Test drive Audi Q7 V12 TDI: locomotive

There are people who always want the best, no matter the price. For them, Audi will prepare a vehicle with a unique twelve-cylinder diesel engine.

V12 lettering adorns the front fenders and rear lid. For many, this may be a reason for pride, but at the gas station, the author of these lines quickly came under verbal criticism. “You should be ashamed of this killer on the planet,” said the owner of an outdated Volvo, whose muffler also exemplifies the concept of carbon dioxide.

Green ambitions

A small number of expensive V12 cars are unlikely to cause as much damage to the climate - mainly because Audi's six-liter unit is more economical than any other engine in this power class. The average fuel consumption of the large SUV in the current test is only 14,8 liters per 100 kilometers, since at the moment it has the only 12-cylinder engine that works on the principle of Rudolf Diesel. If you consider the power of a huge unit as a reserve potential and engage in a relaxing ride at a low or medium pace, you can even reduce consumption to 11 liters. However, we do not need V12 for this... Chess with a pawn, some will say, and probably they will be right...

The engine is a pure test of technological extravagance. It deserves our attention even for this reason, although we may ask why Audi did not create a supercar in the tradition of Le Mans. It would have a top speed of 320 km/h, a fuel consumption of 11 l/100 km, and would have drawn much more applause than this huge dual-drive toy with a curb weight of almost 2,7 tons. Perhaps one of the reasons the company took the opposite approach is the love for full-size SUVs in wealthy Arab countries, whose inhabitants pitched their tents in the right place thousands of years ago - in the world's largest oil fields.

Two in One

The impressive twin-turbo diesel engine is a duplication of the familiar 3.0 TDI V6 and is the main reason the Audi engine has a 12 degree angle instead of the usual V60 angle between the 90 cylinders. The cylinder diameter and piston stroke are the same as those of the six-cylinder unit. Doubling the number of cylinders and displacement creates almost unrealistic performance - even at 3750 rpm, 500 hp is available. with., and at 2000 rpm earlier comes the peak torque of 1000 Nm. No, there is no mistake, let's write in words - a thousand newton meters ...

Unsurprisingly, the incredible power easily handles the weight of the Q7. With the throttle pressed against the bore, and despite the Quattro drivetrain and nearly 30 centimeter wide tires, the traction control monitors the torque metering closely. Many sports cars would envy the dynamic performance. Acceleration from rest to 100 km / h takes just 5,5 seconds, and to 200 in 21,5 seconds.

The limits of the impossible

The increase in the speed of the back of passengers continues even after reaching these values, and only at a speed of 250 km / h does the electronics signal "end". The limitation of the engine's capabilities is connected not only with the gentlemanly agreement of the German manufacturers to limit the maximum speed, but also to spare the tires. Otherwise, reaching even higher speeds would not be a problem in terms of road safety, at least in terms of sustainability. Then the car continues to move in a straight line without hesitation, and ceramic discs with a diameter of 42 cm on the front and 37 cm on the rear wheels do not withstand the maximum permissible load. At the tenth stop at full load, the Q7 nailed to the ground even a meter earlier than at the first.

The excess power available in any situation can be called pure luxury, and therefore we cannot get rid of the question of what its meaning is. With this engine, Audi shows us the limits of not only the technically possible, but also the impossible.

If you think of the V12 as relaxed as possible without acoustic accompaniment or with a virtuoso live performance, you will be unpleasantly surprised by the pioneer of diesel twelve-cylinder units. Even at idle, the unit emits a distinctly audible roar, like a powerful motor boat. At full load, a pronounced hum is heard, the level of which quickly drowns out conversations in the cabin. Acoustic measurements confirm this - at full throttle, a conventional Q7 V6 TDI generates a noise of 73 dB (A), in the top twelve-cylinder model, the units register 78 dB (A).

Naughty settings

Another one of our expectations was that with a maximum torque of 1000 Nm, gear shifting would be almost pointless. But since Audi engineers wanted to emphasize the car's sporty character, the automatic transmission settings are of a different opinion. Even light pressure on the accelerator pedal causes an instant downshift and deprives the driver of the pleasure of tackling all the tasks on the road in top gear. Another worrisome point is the constant shifting at low speeds, which is often accompanied by an annoying jolt. Test Q7, registered as a test machine, shows that the development is not over yet.

One thing, however, will not change. The V12 diesel engine is a solid metal block that puts an additional 3,0 kilograms on the front axle compared to the 207 TDI. The ease of driving that characterizes the Q7 in the full-size SUV class has diminished with the introduction of the V12. The model responds more slowly to commands from the steering wheel and requires more effort to turn it. All this affects the subjective sense of dynamics.

However, this does not affect road safety in any way. This model inspires great confidence in fast cornering, remains almost neutral and impresses with the flawlessness with which it handles tremendous power when driving on snowy surfaces. Luckily for your driver ...

text: Getz Layrer

a photo: Hans-Dieter Zeufert

Evaluation

Audi Q7 V12 TDI

Deploying the enormous power of the diesel engine is impressive, and the cost is not too high. Restless starting of the engine and its unsatisfactory interaction with the automatic transmission is a fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey.

technical details

Audi Q7 V12 TDI
Working volume	-
Power	500 k. From. at 3750 rpm
Maximum torque	-
Acceleration 0-100 km / h	5,5 with
Braking distances at a speed of 100 km / h	39 m
full speed	250 km / h
Average consumption fuel in the test	14,8 l
Base Price	286 810 levov