2021 Audi SQ7 Review

　　

2021 Audi SQ7 Review

byReese CountsVehicle Test Editor

　　Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at zzdcar in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

　　The 2021 Audi SQ7 is a three-row luxury performance SUV. The Q7 was already one of our favorite luxury SUVs, and that capital S front of its name means it gets a whole host of performance upgrades. Most notable of the superhero upgrades is a 4.0-liter 500-horsepower turbocharged V8. Some design tweaks also help it stand out in a crowd.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Audi SQ7 Premium Plus 4dr SUV AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo gas/electric hybrid 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$267/mo  for SQ7 Premium Plus

　　SQ7 Premium Plus

　　Premium Plus 4dr SUV AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo gas/electric hybrid 8A) (Most Popular) - $85,000 MSRPPrestige 4dr SUV AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo gas/electric hybrid 8A) - $91,200 MSRP

　　vs

　　$229/mo

　　Avg. Large SUV

　　There are more and more performance variants of SUVs hitting the market each year, so the SQ7 has plenty of potential rivals. You might look at mainly two-row SUVs such as the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE and Porsche Cayenne, or you might go bigger with the BMW X7 or Mercedes GLS. Among them, the SQ7's mix of three rows of standard seating, 500 hp and relatively reasonable pricing is pretty appealing. Check out our Expert Rating to learn more and get our in-depth take on the 2021 SQ7.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.2

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.0/10

　　How does the SQ7 drive? You'd never guess by looking at the SQ7 that it could smoke your Supra off the line. But move it does, needing only 3.9 seconds to hit 60 mph from a standstill. That's quick by any measure, and it's becoming more of a common thread for these modern high-performance SUVs.

　　The SQ7 is no lightweight at 5,300 pounds, and you'll feel that weight if you try to hustle it through corners. But it moves respectably well and stops with confidence and grace. We like how accurate the steering is and its ability to relay when the front tires have exceeded their grip limits. When you're not in a hurry, the SQ7 delivers smooth and easy driving, with the exception of its stop-start system. Sometimes it cuts off the engine a beat too soon, leading to jerky stops, and then doesn't fire back up as smoothly as some other systems.

　　

Comfort

9.0/10

　　How comfortable is the SQ7? Despite its performance persuasion, the SQ7 delivers an abundance of everyday comfort. Credit goes largely to an excellently tuned air suspension. It manages to soak up road irregularities like a sponge without making the ride feel like Jell-O in the process. Our Prestige trim tester also included dual-pane windows that greatly reduced the ambient wind and surrounding noise. Thankfully, the growl of the 4.0-liter V8 engine is present when you want to hear it.

　　The SQ7 seats have excellent adjustability, providing hours of comfort on the road while offering the necessary lateral support to minimize side-to-side sloshing on a curvy road. Our tester's four-zone climate control was very effective, and the heated and ventilated front seats are significantly better than what BMW offers.

　　

Interior

8.0/10

　　How’s the interior? Audi's bold decision to go full touchscreen on its latest infotainment interface is controversial. Some of our experts found it distracting and easy to smudge, while others found it intuitive and uncluttered. We all agree the design is, at the very least, visually appealing.

　　The Q7's boxy greenhouse offers excellent outward visibility and plenty of room for passengers, as long as the third row is reserved for kid use only. Same goes for getting in and out; there's plenty of head clearance complemented by a relatively low step-in height, but access to the third row is cumbersome.

　　Further easing the stress of parking lots is the optional 360-degree camera system that provides a host of viewing angles for maneuvering in tight spots, including a 3D image as if you're looking at the car from outside.

　　

Technology

8.5/10

　　How’s the tech? The SQ7's infotainment interface is controversial, but you can't deny that the cabin tech looks fully modern and comes with plenty of features. We like that it supports wireless Apple CarPlay too. The upgraded Bang & Olufsen audio system sounds amazing, but it also costs a lot. We think the standard system should suit most buyers.

　　Audi's voice control system isn't as comprehensive as Mercedes' excellent MBUX system, but it's very good compared to most systems on the market. It will pull up an address or point of interest quickly, activate the driver's seat heater, or switch to a satellite radio station with ease.

　　Most driver aids are standard on the Prestige trim and well worth the money. We particularly like Audi's sharp 360-degree cameras that allow for multiple viewing angles, including one that looks at your vehicle from the outside.

