Audi's been on a drive to facelift or replace its entire model lineup over the last year and a bit, and now, that transformation is almost complete. Today, the luxury German automaker confirmed a third-generation Q7 SUV was to be imminently revealed, giving us our first look at the model that will no longer be the brand's largest vehicle. That's right, the Q7 will no longer be Audi's top dog, as the Q9 will take that honor when it's revealed late next month.But what does that mean for the Q7, and how will Audi position the three-row SUV now that there's something even bigger above it? S Line In The House CarBuzz/ValnetDespite being a single close-up photo of the Q7, what stands out is the traditional doorhandle, which puts to rest the idea that it would have flush door handles. We also see a new color for Audi, Alopias Blue Metallic. Alopias is the genus name for what are generally known as thresher sharks, so it's easy to see where Audi's inspiration for this hue came from.The teaser photo also shows an S Line badge, which wouldn't be a surprise trim level when the Q7 debuts. As for when that's happening, Audi says it will be at the start of the second half of the year, which is just a few weeks away.Aside from the S Line badge, traditional door handles, and traditional wing mirrors, the teaser doesn't give away much. But Audi's accompanying statement claims the SUV will "impresses with its sporty, powerful design, a highly versatile interior, first-class materials, user-centric technologies, and a wide spectrum of driving characteristics, from comfortable to dynamic." New Platform, Performance-Oriented SQ7 Expected We've seen plenty of camouflaged Q7s in spy shots, including an SQ7 Prototype, which featured flush doorhandles and a lot of disguising of the exterior lighting. One of Audi's design specialties is its lighting, so it's safe to say that it has been hiding the lighting for good reason. Judging by spy shots, there will be a light bar connecting the rear lamps, and at the front will be split Matrix LED headlamps, the full functionality of which is coming to the Q9 already.CarBuzz/Valnet It's also safe to assume that the third-generation Audi Q7 will use Audi's Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) platform, itself an evolution of the old MLB Evo architecture.What remains uncertain is the powertrains. Audi doesn't yet have a full range of hybrids, and we know the Q7 isn't going electric. Will this be the model to launch Audi's hybrid ambitions, or are we likely to see carryover V6 and possibly even V8 options in the SQ7? We've seen the Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid - which shares a platform with the Q7 - using a plug-in V8 to develop 729 horsepower, so we know it's possible. It just depends on whether Audi wants to step on Porsche's toes or not. CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters CarBuzz/Valnet Audi's flagship model might now be the Q9, but flagship models aren't the big selling vehicles in the fleet. Audi's Q5 is the bulk-selling vehicle for the brand, but the Q7 has been growing in popularity since it first launched. The first generation sold 550,000 units globally, with the second one currently standing at approximately 780,000. With the third generation now slotting between the Q5 and a true halo, it stands to be a real Goldilocks model for the brand if they can get it right.
