The facelifted, high-performance 2022 Audi SQ7 large SUV is set to touch down in Australia within days armed with a 373kW twin-turbo petrol V8 in place of the outgoing V8 TDI engine that has done service in the SQ7 since 2020.
Audi says the SQ7 TFSI will arrive imminently in Australia priced at $164,400 before on-road costs, while the related SQ8 also picks up the petrol V8 in May with a price of $169,600.
Audi has replaced the diesel V8 in the SQ7 with a petrol V8
The adoption of a petrol engine in the SQ7 has also seen an increase of $2023 over the outgoing diesel, following a recent increase of between $4000-4400 on the rest of the regular Q7 range due to a shortage of raw materials.
A quirk of the outgoing diesel SQ7 was that it was only a five-seater, while every other Q7 variant had three rows. That’s now been rectified, as the petrol SQ7 has seven seats.
Competing in the growing field of luxurious but rapid large SUVs, the SQ7 will face off against rivals like the BMW X7 M50i, Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 and even the new Lexus LX 600.
Thirstier but smoother petrol V8 inbound
The highlight change for the SQ7 is the switch to a 4.0-litre twin-turbo-petrol engine making 373 kW of power and 770 Nm of torque.
Compared to the outgoing diesel engine with the same displacement, aspiration and cylinder count, the petrol has 53kW more power but 130Nm less torque – however, it retains a braked towing capacity of 3500kg.
However, the biggest difference between the two engines is the fuel economy, with the petrol requiring 12.1L/100km compared to 7.6L/100km in the outgoing diesel.
The SQ7 retains its 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity
At current petrol prices of $2.30 or more, this means the gasoline-fed SQ7 is about $10 dearer to run for every 100km than the diesel that it replaces.
The SQ7 feeds its immense grunt to an eight-speed automatic and the quattro all-wheel-drive system that provides the ability to sprint from 0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds despite its circa two-tonne kerb weight.
Adaptive air suspension is fitted as standard on the SQ7 and those who want to trim their driving line even further can opt for the Dynamic Package which adds a more sporting rear differential 48-volt active roll bar system.
SQ7 specifications detailed
Audi has dressed the exterior of the SQ7 in the S package as standard, which adds a sportier grille, spoiler, front and rear bumper along with 22-inch wheels to complete the look.
Designers have dressed the front end of the SQ7 with redesigned headlights with a Matrix LED beam along with other exterior touches like roof rails and a panoramic sunroof to provide more light inside the cabin.
Audi has fitted heated and powered front seats with Valcona leather upholstery and ambient lighting found throughout the cabin.
The outgoing diesel V8 was notably better on fuel but the petrol has more power
A 10.1-inch touchscreen sits upfront with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto built-in which can feed music to the 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D Sound system.
The cabin features an additional 8.6-inch screen for vehicle functions and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster sits directly in front of the driver.
Driver assistance features like a 360-degree camera and adaptive cruise control are fitted as standard, along with lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic assistance and forwards and reversing AEB.
Audi Q7 2022: prices in Australia
All prices listed are before on-road costs.
- Q7 45 TDI: $109,100
- Q7 50 TDI: $120,300
- Q7 50 TDI S Line: $128,300
- Q7 55 TFSI S Line: $128,300
- SQ7 TFSI: $164,400