Is the Audi SQ7 a sports car with that weight?
Colin Chapman, the father of Lotus, would have clutched his head if he saw an Audi SQ7. A sports car with such a weight?! And yet he is, he exists and drives great. How much does a road cruiser cost and how much is a real athlete? We checked.
There are many anecdotes about Colin Chapman. We all know the philosophy of Lotus - reducing weight instead of increasing power. “Adding power will make you faster on easy. Losing weight will make you faster everywhere,” he said.
And under the window is an Audi SQ7. With a weight of 2,5 tons, the colossus accelerates to 100 km / h in less than 5 seconds and has a power of 435 hp. This is an extreme case of antagonism to Chapman's words. The question is, was the engineer of the 7 Formula One Constructors' Prix right, or was the Audi design team right today? Will the SQ1 work anywhere but on the highway?
We won't know until we check.
How is it different from Q7?
The Audi SQ7 is no different from the well-equipped Q7. The S-line package, big rims... It's all there in the price list, even for versions with a weaker engine. In the SQ7, the air intakes, grille and door panels are made from aluminium. The fastest version also has four exhaust pipes.
Other than that, though, it's not noticeable at all. I mean lunges, but no more than any other Q7.
And inside? Even fewer differences. The analog clock version has gray dials, but in the era of the Audi Virtual Cockpit, many customers will not make use of this distinction. The carbon and aluminum decors from the Audi design selection are exclusive to the SQ7. However, the rest of the Audi SQ7 is no different from the Q7.
It is not right? Absolutely not. Audi Q7 is made at the highest level. It is difficult to find elements that are not pleasant to the touch. There is aluminum, wood, leather - what we like in premium cars. It's hard to find much difference in the SQ7 since the Q7's configuration options are so advanced, especially in the exclusive Audi program.
So the SQ7 is just a regular Q7, but... much faster. Enough?
Onboard power plant
Changing the engine, improving the brakes and suspension, and tweaking the transmission to make a faster car is not a philosophy. This straightforward approach does not always work, although it helps in 90% of cases. A simple suspension change or an engine map change is one thing, but tuning is also connected with everything. Audi, however, has gone beyond this template.
The 48-volt electrical system is an innovation. What for? It primarily feeds the electromechanical tilt stabilization system. In the middle of the stabilizer is an electric motor with a three-stage planetary gear, actively influencing the behavior of the car - applying the appropriate torque, which can even reach 1200 Nm. If comfort is a priority and we ride on uneven surfaces, the halves of the stabilizer are separated so that the body can sway and help dampen the bumps. However, if we care about sports, the stabilizer tubes will be connected and we will get a much faster response to steering movements and more reliable cornering.
This installation required placing another battery under the trunk floor. Its rated power is 470 Wh and the maximum power is 13 kW. The 48 volt unit is connected to a traditional 12 volt unit via a DC/DC converter, so that the load on the 12 volt unit and its battery is greatly reduced.
Fraud!
Audi SQ7 is a scammer. Turns better than a 5m car should. This is, of course, thanks to the rear swivel wheel system. This is where the sporty rear axle limited-slip differential and the aforementioned active anti-roll bars help in equal measure.
When you see the SQ7's performance on paper, you might think, "Oh, this is another car that can only drive in a straight line." Under the hood we find a 4-liter V8 diesel developing 435 hp. However, the torque is impressive, which is 900 Nm, and even more impressive is the rev range in which it is available - from 1000 to 3250 rpm. An 8-speed tiptronic is responsible for the choice of gears, of course, the torque is transmitted to both axles.
There are few cars that go from 1000 rpm. there would be such a moment. It goes to show that it's not very easy to achieve this - and it is, but Audi has managed it somehow. It used three turbochargers that work with the variable valve timing system AVS. The two compressors exchange tasks for less fuel consumption. With less load on the engine, only one turbine is running, but if you add a little gas, more valves will open, and turbine number two will accelerate. The third is powered by electricity and it is he who eliminates the effect of turbolag. This also required a 48-volt installation, first used in a production car.
The effect is phenomenal. In fact, there are no traces of a turbocharger here. The first 100 km/h is displayed on the instrument cluster after 4,8 seconds, the maximum speed is 250 km/h. And with all this, fuel consumption will average 7,2 l / 100 km. A very calm driver may come close to this result, but a calm driver will not buy such a car either. While you enjoy the dynamics, the average fuel consumption will be closer to 11 l/100 km.
Of course, you can feel a lot, but not as it seems. The SQ7 tends to change direction, and thanks to the ceramic brakes, it brakes very well and mimics a sports car very well. The impression is sporty, but the nature of the car does not allow us to call it a real athlete.
This is by no means a track car. However, it is also not just a road cruiser. Turns are not a problem for him. This is a comfortable car to cover thousands of kilometers with a smile on your face and a watch in your hand.
There are places to invest
We can buy an Audi SQ7 for PLN 427. The basic package includes white or black paint, 900-inch wheels, a dark interior with Alcantara upholstery and aluminum decors. The equipment is not poor, because we have MMI plus navigation as standard, but this is a premium class. Here we can easily buy a second such machine for the price of add-ons.
I am not kidding. I marked all possible options in the configurator. It was PLN 849.
colossal sprinter
Audi SQ7 will surprise you with its performance. Only the new generation of the superhatch can match it in terms of acceleration to 100 km / h - all front-wheel drive vehicles have no chance with it. To quote Chapman, there's no shortage of power here, and the weight is huge for a car with sporty aspirations. And yet it's not just a straight-line car. Thanks to an innovative approach to technology, it was possible to force the colossus to turn around and slow down. Such a lightweight Lotus would win with it everywhere, but it wouldn't carry 5 people on board, take all their luggage, and wouldn't deserve 4-zone air conditioning or a Bang & Olufsen sound system.
Are such machines necessary? Of course. Some people love SUVs for their versatility, and if you breathe a sporty spirit into them, they're hard to miss. Purists will take a look and return in awe of the undersized athletes who have proven their worth on the track. But there are those who will definitely be interested in SQ7.
