DETROIT – Audi of America believes a strict weight-loss program for its Q7 model and a better-primed buyer base will help propel sales of the flagship CUV in 2015.
Unveiled at the auto show here, the refreshed Q7 sheds up to 716 lbs. (325 kg) depending on the specific model, improving handling, fuel efficiency and acceleration, the automaker says.
A big chunk of the weight reduction comes from the body-in-white, which uses more aluminum and high-strength steel. The doors, hood, rear hatch and front fenders also are made of lightweight aluminum.
In all, body structure weight has been lessened by 157 lbs. (71 kg), while chassis mass is cut more than 220 lbs. (100 kg), in part via application of aluminum and high-strength steel in the suspension and hollow cardan shafts in the front axle.
To further advance fuel economy, the Q7 will be offered with a plug-in diesel powertrain that will mate an electric motor, packaged with the car’s dual-clutch transmission, with Audi’s 3.0L V-6 turbodiesel.
The PHEV version will be able to travel up to 30 miles (50 km) in electric-only mode. Audi says it will be the first plug-in with standard all-wheel drive.
Proportions have changed slightly, with the model about 1.5 ins. (37 mm) shorter and 0.6 ins. (15 mm) narrower, with an additional 0.8 ins. (21 mm) added between the first and second row seats.
Exterior design is meant to be more masculine, with a single-frame grille with thick crossbars, steeply raked D-pillars and xenon or LED headlamps. Inside is Audi’s newest MMI system, with touchpad control and haptic feedback.
“Expectations are high,” Audi of America President Scott Keogh says of the new Q7. “It’s a big segment, (and) we’ve done quite well with the current-generation Q7.
“Last year, (U.S. sales rose) 15% despite being late in its lifecycle,” adds. “So if we were able to do that with gen one, we’re really excited by Q7 gen two.”
Keogh says Audi was a much less-established luxury brand in the U.S. when the Q7 was first launched in 2006.
“What Audi was then and what Audi is now as gen two arrives…,” he says. “If you look at where the brand strength is, the amount of customers we have in the marketplace, the strength of our dealers and their facilities, we really think we’re going to be able to leverage this car.”
Audi sold 18,517 Q7s in the U.S. in 2014, compared with 15,978 a year earlier. The new model will hit the U.S. market later this year.
