Thursday, February 3, 2011

AUDI Q7.......................

Audi a full fledged luxury car maker from Germany, and a subsidiary of Volks Wagen company is setting new benchmarks in luxury segment cars, the sale of Audi India has gone up by a 44.78% in 2010 as compared to 2009.In this post we will be getting introduced to the luxury SUV from Audi the Q7, which its overwhelming success has helped Audi to receive this milestone.



The luxury SUV competes  against the likes of Mercedes Benz M class, BMW X5 and the rarely heard VolksWagen Touraeg.With the lowest price in its segment and the toughest looks, Q7 has been successful in winning the hearts of many Indians.


   The exterior of the car shows the ruggedness and the property of it being a SUV. With an overall length over 5 meters its the longest SUV in its segment.
The front end of the car looks very dynamic with the large traditional grille, with the integrated licence plate, the big AUDI symbol looks beutiful.The LED day time running lights and the LED turning indicators looks very stylish, so does the air scoop in the bumper.

The rear of the car looks more like station wagon rather than a SUV, the loading area is quite low which is more a utility than a SUV.The sharp LED tail lamps looks quite distinctive, along with the lights integrated into the bumper. The chrome tipped twin exhaust pipe looks good.

The interior comes with a lot of hi-tech features which are never found on a basic car. Starting with new interior lighting scheme.The new MMI(Multi Media Interface) offers variety of features like the music system, satellite navigation system, tuning up radio stations, a telephone directory, car security system, suspension settings, opening and closing of sunroof.It also offers car statistics which assist the driver without going to a garage, like tyre air pressure,battery level,average fuel consumption.In short MMI controls your car.The MMI has a 10GB hard disk for storage.The MMI browsing is done through circular knob provided behind the gear lever.A camera situated in the rear bumper shows the rear view of the car in the 7.2 inch screen,and with the assistance of front and rear parking sensors the parking of this long vehicle is easy.A ultra high definition BANG&OLUFSEN sound system with a 14 loud speakers and surround sound facility gives absolutely precise sound for enhanced hearing.The suspension has 4 mode of setting  for  comfortable ride & handling in any tarmac.The interior trims are available in aluminium and  wooden finish.Dual zone climate control AC is standard.


The material quality of the Q7 is undoubtedly has improved over previous version.The utilization of space in the car is practical Example:-AC vents have been placed in the door pillar.Second row passengers get screens to enjoy the movies.The car is a genuine 6 seater and their is a plenty of space for all 6 passengers.The flat folding seats of the car justifies that the car has a very flexible seating arrangement, flat folding seats also provides huge luggage bay.Big sunroof on the top the car is very aesthetically appealing, and it serves as a insulator for the heat as well. 



There are two engine options available in the Q7 both are powered by diesel, and includes common rail technology.The more popular is 2967cc V6 24 valve engine producing 236 BHP and 525NM of torque. With a maximum of 216 km/hr it has decent speed and can cruise on 140 km/hr effortlessly.  The sprint of 0-100 km/hr comes up in 8.5 sec so there is no lag for acceleration despite  its weight .The gearbox is a 8 speed transmission which is Triptronic. Triptronic transmission allows you to use the  transmission in a automatic as well as manual mode. QUATTRO  a technology patented by AUDI, is a permanent all wheel drive technology which powers all the four wheels at same time and every time,  so mileage is let down, but person buying a car which is costing Rs 60 lakh would really don't mind about the mileage.

The image clarifies the off road ability of Q7 , along with it being a luxury car which offers excellent comfort level.

Suspension is a high-tech adaptive air suspension system which uses air  instead of oil to reduce the shocks produce due to uneven roads and potholes.  It gives great ride quality along with superior off road handling.Their are 5 different setups for suspension mode for optimized performance.Automatic,comfort, dynamic, off load, lift.The dampers(shock absorbers) are infinitely variable and also there is ride height control, and precise loading level for easy loading of luggage. 

Safety features include all wheel disc brakes, electronic brake force distribution, a speed sensitive steering wheel which cuts the power steering at certain speed to avoid a collision if the driver falls asleep and turns the vehicle accidentally. Front and side curtain bags are standard for front and rear passengers.Overall safety is top class.


VERDICT:- At price of Rs 56 lakhs this car has good value for money and serves both the purpose as luxury car and a sports utility vehicle, but customs(IMPORT) duty increases the price massively and without duty the car price would be anything between 35-40 lakhs. Audi Q7 has been more popular as compared to BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz with the buyers, due to its competitive price and also the road presence of a big SUV.

Technical Specifications:-
MODEL
3.0 QUATTRO
4.2 QUATTRO
ENGINE
3.0L  V6 TDI COMMON RAIL
4.2L TDI V8 COMMON RAIL
MAX POWER(BHP)
236@4200rpm
335@4000rpm
MAXTORQUE(NM)
550@1750rpm
760@2000rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-SPEED TRIPTRONIC
8-SPEED TRIPTRONIC
TYRES
255/55 R18
255/55 R18
SUSPENSION
ADAPTIVE AIR SUSPENSION
ADAPTIVE AIR SUSPENSION
LxWxH
5089x1984x1797
5089x1984x1797
KERB WEIGHT
2325
2450
GROSS WEIGHT
3150
3275
TOP SPEED
218
240
0-100 KM/HR
8.4
6.5
FUEL TANK
100lts
100lts
TRUNK SPACE(APPROX)
775lts
775lts




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