AUDI Q7 REVIEW | FIRST DRIVE

From around 2007 to 2015, the Audi Q7 reigned supreme in India.

- SYED SHIRAZ SHAH

Almost every celebrity had one, and every nouveau riche aspired for one. It was such a rage back then that I clearly remember a dear friend, working as a Senior Manager at Audi Noida, getting her chair transferred to Delhi because she just couldn't deal with the nouveau riche barging into the Noida showroom with emptied cement sacks filled with cash and asking for same day delivery of the Q7.

But then came the second generation of the Q7. It was a complete departure from the butch, imposing, and borderline angry demeanour of the first gen Audi flagship. The educated lot loved it, while others started looking elsewhere to compensate for their continually declining testosterone levels. Also, my friend moved back to Audi Noida and worked there for a few more years.

Fast forward to the present day and you won't find the Q7 topping anyone's priority list. Heck, forget topping, it's mostly not even in the list nowadays. Therefore, I spent 24 hours with it to understand whether it deserves this treatment by buyers in this segment or they're actually missing out on a great vehicle. Please note that unlike Audi's competitors who provide their press cars to me for a duration ranging between five to fifteen days, the good chaps at Audi India could spare a unit only for a shade over 24 hours. That's why you see the words "First Drive" in the heading. Generally, you'll see these two words in stories coming after the actual first drives (conducted by manufacturers immediately after a car's launch), but they're also used to tell the reader (or viewer in case of videos) that unlike a comprehensive review story that we compile after a week or two of rigorous testing, this story should be considered as a "first impression" that the reviewer had after sampling the vehicle for a short duration. That said, in most aspects, I shall still provide you more substantial information than those who keep the press cars for months for a review.