Just for your "long love" test drive the new Audi Q7
International Online Car Channel News: In the eyes of many people, test drive editing has never been a "long-term" career, because there are always more perfect models to replace yesterday’s "favorite", but for the author, the Audi Q7 has always been one of the models that can touch the most luxurious feelings in the heart.
Just like at the end of 2015, the author who just entered the industry first came into contact with the luxury brand medium and large SUV. At that time, the dynamic and blue-painted second-generation Audi Q7 could be described as extremely stunning. Five years later, the author has been in contact with more than 100 test cars. At this time, I once again experienced the new Audi Q7 after the mid-term renovation. The enterprising attitude of this car seems to make people see the calmness and confidence after the experience of time.
Appearance: Five years of "experience" with more traces of "years"
Subjectively speaking, the design of the second-generation Audi Q7 released in 2015 was very successful. The younger design gave it a slightly "tender" "face", which was easier to "get close" and more "easy-going". But objectively speaking, the decline in sales shows that this design is still inappropriate for a large SUV of a luxury brand. After realizing this problem, the new Audi Q7 after the mid-term facelift has regained a little of its former calmness through obvious shape changes. What was also gratifying was that the change in temperament so far was like the natural traces of a "young" teenager after five years of "years" of experience. The original "easygoing" was still retained, but there was more calmness and confidence that made people feel more at ease.
The intake grille of the new Audi Q7 adopts a vertical bar design to make the front of the car look wider, and the grille also integrates multiple driving auxiliary feature sensors. Overall, whether it is visual effect or functionality, the new car makes people feel more at ease. The addition of dot matrix turn signals/daytime running lights increases the recognition of the new car, and the matrix LED laser headlights are also equipped with the function of high beam automatic avoidance of the vehicle in front.
The side shape of the new car has not changed significantly, and the convex wheel arch lines create the tough feeling of a hard-core off-road vehicle. The design of the double waist line enhances the sense of power. In terms of body size, the length, width and height of the new Audi Q7 are 5067mm, 1970mm, 1712mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 2999mm. Compared with competing models, the wheelbase of the new car has an advantage.
The rear of the new car has also undergone minor changes. The bottom of the rear bumper is painted with a gray matte coating, wrapping the false exhaust trim ports on both sides, adding a touch of sportiness. The taillights of the new Audi Q7 are more slender and stretched, and the interior of the taillights has also been redesigned to echo the comb-type headlights of the vertical bars. With chrome trim strips running through the rear of the car, the new car looks more delicate.
Interior: no longer "surprised" but still "amazed"
The through-air conditioner has a trend, a large area of paint trim, and three LCD screens appear in the form of "combination". When you see this Audi family-style interior design, I believe many people will no longer find the surprise at first sight. But when the lifting B & O stereo rises quietly with the seat, when the delicate touch of the punched skin comes from the D-shaped sports steering wheel and shift lever, and when the soft interior ambient light slightly illuminates the thick fur on the door, when you experience these ritual moments again, I believe that many people will once again, like the author, issue the same "wonder" as when they first saw it.
The size of the full LCD dashboard has reached 12.3 inches, and the functionality and ease of use in daily driving are still as good as ever. Common functions such as media, navigation, and phone can be operated through the dashboard and steering wheel buttons, increasing convenience.
The two central control screens connected to the LCD dashboard function build the core of the car’s technology sense. The upper 10.1-inch central control screen is equipped with Audi’s new-generation MMI touch response operating system. The bottom touch screen is mostly used as an air-conditioning control panel, but it also occasionally acts as a tablet and virtual keyboard. And the screen can perform continuous handwriting input, and the system will recognize when you enter the last word. The recognition speed is very fast and the recognition accuracy is maintained very high.
The experiencer is 175CM tall, sits in the driver’s seat and adjusts the sitting position. The wrist position is flush with the steering plate, there is still room for one punch in the head space, and the space between the legs and the bridge is also sufficient. In the best position to ensure the driver, the same experiencer moves to the second row, and there is still room for one punch in the head, and the legroom is more than two punches. Adjust the second row of seats to the front, and the same experiencer moves to the third row. At this time, the head space and leg space are slightly cramped, but it will not give people too much pressure. It is fully capable of meeting the full demand during short-distance driving.
Driving: Turbo’s drawbacks are compensated for by light mixing
The debate about the strength of turbocharging and mechanical supercharging has been going on for a long time. In terms of ride comfort, mechanical supercharging is more advantageous. In terms of data, turbocharging is better, but when it comes to cost, equipping with mechanical supercharging is often a more "kind" performance of the OEM. Therefore, the turbocharging equipped with the new Audi Q7 is also regarded by many people as a "reduction" to some extent. But when it comes to actual performance, if the turbocharging with better power performance solves the problem of ride comfort, why not? In this regard, the new Audi Q7 has come up with a 48V light hybrid power train to strive for perfection.
In terms of power system, the new Audi Q7 has a major change, that is, the previous 3.0L supercharged engine is replaced by a 3.0L turbocharged engine + 48V light hybrid system. The maximum output power of this power system is 250kW, the peak torque is 500N · m, and it is matched by an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The blessing of new technology makes the new Audi Q7 get a more delicate power texture, which leaves a deep impression.
This 3.0T engine has a full power reserve, and it can handle most of the driving operations in daily driving calmly. The leisurely bearing makes the driver feel confident. The accelerator pedal of the new Audi Q7 is adjusted just right, and it doesn’t feel too sensitive to press the accelerator lightly. After deep pressing, the transmission downshifts very quickly to provide the power you need.
The performance of the 48V light hybrid system on the test drive is impressive. Its appearance can well supplement the power delay of the turbocharged engine during instantaneous acceleration, and it can also play a role in energy saving and emission reduction to a certain extent. The new Audi Q7 has also made a lot of adjustments to the walking mechanism. The most direct feeling is the sense of communication brought by the steering, which adds a calmness to the delicate feel. The quietness performance of the new Audi Q7 is also excellent. The noise from different sources is well isolated by the compartment, so that the car can ensure the tranquility of the car in most use environments. The new Audi Q7 features a front and rear five-bar independent suspension and is equipped with an adaptive air suspension. When encountering large bumps, its performance is flexible and straightforward, making it feel very thick and solid.
Write at the end:
As said at the beginning of the article, the more models that many people come into contact with, the more difficult it is to have a "long love" for a car, but if there is a car that can win consumers’ love several times by constantly changing the model, then this car must have its outstanding features, just like this new Audi Q7. It has a more stable and confident appearance design, more up-to-date technology configuration, and more stable and comfortable driving texture. These are the new labels that this mid-term change has been given. This long-term and determined and enterprising model development trend is the reason why many people like this author have a "long love" for the Audi Q7. (Author: Liu Tuo)