CAR AND DRIVER BEST LUXURY SUV AWARD CAPS BIG YEAR FOR AUDI Q7

Car and Driver, one of the most prestigious and well-respected car magazines in the US, awarded the all-new Audi Q7, the fourringed brand’s seven-seater, as its Best Mid-Size Luxury SUV for 2017.

According to Car and Driver, choosing passenger comfort, luggage space, ground clearance, and three rows of seating that SUVs offer usually work against the driving dynamics that car enthusiasts yearn for—but not for the all-new Audi Q7. As Car and Driver said, the Q7 is “the one that best combines an ability to tackle practical jobs, be lively from behind the wheel, and boast luxury trimmings worthy of its price.”

The Q7 stands out among the crowd of family haulers as it offers sporty handling and superb driving dynamics, while still delivering on the virtues that make SUVs so popular with families—practicality, versatility, high ground clearance, and all-terrain capability.

Certainly, the Q7 does not stop there. This seven-seater offers a luxurious interior with premium leather and soft-touch materials, excellent fit and finish, a plush ride, and a refined and highly fuel-efficient 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine.

This 3.0-liter TDI diesel engine delivers 272 hp and 600 Nmof torque. Mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that courses power through all four wheels via Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive technology, the Q7 powers its way through with authority.

Car and Driver stressed that, “While there are other uppercrust SUVs that compare on paper with the Q7—touting yards of leather upholstery, open-pore or layered wood trim, satisfying switchgear, all the available active safety gear and tech goodies you can think of—none of them offer Audi’s Virtual Cockpit. This 12.3-inch instrument-binnacle-cum-infotainment-display is the kind of groundbreaking, configurable interface we’ve been waiting for since manufacturers started replacing analog gauges with TFT screens.”

This accolade caps off a successful year for the all-new Audi Q7, adding to the string of awards tucked under its belt for 2016. The all-new Q7 took home the Best Designed Interior Award at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. This recognition for excellence was given by EyesOn Design, which was founded in 1987 as an automotive exhibition judged exclusively by automotive designers.