AUDISQ7 2024 - Present

　　Audi surprisingly introduced a second facelift for its flagship SUV model, the Q7, in January 2024, and that update also included the sportiest version of this vehicle, the SQ7.

　　When the German automaker introduced the second generation of the Q7 in 2015, customers expected a new generation to be unveiled in 2023. Moreover, in 2019, the four-rings brand unveiled the facelifted version of this model. Things were according to the plan and Audi’s habit of changing and refreshing vehicles in its lineup. Then, the pandemic started in 2020, and the sales plummeted, a situation that continued with an acute microchip shortage that lasted for a few years. As a result, the automaker considered that a second facelift should be good enough for its customers, but at least it didn’t keep them waiting for the most potent version of the car, the SQ7.

　　One of the most significant changes Audi made to the SQ7 was the vehicle’s front fascia. It received new headlights that sported upper LED daytime running lights instead of lower ones, like in the 2019 model year. As an option, customers could get the vehicle fitted with HD Matrix LED and laser lights that automatically activate at speeds above 70 kph (44 mph). Audi’s signature design element, the single-frame grille, was slightly reshaped and adorned by a wide honeycomb pattern. On the lower side of the bumper, the car manufacturer added side scoops that resembled arrows pointing toward the car’s center.

　　From its profile, the SQ7 boasted a different look than the rest of the range. It featured black door mirror caps and no chromed trims around the window line. Furthermore, the black side sills and unique wheels stood apart from the rest of the Q7’s range. Audi installed OLED taillights at the back for the first time in its flagship SUVs family, while the LED lamps were standard. Besides the SQ7 black badge on the tailgate, the top performer of the Q7 family featured wide exhausts mounted under the rear apron.

　　Inside, customers could enjoy the high-bolstered front seats sporting SQ7 logos embroidered on their seatbacks. Between the front occupants, the automaker installed a wide center stack that housed the gear shift and two cup holders. Audi focused on reducing physical buttons inside its vehicles. As a result, the HVAC control panel was a touchscreen placed at the bottom of the center stack, which, in turn, sported the MIB3 infotainment system. Fronting the driver was a digital instrument panel known as the Audi Virtual Cockpit that featured dedicated menus for the SQ7 sport-oriented driving modes.

　　Under its skin, the SQ7 had the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 gasoline engine that produced 507 PS (500 hp) as its predecessor. It sent its torque in all corners via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Unlike the rest of the 2024 Q7 range, the SQ7 came fitted as standard with all-wheel steering and wider brake calipers on both axles.

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