A fleeting glance at the Audi Q7 is enough to instil fear into the hearts and minds of an entire platoon; this is a one big car. But the opportunity to test drive one for a whole week wasn’t exactly met with my usual levels of excitement and joy.
Ever since Ken Livingstone knocked up a wall of cameras around old London Town, and characters such as Greenpeace decided that anyone who uses anything other than a canoe to get about has an evolutionary status somewhere between a chimpanzee and Pete Docherty, I’ve resisted the urge to jump into any vehicle that’s likely to start a small revolution. Please don’t misunderstand me; I’m not pandering to the Liberal Elite, but ever since my mate Kev had his large BMW pelted with cream cakes while ignoring a crowd of enviro-protesters I’ve had to think hard about what I choose to drive. So, have the soap dodgers won the argument? Have I buckled for good under the pressure of the Green Lobby?
Not a chance.
The Audi Q7 is one of the most gorgeous pieces of engineering since Robert Stephenson knocked out his ingenious loco. From the moment you slide into the spacious driver’s seat, all the clues are there; this isn’t a mere car, it’s more of a country. It’s vast. Factor in the many add-ons available and there’s enough entertainment and dash-based discovery to keep you occupied for a millennium. And all of this before you’ve even started driving it.
The Q7 offers a choice of 4 engines. This one is the 3 litre TDI Quattro. Let’s first get the emission issue out of the way. Nowhere on the planet has a team of engineers worked harder to create an engine system that is both fast and efficient and compliant with the strictest of global requirement than the guys at Audi; this is a central tenet of their design philosophy. The TDI is equipped with an exhaust gas recirculation system that adheres strictly to the tough Euro 4 emissions requirements; you don’t reach those kinds of standards by sitting around all day clipping your toenails
The driving experience is everything you would expect from a Quattro but nothing you’d imagine from an SUV. Whilst retaining the awesome predatory looks of the kind of vehicle that would happily climb mountains, underneath the lid sits an engine that accelerates with all the smoothness of the calmest saloon. It was only while sitting at a red light (which was the exact point that I discovered my car had a TV in it – the welcome tones of Kay Burley on Sky News keeping me abreast of world events) that I fully appreciated the ping behind the pedal; if you’d attached the Q7 to a piece of industrial elastic and let it go, you might ijust get close to the experience and with a braking system that combines the crème of human ingenuity and cutting edge computer technology I have rarely felt safer in any vehicle.
It’s rare to test drive any SUV that is beyond criticism: I may have just found one in the Q7. From its austere good looks to it’s copious array of internal goodies, from the overwhelming feeling of both personal and driving safety to a boot that could host several sporting events simultaneously, the Q7 is sitting more than a little pretty. I have no idea why you would chose anything else within this price range.
As for the pie-throwing Greenites; educate yourselves. Go to a library, call an engineer, speak to a mechanic, or, controversial, I know, bother to have a chat with those who actually drive an SUV. The Audi Q7 is the Archbishop of the larger car market and driving one isn’t just a driving experience, it’s a way of life. Next time you see one of these beauties on the road, stop, take a deep breath and salute it; the Audi Q7 deserves nothing less.
www.audi.co.uk |