　　

Storage

8.0/10

　　How’s the storage? Cargo capacity ranges from 14.2 cubic feet (behind the third row) to a max of 69.6 cubic feet with all rows folded — this would be about average for a standard three-row midsize SUV, but it's generous compared to other performance SUVs. The power-folding third-row seats are a nice touch and can fold in any second-row seat position. Interior storage is less impressive — the sizable door pockets are the best for stashing stuff.

　　A bit rare for the class are three sets of car seat anchors across the second row and two in the third row, providing some good options for child seat placement. Audi cites a 7,700-pound towing capacity for our SQ7 with the optional tow package, which is excellent.

　　

Fuel Economy

7.5/10

　　How’s the fuel economy? The SQ7 is EPA-estimated to return 17 mpg combined (15 city/21 highway). We achieved a promising 20.4 mpg on our 115-mile evaluation loop, which falls in line with those estimates. Considering the performance delivered by this V8, the fuel economy is pretty decent, matching that of the similarly sized SQ8 but besting mpg from the more powerful BMW X5 M and Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63 S.

　　

Value

7.5/10

　　Is the SQ7 a good value? It's harder to see value in vehicles at this price point because emotion will ultimately rule the day. That said, the SQ7 delivers quite a good bang for your buck. Build quality is top-notch and modern, which is typical Audi, but not at the expense of function or comfort. Ideally specced, our SQ7 would ring in at $96K, which is far less than some of the other offerings in this class. In other words, it feels well worth the cost of admission.

　　Audi's warranty is pretty typical with basic and powertrain coverage for four years/50,000 miles and roadside assistance covered for four years/unlimited miles.

　　

Wildcard

8.5/10

　　The SQ7 is no lightweight athlete, but it can still move around corners with surprising speed if you approach it with some finesse. The engine is surprisingly potent and makes wonderful noises, which is more than half of the fun. The optional sport package with torque vectoring and active roll control would make this a real party.

　　It's no secret that Audi pens some of the cleanest vehicle shapes in the industry. The SQ7 is beautiful, though it might be too subtle for some. It still scores high here for erring on the side of subtlety rather than exuberant flash.

　　

Which SQ7 does zzdcar recommend?

Of the two available trims, we suggest going with the base Premium Plus model. It comes with plenty of standard features such as an adaptive suspension, LED lighting and a premium audio system. We also recommend adding the optional Driver Assistance package since it includes must-have driver aids such as adaptive cruise control.

　　

2021 Audi SQ7 models

The 2021 Audi SQ7 offers two trim levels: Premium Plus and Prestige. Both are powered by a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine (500 horsepower, 568 lb-ft of torque) paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Performance between the two trims is identical; the Prestige just offers more standard features.

　　Premium Plus

　　Besides a handful of performance upgrades, the SQ7 includes even more standard features than the regular Q7. Highlights include:

　　21-inch wheels Upgraded brakes Adaptive air sport suspension Power-adjustable, heated front seats Heated steering wheel Leather upholstery Four-zone automatic climate control Power-adjustable steering wheel Digital gauge cluster display Two touchscreen infotainment displays with navigation Bang & Olufsen audio system 360-degree camera (gives you a top-down view of the SQ7 and its surroundings for tight parking situations) Automatic emergency braking (warns if a front impact is imminent and applies the brakes if the driver doesn't respond in time) Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)Prestige

　　This builds off the Premium Plus, adding:

　　Dual-pane acoustic glass for front and rear windows Power soft-closing doors (catch as they're being closed and gently pull shut) Intersection assist (issues warning at up to 18 mph if cross-traffic is detected) Ventilated front seats Heated rear seats Panoramic sunroof Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line onto the windshield) Traffic sign recognition Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane) Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the SQ7 and the car in front) with Traffic Jam AssistSome of the Prestige's extra features are available on the Premium Plus as options. Other key add-ons include:

　　Black Optic package (dark exterior accents with summer performance tires) Ventilated and massaging front seats Towing package (increases trailering capacity up to 7,700 pounds) Wi-Fi hotspot Sport package with active roll stabilization and sport differential (Prestige only) Upgraded 23-speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D Advanced Sound System (Prestige only)

　　

2021 SQ7 Highlights

Trim: Premium PlusPrestigePremium Plus

　　

Base MSRP	$85,000
Engine Type	Hybrid
Combined MPG	17 MPG
Cost to Drive	$267/month
Seating	7 seats
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles