On luxury and power

OF 50 OF THE PRE- ORDERED SUVS

“We will be halfway to that number by Christmas — that shows how confident we are in the vehicle,” he said.

The newly developed 4- litre eight- cylinder diesel engine generates 320kW of power and a maximum 900Nm of torque between 1000 and 3250 rpm. Engine output is bolstered by two turbochargers and an electric powered compressor ( EPC) that provides the engine with dynamic boost pressure in less than 250 milliseconds.

In other words, there are effectively three turbos operating sequentially, delivering the power almost instantly and yet smoothly through the rev range.

Audi engineers have delivered the immense amount of power while also achieving astounding economy for a V8 model. The SQ7 consumes just 7.2 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres travelled.

Even with off- road standing starts and slalom runs, we achieved close to this figure during the demonstration run, even while the vehicle was in “dynamic” driving mode most of the drive. AUDI NEW ZEALAND WAS BULLISH ABOUT THE PROSPECTS FOR THE SQ7, AIMING TO SELL ABOUT 100 OF THE VEHICLES IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.

Handling is good in the standard SQ7, especially for such a large SUV.

But for an additional $ 16,000 about 40 per cent of New Zealand buyers are opting to include the Performance Package on their vehicles.

This includes all- wheel steering, a sports differential, and an electromechanical active roll stablisation system, all of which improve what is already an excellent driving proposition in standard mode.

The package helps flatten the ride even further, and helps ensure the 5.07m- long vehicle handles corners without unduly disturbing the ride.

It was clear when driving through a slalom at Meremere that the system keeps the vehicle flat