Audi Q7 40 TFSI

 

- Aniruddha Rangnekar

SINCE YOU’VE already glanced at the spec sheet you know this Q7 gets a petrol engine and you’ll be as surprised as we were that with a moderate 248bhp and 370Nm of torque from its turbocharged 2-litre four-cylinder engine, the Q7 40 TFSI (another confusing badge) manages to accelerate from standstill to 100 in a claimed time of under 7 seconds. That’s a more than respectable figure for a luxury SUV with three full rows of seats and all that weight. Over the diesel variant, the obvious thing to notice is the added refinement you get – on start up, at idle and when given the beans. It’s superbly quiet, so the first job of the petrol variant is taken care of, but then, even with the bigger diesel engine, the Q7 has always been a refined SUV. Despite the flattering figures, you do feel the effects of downsizing. There’s a slight hesitation as you get moving from standstill, even if it’s in regular traffic conditions. It’s not that the engine or gearbox aren’t ready. The fact remains that the small engine has a lot of car to move and while the turbo does start spooling quickly, you can feel that it’s working hard to haul the mass of the Q7. The good news is that once spooling bey