its already impressive credentials, the large seven-seater now has a strong 4. 2-litre V8 TDI engine previously reserved to the Audi A8. The twin-turbocharged unit complements the existing 3. 0-litre V6 TDI which has accounted for more than 90 per cent of Q7 sales inside the UK thus far. What’s it like? Having a solid 326bhp at 3750rpm, the 4. 2 TDI gives away just 24bhp to its 4. 2-litre petrol V8 sibling, itself reason sufficient to choose the new oil-burner over its petrol equivalent. Which may sound impressive but actually, you are able to forget the ability rating. It’s the new engine’s veritable mountain of torque that gives the 4. 2 TDI the edge. Having a whopping 560lb ft from 1800rpm through to 2800rpm, It‘s simply inside a class of their own for outright shove. The result‘s astounding performance for any car boasting a frontal area to rival your average two-bedroom house and weighing all 2450kg in seven-seat guise. With around 440lb ft available at idle, step-off from standstill is aggressive. The Q7 leaps from the line inside a manner totally at odds using its oversized dimensions in the slightest nudge from the throttle. Actually, the new V8 diesel produces such a lot torque the gearbox’s electronics are programmed to momentarily reduce it in first and second gears to guard the drivetrain. Once under way, acceleration builds rapidly. Audi figures place the 0-62mph sprint at just 6. 4sec, and once running the new Q7 at full tilt for the extended period with an autobahn heading from Munich, we will fully vouch to its claimed 147mph top speed. The sequential operation from the engine’s turbochargers ensures a smooth delivery with no discernible peaks and troughs while you push as much as the 4500rpm red line. And refinement is first rate : any engine noise is drowned out at motorway speeds from the wind roar created from the Q7’s enormous exterior mirrors and, upon the car we drove, its 295 / 40 ZR20 Continental Contact Cross tyres. The downside to all this is actually the new engine’s weight : a hefty 257kg placed during the front axle gives it a distinctly nose-heavy stance on winding roads. Should I buy one? It’s certainly a far better prospect compared to the V8 petrol. Keep it upon the straight and narrow and it really is a hugely desirable car that, by class standards, is satisfyingly economical having a combined consumption of 25. 4mpg. Greg Kable EXTRACT#EANF# Audi Q7 4. 2 TDI