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Audi Q7 Gallery
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| PERFORMANCE RATING: |
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The 3.6 V6 FSI petrol engine is adequate, but could struggle a bit with a full complement of passengers and luggage. The 3.0 TDI diesel feels far stronger, especially mid-range, and is more than capable of cruising comfortably at highway speeds. Official performance figures are 134 mph and 0-60mph in 9.1 seconds; the 4.2 FSI is good for 154mph and 0-60mph in 7.4 seconds, but in most day-to-day driving, you might as well go with the more economical diesel, which is no poor substitute for the petrol V8 and should be more than sufficient to serve most needs. Expect more engine options later in the model-cycle: the V10 diesel, as in the Touareg, is unlikely to appear, but another larger, powerful diesel, probably eight-cylinder, could well come along. Don't expect the W12 petrol, either, but a more powerful version of the 4.2 FSI is probable at a later date.
The six-speed tiptronic transmission, with fully automatic and selectable sequential-shift modes, is one of the better gearboxes of its type; it's quick-acting, adapts fairly sharply to driving style and is generally smooth and subtle in its ratio-changes. There's a selectable sports mode, which gives later, faster upchanges; steering wheel-mounted paddle-shifts for the sequential shift mode are optional.
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