The new third-generation Audi Q7 and sporty SQ7 arrive in Q4.The Q7 gets a 2.9-liter V6 turbo making 429 hp, but the SQ7 gets a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 instead of the current model’s V6. The new V8 makes a mighty 591 horsepower(!).Pricing will be released closer to launch, but the current Q7 starts in the mid-$60,000s. Hard to believe it’s been 21 years since the first Audi Q7 debuted at what used to be the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2005. The second-gen Q7 bowed 11 years ago and, like many of its Hollywood owners, got two facelifts in the interim, in 2020 and 2024. The current Q7, the one in showrooms now, shares a Volkswagen Group MLB platform and chassis with some pretty heady company, the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne, and the Volkswagen Touareg. The Touareg was discontinued in the US in 2017, and you can buy a good used model for under $20k. But generally speaking, the Audi Q7 offers much of the same performance but perhaps less of the brand-label prestige of its platform-mates. You can spend over 400 grand on a Bentayga, for instance, while the current Q7 starts in the mid-$60,000 range. So it’s a good deal.We can assume it’ll continue to be a good deal when Audi parks the third-gen Q7 in showrooms later this year. The new car will ride on Audi’s new Premium Platform Combustion architecture, made for longitudinally mounted internal-combustion engines but also capable of accommodating hybrids and plug-in hybrids. So we can guess what’s coming for the Q.2027 Audi Q7/SQ7For now, the new base Q7 will come with a 2.9-liter V6 turbo making 429 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque, enough to move its 5,137 pounds from 0-60 mph in 4.8 sec. Step up to the SQ7—which you really should do—and you get a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 instead of the current model’s V6. The new 8 makes a mighty 591 hp and 590 lb-ft. With a curb weight of 5,467 pounds, that model is capable of 0-60 in 3.7 seconds, and it can even tow up to 7,700 pounds with the optional Audi tow package.Both engines are mated to an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic. All Q7s, and all Audis sold in the US, get quattro all-wheel drive. The setup is aimed at city driving on pavement, based on the wheel choices alone—the smallest wheels you can get are 20-inch five-arm aero designs with a bi-color finish, but that goes up to 23-inch stylin’ dubs (as the kids say) with multi-spoke S design and black metallic finish. Don’t take those into the rocks and dirt, please.Outside is what Audi calls the same “muscular design,” with the new single-frame front end (see photos), “muscular” wheel arches, upswept shoulder line, and sporty all-rounder silhouette.2027 Audi Q7/SQ7Audi is particularly proud of the exterior lighting: “Audi will offer matrix functionality to US owners for the first time ever with the launch of Q7 and its first-ever flagship SUV the Q9, which is coming later. Audi engineers developed a Digital Matrix LED headlight system with micro-LED technology that enhances visibility in the dark with more lighting for all, delivering the high performance of the adaptive systems already widely used in Europe for more than a decade.”Inside, you get a choice of six or seven seats, 2-2-2 or 2-3-2. Seven seats are the standard configuration, or you can get dual captain’s chairs in the second row. Entry to the third row is facilitated by Audi’s comfort entry feature that can be activated via buttons on the C-pilar or trunk or even through the MMI interface. Luggage space is 15.1 cu ft with all the seats up, 49.3 with third row flat, or up to 78.1 cu ft with both rear rows folded. The interior features all the screen width you could ever ask for, with screens galore from A-pillar to A-pillar. Audi wants to make sure you notice that the indirect lighting beneath the Audi MMI panoramic display and in the center console creates a floating effect for the Audi Digital Stage. You won’t get that in a Touareg. Also, Audi asks, please note that the new center console features expansive, wraparound decorative trim that “emphasizes the craftsmanship of premium inlays and open‑pore woods, contributing to an inviting ambiance.”2027 Audi Q7/SQ7There are also Qi2.2 charging pads at 25 watts each to charge two smartphones, while all three rows of seats have wired USB-C connectors, too. Look up and you’ll see the airy panoramic sunroof, the opacity of which you can adjust via a Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal. Under that, Bang & Olufsen premium sound system with 4D sound is available as a stand-alone option on SQ7 as well as Premium Plus and Prestige Q7.2027 Audi Q7/SQ7We haven’t driven one yet, but the Q7 offers three suspensions: steel springs “engineered to be even more comfortably riding than its predecessor;” adaptive air suspension with electronically controlled damping; and an optional adaptive air suspension sport on SQ7 models, which lowers the ride height by 1.2 inches (30 mm) and makes the SQ7 even sportier. Sounds like it’ll be nice to drive—sporty, even.The new Q will be available at dealers in the fourth quarter of 2026. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date. Remember, the current Q7 starts in the mid-$60,000 range, and there is no more Touareg. So the new Q should be the best deal for a full-size SUV on the PPC platform.
+72 others
