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2017 Audi Q7 Second Drive

One morning, I'm driving down the Malibu coast, top-down in a two-seat sports car. Twelve hours later, I'm on a straight road, in traffic, and piloting a seven-seat SUV. I think this is how new parents feel. There's no other word but "parental" to describe how three-row crossovers, like this 2017 Audi Q7, make me feel. Whether it was the Honda Pilot that was actually kind of tossable, or the plush Kia Sorento, one glance in the rear-view mirror at five headrests makes you wonder if someone isn't waiting for you outside an elementary school. The Q7, however, has always been a luxury car first. And this second-generation model is crammed with technology and convenience features to make life more effortless, as if it was designed for a person who lives in Bel Air but also must take the kids to horse-riding lessons on the one weekend it rains in Southern California. Autoblog already tested a European example, but I'm now getting the chance to finally drive it Stateside. When it comes to the Q7's appearance, I always seem to have a minority opinion. The old one looked like a bus when plenty of people said it looked beautiful. This new one has been widely criticized for looking like a wagon, but I don't see a lot wrong here. At some angles, it's reminiscent of the old 5000 Avants from the '80s – probably not a coincidence, since the Q7 is Audi's most prestigious wagon right now. Even Audi admits it pulled from the '80s with styling cues along the rear quarter panels and the ever-larger "Quattro" badges. While the shape grows on you, it isn't going to stop people seeing it and thinking it's a Q5. The new Audi Q7 has an incredible sense of elegance about it. The most ambitious design touches are the arrows in the LED lights, front and rear, but they're ultimately dwarfed by the size of the car. What's more, the string of white, silver, and gray cars on hand at our test aren't exactly striking, and the optional 20-inch wheels are boring in design. You could also call this "quiet luxury." Or perhaps stately. The new Audi Q7 has an incredible sense of elegance about it, never feeling ponderous like a truck and always feeling secure like a large luxury sedan. As the first application of the Volkswagen Group's MLB Evo platform, it really is a large luxury wagon. Which is the exact image the company seems to be running from.

US diesel model count to double for 2014?

While diesel cars are popular on most other continents, these less-complex alternative to hybrid-electric vehicles have yet to gain major traction in the US. As an increasing number of light cars and trucks start to offer these fuel-efficient engines, though, sales are expected to climb as well. While BMW, Mercedes-Benz and the Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche) continue to lead the way, more non-German automakers like Mazda, Nissan, Chrysler and General Motors are starting to get serious about diesel in America.
TheDetroitBureau.com reports that the 2014 model year will see the number of diesel vehicles offered in the US double to about 40 nameplates, but the news gets even better for fans of these torquey and efficient powerplants. LMC Automotive has released data about future expectations of diesel cars in the US, and it predicts that sales should be very close to one million units in 2015 (up from an expected 600,000 units this year). By 2018, LMC's calculations suggest that sales will more than double from this year's expected totals accounting for almost 8 percent of new light-vehicle sales.

2018 Audi SQ5 will use 48-volt electric supercharger

It seems like 48-volt electric systems and electric compressors are becoming relatively mainstream, and Audi will be adding another vehicle powered by this emerging technology in 2017, according to comments Audi powertrain chief Oliver Hoffman made to Autocar. Hoffman said the upcoming SQ5, probably a 2018-model-year vehicle, will use a version of the electric compressor technology that debuted on the SQ7. While the SQ7 uses two gas-driven turbochargers and one electric compressor, the SQ5 will likely only use one conventional turbo and one e-compressor. That should allow it to make 365 hp, but 390 hp is possible from the system and may hint at room for a more powerful SQ5 Plus down the road. Remember, the European SQ5 uses a 3.0-liter TDI engine, and that's the same basic engine that will power the new SQ5 with the addition of the new forced induction system and 48-volt electrics. And also remember that the US-market SQ5 uses a supercharged 3.0-liter gasoline engine, not the TDI unit, which is one of the reasons it's still on sale in the wake of the TDI scandal. Torque is the real differentiator: the current US-market SQ5 makes 354 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque, while the current Euro-market SQ5 Plus makes a massive 516 lb-ft. No word yet on how the dual-compressor system on the upcoming SQ5 will affect torque numbers, but expect the new engine to again have considerably more twist than its gas-powered US-market counterpart. Related Video: News Source: Autocar Green Audi Technology Emerging Technologies Crossover SUV Diesel Vehicles Performance audi sq5 48-volt system