Bucket Seat: Audi Q7 55 TFSI Black Edition

Earlier this year Audi South Africa launched specific models to enhance their Q7 and Q8 range, I was there to attend it and drove around in some special models, namely the RSQ8 and the SQ7. Both of these cars powered by that 4.0L V8 but in different performance specs gave a good experience in terms of the versatility of that engine, though the journey was short it was still rather enjoyable as long as I didn't have to fit the bill for the fuel. So it got me thinking, which would be the perfect engine for a big SUV? I normally tend to sway for the diesel powered engines, seeing that it gives you longer range but when it comes to performance, you still can't be the petrol engines. Looking at the engine line-up, the 55 TFSI engine looked like the sweet spot but unfortunately I didn't get a chance to drive one at the launch but as lady luck would have it, Audi South Africa sent a Q7 packing this engine to Durban for me to test and this is how it went. 

DESIGN

The overall design of the Q7 still remains the same with some modifications to the front and rear bumper and making the grille more pronounced. The matrix LED headlights are the star of the show, both front and back and with the various designs for the daytime running lights, one can chance the look of the car whenever you feel like. The Black Edition treatment gives the Q7 a darker, more assertive look without becoming showy. Rear treatment is clean and horizontal, a good match for the large, three-row silhouette. The Black Edition typically adds gloss-black trim, larger wheel options and darker badges that suit buyers who want a sportier executive look rather than chrome-heavy bling. Local dealers list the Black Edition as a top visually distinct trim in the Q7 lineup and it includes quite a bit of extras as part of the package, so instead of individually specifying them when buying the car, the Black Edition package offers most of the practical extras at a discounted rate. 

PERFORMANCE

Now it was time to find out if the 55 TFSI V6 motor is the sweet spot from the line-up, the engine is a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 producing about 250 kW and 500 Nm, routed through a Tiptronic/automatic gearbox and Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive. That combination gives brisk real-world acceleration 0–100 km/h in roughly 5.6 s claimed and confident overtaking, traits that make long highway runs or hilly passes around the Cape or KwaZulu-Natal feel effortless. Fuel consumption is advertised in the high single-digit to low double-digits at around 9–10 L/100 km , so expect premium petrol bills if you drive it hard. The car has plenty power on demand and shifting through the various driving modes aids the cars agility and response time. The Q7 steers with predictable, composed weight and the adaptive air suspension giving a comfortable balance all while keeping the car composed in twisty passes, but when give an open highway, it really can deliver some grunt. The Black Edition’s sporty visual cues don’t translate into a hardcore ride; this is a fast, comfortable cruiser rather than a track tool. 

COMFORT

Like the Q8, the Q7 shares the same interior, while the interior quality is Audi-typical, that is high-grade materials, tight build, clear ergonomics and good insulation from road and wind noise, it's hard to ignore that it still has the old MMI user interface. The 7-seat layout is one of the Q7’s strongest selling points for South African families, the third row can seat adults for short trips and children for longer journeys, and the second row slides/tilts to aid access. Like all 7-seater SUV's, the luggage space with all seats up is limited, but folding the third row down gives you plenty of space to load. Comfort features you get in the Q7 are power front seats with memory, multi-zone climate control, high-quality leather or leather-look upholstery depending on options, and a generally quiet cabin that makes long Gauteng-to-Cape Town highway runs less fatiguing. The car has a generous amount of tech to showcase, such as dual touchscreen/virtual cockpit packaging: a digital instrument cluster  with Audi's virtual cockpit, a main infotainment screen with MMI touch response, and integrated connectivity features (navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto depending on spec). Driver assists include adaptive cruise, lane assist, front/rear parking sensors and a suite of active safety electronics — in short, a modern set that’ll help in heavy city traffic and long highway driving. Higher option packs or the Black Edition’s available packages can add premium audio, reverse camera and upgraded driver assistance. 

VERDICT

Overall the Q7 still remains a very attractive offering from the brand and the 55 TFSI engine provides plenty of power to lug this big frame around but did it answer my question of being the best engine for the Q7? It's a tough one because while the performance was on the money, one couldn't ignore that high fuel consumption. While the engine does have mild hybrid tech, it still remains quite a thirsty girl, so maybe it's worth considering the 4-cylinder derivatives if you're quite conscious on how many times you visit the fuel station. Other than that, it still is a beautiful SUV that is damn comfortable and dream to drive, despite its size it is easy to maneuver  and with the PDC and cameras to assist, not too difficult to park as well. 

