Audi Q7 e-tron Diesel-electric SUV assessed

Plug-in electric-diesel SUV finally makes it to the UK

Following the Audi Q7 e-tron’s UK launch last summer, customer deliveries of the car have been curiously delayed. Usefully so, if you went ahead and ordered Audi’s plug-in hybrid SUV – base price £66,510 – because by way of apology, you’ll have been offered a discount that largely mitigates its £11,000 premium over the non-hybrid model. The official line is that capacity constraints for components specific to the right-hand-drive version were to blame for the year-long hold-up.

Even without the financial sweetener, patient owners will probably take the view that late is better than never. This car’s torquerich all-wheel-drive powertrain is so unobtrusively supple that it’s as though the entire thing – electric motor upstream of an eight-speed torque-converter gearbox, 3.0-litre V6 diesel up front – uses only a handful of moving parts. Along with the solemn chic of the interior, the Q7 e-tron delivers on crowded British roads a cut-crystal tranquillity that will recalibrate your notion of refinement in the SUV segment.

The engine’s active mounts are partly to thank for this and the V6 itself flexes an effortless 443lb ft from just 1250rpm. Along with the electric motor, the e-tron delivers a total of 516lb ft. Apart from brakes that grab at low speeds because of the disjointed handover from regenerative braking to the real, hydraulic thing, this dual-source set-up is a graceful companion to the daily grind.

At five metres long and 2445kg (375kg of which is e-tron hardware), this Q7 is nothing other than a tank. And yet the heavily assisted but direct steering combined with the car’s electric surge means it never feels clumsy in town, where the optional adaptive air suspension almost makes speed bumps disappear. London’s rush hour, meanwhile – an environment many of these Congestion-charge-exempt cars will confront – yielded an electrical economy that equates to a range of 32 miles, given the 17.3kwh capacity of the battery pack, roughly aligning with the 34 miles Audi quotes.

The hybrid Q7 still feels flat-footed on challenging roads and its brief is undeniably narrow. Those who drive high mileages will be better off with the diesel-only model, but if you have the requisite lifestyle for an SUV that comes with a charging cable, the Q7 is well worth a look.