By Nick Syn

AUDI’S LATE BREAKING entry into the SUV market is set to make its world debut at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The Q7 will go head-to-head with kissing cousins the Volkswagen Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne, as well as with the new Mercedes-Benz M-Class and the BMW X5. It will have to also contend with a brand-new version of BMW’s immensely popular SUV when it’s released later this year.

The Q7 adopts all of Audi’s current styling cues, including the signature single-frame grille. While the car shares the basic platform that the Cayenne and Touareg both use, there are no visual cues, at least not from the outside, to link the Audi with the other two. The Q7 is also considerably longer than its rivals, a consequence of its seven-seater capacity, so it’s unlikely that it shares any exterior body panels at all.

As such, Audi’s designers have had the freedom to ensure that the Q7’s sills, shoulder- and roof-lines all describe more rakish angles. The wheel-arches are also prominently flared and house 18-inch alloys as standard, with 19- and 20-inch items being on the optional equipment list. To ensure its competitiveness, the Q7 brings a number of novel features to the luxury SUV market. It seats seven for one, with only the Land Rover Discovery 3 and Volvo XC90 currently having that ability. The Q7 also boasts a rear loading sill that can be electrically lowered to facilitate access to the boot, and Audi claims that luggage capacity with the rearmost seats stowed is the best in its class. At launch, the Q7 will be powered by a 4.2-litre direct injection V8, and although local engine options have yet to be decided, the line-up for Singapore should include a six-cylinder unit from the current Audi range.

Drive is transferred to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. Adaptive air suspension will also be offered as an option, as well as a lane-change warning system and a special optical / acoustic parking assistance feature. There’s also been no word yet, though, on when the Q7 will make it here.

AUDI’S QUATTRO DRIVING EXPERIENCE ROLLS INTO TOWN
Top-of-the-line V8 and W12 models used for driver training

IN CONJUNCTION WITH the 25th anniversary of Audi’s famed quattro permanent four-wheel drive technology, local distributor Premium Automobiles is organising a five-day driving event in Tuas which kicks off this weekend.

The quattro driving experience programme has been running successfully now for over 20 years. Although designed mainly to give customers a taste of what quattro-equipped cars are capable of, it also imparts crucial knowledge of how to deal with emergencies that can arise from everyday driving situations.

To date, over 200,000 participants have gone through the driving experience under the tutelage of Audi’s very own staff of professional driving instructors. The two instructors who will be on hand to coach local Audi customers are both highly experienced, champion rally drivers.

Ron Song, Premium Automobiles’ managing director said, “The Audi quattro experience will bring out the best in every driver through a series of challenging driving exercises.”

The cars used are top-of-the-line Audi A6 and A8 models. The V8-engined A6 develops 335bhp and the mammoth 6.0-litre W12 engine in the A8 pumps out 450bhp. “This is the first time we have had these award-winning cars in our market, so the experience will be truly memorable,” added Mr Song.