SPECIFICATION

Engine	3.0L V6 Turbo Petrol
Gear Box	8-Speed Tip Tronic
Torque	500Nm
Power	250kW
Top Speed	250km/h electronically limited
Price	R1,968,592*

*Price as standard

 

Bucket Seat: Audi A3 Sedan 35 TFSI

Last year saw Audi launch a range of updated packages for their model line-ups to invigorate some new life into the current vehicles. These included the Urban Package and Black Edition. These upgrades were not limited to just cosmetic but saw some upgrade to the tech and other aspects of the cars as well. Not too long ago I got to spend time with the A3 Sedan 35 TFSI which was in the Black Edition trim line. These packages allow the consumer to go into a dealership, select the model and engine variant they want, and without having to go through the numerous options, just select Urban or Black, and these come pre-loaded with a variety of options that are not only practical but pretty cool as well. The most you have to do is choose a colour from their spectrum, the rest, Audi will do depending on your choice. 

DESIGN

The overall design of the A3 remains the same with some minor tweaks to the grille, headlights, tail lights and bumpers. The grille has more pronounced styling with a V pattern angling in towards the badge in the center. The Badges in the Black Edition are blacked out, the diffuser looks more aggressive with and angular side pod that is solid but with a grate like effect.  The profile of the car remains sleek, with the new choice of rims really giving the car a bolder look. The main eye catching feature of the rear is the flashy LED Matrix lights which look like a collective of triangles and along with the day-time running lights the front perform a "dance" when unlocking and locking the car. So I mention that the "Black Edition" has a host of pre-selected options for you, but what does it entail? Lets take a dive into it. 

• S line exterior and interior
• Black styling package with black rings
• Contour ambient lights
• leather/leatherette
• Sports Steering Wheel
• Sports package
• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Black mirrors

PERFORMANCE

Unfortunately, the Black Edition doesn't give you any engine or performance enhancements, yes, those blacked out rings don't add to the kilowatts but still, the 35 TFSI motor has a pretty potent punch with 110kW and 250Nm of torque, the tiptronic gearbox is a masterful tactician in delivery the appropriate power on demand for the car. Flicking through the various driving modes would give you a true taste of this, as its quicker change when driving in efficiency while holding the gears for longer on dynamic. Audi claim a combined fuel economy of 5.8L per 100km with this one, I was averaging around 6.5L which isn't too bad. The ride quality on the car was quite good, considering its riding on 18-inch rims with low profiles, the suspension was quite soft and not overtly stiff. 

COMFORT

The interior of the A3 has remained the same for most of it but there are some added details given to enhance the look. The doors receive a new diamond like pattern which integrates the ambient lighting to it. It's a small but very nice addition and looks very cool at night. Other than that, most of the interior is the same with dual climate control for the driver and front passenger, a wireless charging tray, two USB C ports in the front and back. The touch screen interface is easy to use and features Audi's latest MMI UI, The seats are sports style seats but are super comfy and have heating functionality as part of the Black Edition package. The infotainment has the usual settings and mobile apps built in with wireless connectivity. What I did appreciate though is the upgrade in the sound package with Audi now having a SONOS sound system option. This was brilliant in the car and honestly a great move from Audi to engage them for the media sound system. 

VERDICT

The Audi A3 remains my favourite car in this segment, the BMW 2 Series GC and Mercedes Benz A-Class don't hold a flame to this one in my opinion. It just feels like a more complete car and has amazing offerings compared to its rivals. The pricing is a bit high with this particular model being just shy of R900,000, but with what you getting in the car with the Black Edition package, it's most certainly worth it. 

SPECIFICATION

Engine	1.4L Turbo
Gear Box	Tiptronic
Torque	250Nm
Power	110kW
Fuel Economy	5.8L per 100km
Price	R849,500

Bucket Seat: Audi Q7 & Q8 Launch

This week I spent some time with Audi South Africa getting to know their updated Q7 and Q8 line-up, while some brands have a life-cycle update just once before changing the shape, Audi work a bit differently, having multiple, many might see this as a cheap cop-out from changing the design but others might see this as an improvement of something that already works. I'll admit, I always love seeing new designs but the changes that Audi bring to the party in most of their updates do get me excited and as I found out at the launch this week, the Q7 and Q8 line-up now comes with some really cool stuff that warrants excitement over. 

