CARS.COM — Audi is expanding its engine offerings in its 2017 Q7 SUV, adding a turbocharged four-cylinder to its supercharged 3.0-liter V-6. The redesigned 2017 Q7 2.0T starts at $49,950, including a $950 destination charge. That’s around $725 more than the starting price of the outgoing 3.0-liter V-6 version, though Volkswagen’s luxury brand promises the new base Q7 is roomier, faster and more fuel-efficient than its predecessor, for which the most recent model year was 2015.
Related: 2017 Audi Q7: First Drive
The 2017 Q7 2.0T makes 252 horsepower and 273 pounds-feet of torque compared with the outgoing 2015 Q7 3.0T’s 280 hp and 295 pounds-feet of torque. Despite those lower outputs, Audi says the 2.0T — down nearly 500 pounds thanks in part to the use of lightweight aluminum — shaves a full half-second off its predecessor’s zero-to-60-mph time of 8.62 seconds while improving fuel efficiency by 22 percent over the supercharged 2015 version’s EPA rating of 16/22/18 mpg city/highway/combined.
All-wheel drive is again standard, and the eight-speed automatic transmission carries over. Available features include full-LED headlights, a premium Bose stereo system and Audi’s “virtual cockpit,” a 12.3-inch display that replaces the driver’s gauges and is intended to make viewing and navigating via large Google Maps images easier on the driver’s eyes. Advanced driver-assistance systems include auto emergency braking with pedestrian detection, which Audi says works up to 52 mph; adaptive cruise control with stop and go capabilities; and traffic-jam assist, which works up to 40 mph to accelerate, brake and guide the car in gridlock so the driver can relax.
While exterior dimensions have not changed significantly, Audi says the 2017 Q7’s cabin has improved passenger head, leg and shoulder room in the second and third rows. Seating for seven is again standard, and towing capacity is 4,400 pounds compared with the outgoing V-6 version’s 5,500.
Versus its 2017 competitors, the Q7 is the priciest, followed by the Acura MDX at nearly $45,000, the Infiniti QX60 around $44,000 and the Buick Enclave about $40,000. All prices include a destination charge.
