His slogan "Advancement through technology" was able to Audi not really substantiate for a long time. With the SQ7, the Ingolstadt-based company now wants to regain some of the lost terrain. In addition to a brand new 4,0 liter eight-cylinder biturbo diesel, the top model of the large SUV series also includes an electric compressor used for the first time in the industry. It draws its energy from a 48-volt electrical system, also unique in car construction. "It is a new way into the future," says Technical Project Manager Klaus Bugelnig.
What this “new way” does with the 2,3-ton SUV should be beyond the imagination of any “normal” driver. It is almost unbelievable how the SQ7 literally claws into the asphalt when stepping on the gas pedal and storms off as if the world was going to end behind it. Audi specifies less than five seconds for the sprint from zero to 100 km / h. That is Porsche Carrera level.
Much more impressive, however, are the intermediate sprints, the overtaking maneuvers on country roads and motorways. A matter of seconds. In no SUV are the occupants pressed into their seats more violently than in this Audi. And if you take a closer look at the technical background, you will quickly know where this concentrated power comes from. It is not so much the 435 hp that the 4.0-liter V8 develops in terms of power than its 900 Nm of torque. And to top it all off, the pistons exert this force on the crankshaft with a ridiculous 1000 revolutions. Never before has a mass-produced engine in a car achieved this at such a low speed.
There is also a reason behind this: Audi uses an electric compressor with a voltage of 48 volts, which accelerates to 70.000 revolutions in the blink of an eye, thus bridging the weak start-up of the first of the two turbochargers for about a second. "The turbo lag is a thing of the past," says Andreas Fröhlich from the engine development department.
As a result, the SQ7 customer experiences an immensely superior SUV, which in no traffic situation lacks even minimal performance. On the contrary, the eight-cylinder diesel - no other premium manufacturer currently offers such an engine - literally plays with the five-meter chunk from Bratislava, where Audi produces the SQ7. The fact that this driving pleasure according to the norm with only 7,2 liters and in everyday life with around ten liters of diesel (the consumption on our test drive) has to be rewarded testifies to the good efficiency of the high-tech V8. In the lower speed range and the "Dynamic" mode switched on, it sounds like an American eight-cylinder petrol engine. You can't believe your ears.
On top of that. The engineers also managed a very ingenious coordination of the steering (all-wheel steering as standard) and chassis, which make the SQ7 as handy as a Q5 and completely forget the high weight of the car. The normal air-sprung Q7 already offers a high level of comfort. In the top model there is also so-called electrical roll stabilization, which, like the compressor, is also connected to the 48-volt network. In milliseconds, servomotors on the stabilizers prevent the body from leaning to the side in fast corners. It works so well that you think you are sitting in a sports car, only higher, the Audi sweeps horizontally around the corner. "Roll stabilization does not require oil, is maintenance-free and environmentally friendly," says Albert Schlecht, chassis development. BMW uses this technology in the seven, but here with a voltage of only twelve volts. The Bentley Bentayga, technically related to the Audi Q7, also uses the 48-volt anti-roll technology. And we can be sure that they will also be in the next Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus and VW Touareg.
There has never been an S model from the Q7. "After the introduction of the SQ5, we are now transferring the concept to the Q7 series," says Stefan Knirsch, Audi Board Member for Technical Development. The boost of the electric compressor should not be confused with a mild hybrid, in which a belt generator mechanically transfers the power to the engine and thus supports the car when accelerating. However, Audi also has such drives in development.
The SQ7 is offered as a five- and seven-seater. The market launch is in summer. The price starts at 89.900 euros. Not a little. But Audi emphasizes that there would be a lot of extras on board as standard compared to the 3.0 TDI. The marketing strategists believe that around 50 percent of production will remain in Europe. A quarter is even said to go to the USA, despite the Volkswagen diesel scandal. But you want to wait until the smoke has cleared. The US launch is planned for the beginning of 2017. Audi had stopped selling diesel in America last November until further notice.
(Michael Specht / SP-X)