The Q7 was the first SUV to be launched by the brand, while they did offer all-road crossover vehicles, there was a need for them to compete in the segment with something of their own. The first generation did rather well and with Audi's Quattro technology which was adapted from their cars, it was an almost no brainer that it would pair nicely in something larger. As the generations moved on for the Q7, so did the evolution of the SUV segment, with the introduction of smaller to medium variants but the Q7 always remained the benchmark with advancements on it being passed down to the rest of the SUV line-up. 

Attending the launch helped me get a better insight into what Audi have done and to experience it for myself. The line-up has changed a bit with the Q7 offered in only a petrol engine but the Q8 having both a diesel and petrol option, moving over to the sporty  SQ7 and SQ8, they both share the same 4.0L V8 turbo petrol engine and the range topping RS Q8 has that throaty 4.0L V8 as well but has been tuned to the max. All engines come with mild hybrid technology to help with the fuel economy and the V8's when cruising around town will automatically switch off 4 cylinders when it feels it doesn't need all 8 to work. The cars apart from the RS version are available in two trims, that being Platinum and Black Edition with a range of new colours and textures to personalize your car, to your taste. There are some pricey exclusive options like certain paints which can go up-to R140,000! 

The tech in the car continues to amaze me, starting off with the matrix LED headlights which now allows you to customise the daytime running lights, which you can choose from 5-different options. They even added a cool light show as a party trick to make the car even cooler but also demonstrate the technology. Audi's MMI interface has gotten some slight tweaks to make things easy, and has the option to add favourite destinations for your GPS. Bang & Olefson 3D Premium sound is standard on both trim lines. The are some other cool party tricks with these cars, like the Remote park assist plus, which is done via the Audi mobile app, which allows the driver to park a car in a tight parking spot without being in the car. Simply scan the parking area for a suitable spot, hop off, stand in close proximity to the car and it will park itself, this feature also allows the car to come out of the said parking spot itself. 

Having listened to what is new, it was time to get behind the wheel, first up was the range topping RS Q8, which currently holds the record for the fastest SUV to go around the Nurburgring in its class. That is a massive achievement and it has Audi's most powerful combustion engine made to date to thank for that. The 4.0L TFSI V8 produces 471kW and 850Nm of torque, just mind blowing numbers and all of that is in this SUV. 0-100km/h takes just 3.6 seconds, and this was tested quite a few times as we did launch the car multiple times on our test drive. It was just too much fun. While the car is big and heavy, what I appreciated was the agile nature of the steering, this is thanks to the rear wheel steering which cuts down the turning circle by 1 meter. The large tyre adorned by those standard 23" rims clung onto the tar as I navigated my way down Franschhoek pass with the valley waking up to the sounds of that roaring V8, it's like a symphony to any petrol head but I think what caught most of the onlookers by surprise, is that they heard it first and then when they saw it, they didn't expect it to be an SUV hurtling down the pass. 

After stepping out of the RS Q8 driver seat, which was not easy, but I needed to eat dinner any make small talk with the rest of the people before getting some shut eye for the next day. Having experienced the full power of that V8, it was time to sample a toned down version of it in the SQ7. The more family orientated SUV now comes standard with 7-seats which fold down flat to give you a big luggage hold. The new grill in the black edition really gives this car a menacing look, and will intimidate anyone during a school run. The growl of the V8 sounded more aggressive in this one that the RS Q8 for some reason and even with the launch control, it was a lot more violent but in a good way. It certainly isn't an ordinary soccer moms van, that is for sure! While cruising on the freeway, I could feel the mild-hybrid tech in action as well as the car switching off those extra cylinders and when the need arised, livening them up again to propel us into warp speed. 

Overall, what I've seen from Audi during these two days has been extremely impressive and looking forward to getting some on slightly longer testing to see how they cope with the day-to-day activities. 

Pricing for the range is as follows:

Audi Q7 and SQ7:

• Q7 55 (3.0L Petrol) TSFI Quattro Platinum Edition - R1,958,000
• Q7 55 (3.0L Petrol) TFSI Quattro Black Edition - R1,987,900
• SQ7 55 (4.0L Petrol) TSFI Quattro - R2,540,500
• SQ7 55 (4.0L Petrol) TFSI Quattro Black Edition - R2,574,500

Audi Q8 and SQ8:

• Q8 45 TDI Platinum Edition - R1,968,700
• Q8 45 TDI Black Edition - R2,011,700
• Q8 55 TFSI Platinum Edition - R2,015,400
• Q8 55 TFSI Black Edition - R2,058,400
• SQ8 TFSI Quattro - R2,640,500
• SQ8 TFSI Black Edition - R2,675,500

Audi RS Q8 Performance R3,266,100