2022 Audi Q7

The Q7’s wagon body received a minor makeover in 2020, which brought new LED lights front and rear, a crisper grille outline, and bigger 19-inch wheels. It pulls off a lithe look despite its massive stance. Maybe it’s the vertical grille slats or the low bumper, or the careful taper of the rear end; whatever choices were made to minimize its size and maximize its appeal, Audi chose correctly.

The interior defines the Q7 with lap-of-luxury goods like wood and leather. For modern panache, Audi smothers the dash with screens—the infotainment’s a two-touchscreen setup, with a third screen that displays gauges, mapping, and other ancillary data. Smartly, Audi limits the use of glossy piano-black plastic. That keeps the Q7 in more discreetly wealthy company, and will appear more appealing over time, we’re willing to bet.

How fast is the Audi Q7?

It’s brisk with any of the three available powertrains, but the most common one’s also the best blend of speed and composure. We give the Q7 an 8 for performance, with two points for its swiftness and one for its steady-state stability.

For efficiency’s sake, Audi offers a 248-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4 in the Q7, but only in lesser trims. Still fitted with standard all-wheel drive, the Q7 45 is no slouch; it can run and gun from 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds, by Audi’s watch. Top speed’s set at 130 mph. We’d be fine with it if the 335-hp 3.0-liter turbo-6 didn’t exist. With 369 lb-ft of torque, it speeds to 60 in 5.7 seconds and doesn’t use much more fuel in doing so. There’s some turbo lag, which Audi’s 8-speed automatic overcomes with shift paddles and sport-mode programming that keep the engine in the right part of the rev band. From a launch it skips a beat, but on highway passes the turbo-6 Q7 skips a few. It’s all the more impressive given the SUV’s hefty curb weight of 4,791 to 5,291 lb. We think it’s the best balance of power and value; it’s standard on Prestige-trim Q7s.

For top boost, the SQ7 stuffs a 500-hp 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 with 568 lb-ft of torque under the same hood. Scalding-quick, it’ll pounce on 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, and hurtle to a top speed of 155 mph. 

Even without the available adaptive air suspension, the Q7’s road manners throw off neutral gestures like the UN’s catering team. It corners in measured, flat responses, steering with weight (if not so much feedback), and uses its variable all-wheel-drive system to deliver torque to the grippy wheels. It’s fluent in corners, and with the air suspension (and big 19-inch wheels), fluid and calm at triple-digit speeds. Which is just what family-car drivers seek? We thought so.

If you’re into towing, the Q7 has you covered, too. Turbo-4 crossovers can pull 4,400 lb, while other models can tow up to 7,700 lb, with the right hitch.

Row two has a three-piece split seatback, which lets those passengers recline for better comfort. Three adults across will be friendlier before a trip than after, but with about 39 inches of leg room and plenty of head room, taller people fit fine in the middle outboard seats.

In the wayback, smaller people will be happy enough, but the 29.2 inches of leg room leave bigger people too cramped for comfort. The Q7 can hold up to seven passengers, but in that configuration it has just 14.2 cubic feet of cargo space. Power down the back row and it has more than 35 cubic feet of room; it maxes out behind the front seats at about 70 cubic feet, a few gym bags shy of vehicles like the Kia Telluride and Acura MDX. The Q7 meets them with exceptional build quality, but it’s a more sober and silent affair, with lots of low-gloss finishes and sound deadening to quiet the ride.

This year the Q7 gains standard rear side airbags, as well as active lane control with traffic jam assist. They join blind-spot monitors with rear cross-traffic alert, a driver-attention monitor, and automatic high beams. On the options list, the Q7 offers 

adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera system, and traffic sign recognition. 

Audi sells the Q7 in three trim levels: Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trims. We’d take the base $56,895 Q7 45 Premium, which comes with an immersive 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, as well as an 8.6-inch touchscreen that governs the climate controls. It’s a quick study, easily understood system save for the toggling between favorites and other infotainment modes. It also comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto—along with the Q7’s assortment of power features, leather upholstery, power heated front seats, power-fold third-row seats, 19-inch wheels, panoramic sunroof, and power tailgate. 

In the middle, the Q7 55 Premium runs $62,295 and the 55 Premium Plus costs $65,895.

How much is a fully loaded Audi Q7?

The $96,595 SQ7 Prestige pushes lots of buttons, and limits. The top-line Q7 comes with softer leather, an adaptive air suspension, premium audio and the most powerful powertrain.