Mario James, Gleaner Writer
The luxury SUV, the 2007 Audi Q7 is available in Jamaica from Motor Sales and Service on South Camp Road, Kingston. Prices range from $9 million to $12 million. - Contributed
The Audi Q7 is NOT a normal vehicle. This luxury SUV has a price tag of $9 million dollars and there are iterations of this vehicle that cost more than $12 million. Heady figures, those. Mansions can cost less if you build it yourself, and a mansion will appreciate in value as it ages.
Motor Sales & Service Company invited me to test drive this luxo-cruiser. Me, I'm not usually turned on by bells and whistles, but I was impressed before we left the lot. (Oh yeah, I could not drive solo. When some one plunks down over $9 million, there's got to be restraint!) You know that you're in a stellar vehicle when just exiting the lot gives stuff to scream about.
The Steering
The Q7 features Servotronic variable-ratio steering. This is not just power steering, it feels like the steering wheel has been to Oz and got a brain! With a weight of over 6400 pounds, even with power steering there had to be some compromise between road feel and steering agility, just to be able to turn it. I expected the steering to be either too light or too heavy to compensate for parking effort or excessive road feel while underway. But no. Puttering about at parking speeds, the steering feels like its way undergeared, say six turns lock to lock. It is wonderfully light - the steering belies the cars huge, butch image and feels like it could be handled by a three-year- old.
However, once under way, the tiller tightens up to the point that it feels positively meaty, like a race car. It's extremely communicative, and turning is so immediate and precise, it's like the front wheels are wired to the neurones in your brain. Changing lanes at 140 km/hr requires the merest flex of the wrist muscles. There is no body roll, no wallowing - the car just goes where you point it. No fuss, no drama.
Plush Interior
The occupants of this luxo-cruiser were first struck by the quietness of the car. Windows wound up, you might as well be in a room on one of the upper floors at the Waldorf Astoria.
Then there's the interior amenities: four climate zones, parking assist, seven seats, power everything. There is a towing hook around the rear, just in case the owner wants to use some of the Q7's 7000 pound towing capacity. But you won't find it, even if you look really hard. For it has to be deployed. Audi decided that the image of a Q7 gliding down the motorway with an obtrusive towing hook was just so pedestrian. So they brought it into being as a motorised accessory with its own button.
A six CD capacity changer is standard, along with a premium multi-speaker BOSE system. The user interface is intuitive and it has acceptable ergonomics. Wood everywhere, tasteful satin-finished inlays, front and side (curtain) airbags,and the most sumptuous, softest, scented leather that ever came off a cow, and so supportive bolstered seats. All this sits in a body shell that just screams 'Look at me, I'm a trillionaire!' Please don't buy this vehicle if you just want to blend in.
On the Road
For a three-ton vehicle, the land yacht analogy does not apply. On the highway from Harbour Street to the airport, the gas pedal was stomped on. When you hit the accelerator, make sure there's a lot of room in front, for this vehicle puts you in the foreground faster than a telephoto lens. The 60 mile-an-hour mark comes up in 9.1 0seconds. This might seem a bit tawdry, but there is a downside to all that weight.
From rest, the 3.0 litre common rail turbo diesel has a lot to work with, but once rolling, quite a few BMW's and sports cars will be given a good look at what Audi tail lights look like. There's some serious fun to be had with this chassis. The engine puts out 233 bhp, but more importantly, torque is 360 lb ft! This peak torque is available from 1750 rpm-2740 rpm. Well, all that technology gained from Audi's wins at the 24 hours of Le Mans had to go somewhere. The diesel that won last year's race seems to be residing, twixt the fenders of the Q7.
Then there's the ride. With all that mass, this SUV could coin the word 'coddled'. The interior is whisper quiet; the chassis unflappable. Road wrinkles aren't felt in this vehicle. The suspension up front has no less than eight control arms. I don't know how many there are around back, but I'm just used to four, at most. I've heard of a rear multilink, but the front? What this does, though is locate the tyre's contact patch so that it is in the ideal place for both traction and comfort. I think that the ride in this most capable of SUV's is the benchmark in its class.
