The first generation of the Audi Q7 was launched in September 2005 as a 2006 model. It came late to the big SUV party, but it recovered fast.
While the first generation of the Mercedes-Benz ML was revealed in 1997 and the first BMW X5 appeared in 1999, the Q7 waited for a decade after the three-pointed-star SUV to show on the market. And they had the time to do it right.
The Q7 impressed with its design, reflected in the broad curve of the roofline and a high body surface in relation to the flat window area. It had a dynamic sweep of the front section and a sloped to the rear roofline. For the inside, the Q7 was available with no less than 28 seating configurations possible in the Q7 including a 7-seat option.
The interior comfort featured high-quality materials and great attention. It featured a standard Multi Media Interface for the infotainment system and, as an option, an Audi Music Interface allowed connectivity with an iPod or other MP3 players. At that time, it didn't have a USB port to directly stream the music from it.
The technical platform was tested before on the Volkswagen Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne. On the Q7 though it had some special modifications to allow bigger and more powerful engines. For the transmission, it featured a standard 6-speed automatic and an all-wheel-drive
quattro system with a Torsen center differential that sent the torque into a 40:60 percent, biased to the rear as in the RS4 model.
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