Audi is making big changes to the Q7 SUV and it's looking better than ever
The Q7 moves closer in look and feel to Audi's flagship Q8, including a new look and MMI Touch Response infotainment.
Audi's A7 is starting to feel a little long in the tooth, especially when compared to newer SUVs from the brand like the Q8. Audi's not dumb, so it's been cooking up a visual and technological refresh for its biggest family hauler, which it announced on Wednesday.
Aesthetically, the biggest change is to the front end. The Q7 now more closely resembles its more expensive but smaller sibling, the Q8. That front end is going to work its way across the whole of the Audi SUV range, whether you like it or not.
Next, the rest of the body manages to look more chiseled and refined. The Q7 has never really been the most handsome vehicle in its class, but it's now starting to get to a point where it can give the BMW X5/X7 and Porsche Cayenne a run for their money.
Among the more exciting tech upgrades is an electronic active roll stabilization system that can be had as an option. This is made possible thanks to a 48-volt mild hybrid system, similar to what's found on the Q8. Four-wheel steering is also an option, as is adaptive air suspension -- though that becomes standard equipment on seven-seater models.
Inside the cabin, things are typical Audi, which is to say gorgeous and well thought out. The Q7's interior looks an awful lot like the Q8, albeit roomier, according to Audi's press release. Materials look to also follow the typical Audi tradition of quality and frankly, it looks like a lovely place to spend time.
The big update to the Q7's cabin, of course, is the addition of Audi's new MMI Touch Response infotainment suite, which substitutes a pair of large touchscreens in place of the brand's longstanding multi-controller wheel.
We've been vocally reluctant when it comes to endorsing dual-screen systems, but Audi has done its homework, and this setup has worked well in applications like the A8 sedan and Q8. It's snappy, well organized and visually impressive enough that it won the 2019 Roadshow Shift Award for Cabin Tech of the Year.
Audi hasn't made mention of what the new Q7 will cost, or when we'll see it in dealer showrooms here in the US, but we know that it will go on sale in Europe in mid-September of 2019.
Update, June 27, 2019: Added more information regarding MMI Touch Response.