SUV excess means success
them is unlike anything seen on a production car before.
That’s because the ‘first’ turbo in the SQ7’S sequential set up is an electrically powered one that eschews the traditional exhaust gas-propelled method of spoolingup in favour of an electric motor that is powered by the SQ7’S 48-volt electrical subsystem.
Yes, again, you read that right: the SQ7 effectively has two electrical systems. There’s a traditional 12-volt setup that does all the usual tasks, as well as an auxiliary 48-volt system that handles all the heavy lifting required by the turbo and the active roll stabilisation system (more on that later).
With this 48-volt power boost behind it, the electric turbo can spool up to an incredible 75,000rpm in 0.3sec, eliminating turbo lag and making the engine’s full 900Nm available from under 1000rpm.
The second turbo in the lineup is referred to by Audi as the ‘active’ turbo and is constantly spinning. This takes over after the electric turbo has moved things off the line and by 2200rpm the third turbo (or the ‘passive’ turbo) has woken up to provide additional power further up in the rev range.
What this means in real life is ridiculous performance from such a large vehicle. The SQ7 can leap to 100kmh from a standstill in 4.9 seconds and a quick play at the Meremere drag strip in the Waikato during the launch saw a not-very-serious attempt at the quarter mile knocked off in 13 seconds. By way of comparison, the Audi R8 V10 Plus does it in 10.6 seconds.
Oh, and by the way, the R8 weighs around 800kg less than the the 2330kg SQ7.
But that doesn’t mean the SQ7 is all ferocious acceleration, because the vehicle’s sheer size tends to mask the savage effect of the powerful engine. Progress feels impressive, but refined and controlled from behind the wheel. It’s not until you see just how rapidly the traffic in your mirrors is disappearing that you realise how fast the SQ7 really is.
Available as an option locally is another impressive part of the SQ7’S 48-volt arsenal, the active roll stabilisation system.
Basically a pair of active antiroll bars on the front and rear suspension, the system packs an electric motor on each sway bar that can produce an immense 1200Nm of torque to keep the SQ7 flatter through a corner than anything so tall has a right to be.
Because the monitors run on an AC system, they can also reverse their behaviour on a straight piece of road to feed electricity back into the 48-volt lithium-ion battery.
Again, the result here is deeply impressive, with the SQ7 feeling bizarrely flat through corners. As a result of this, the ‘comfort’ mode can be considerably softer, meaning that pure luxury and superb ride comfort are also on offer. The active system comes as part off the optional Performance Package that also adds four-wheel steering, a trick sports differential and red brake callipers to the SQ7 for $16,000.
A luxury package is also available for $10,000 that adds ventilated and massaging front seats, brown leather, a grey headlining, a panoramic sunroof, power assisted doors and a heated steering wheel. Performance car owners, be warned. And be prepared to get left behind at the traffic lights by a 2.3-tonne SUV.