Audi Q7 review - Interior and tech
Better to drive and plenty of tech, but still behind rivals
The Audi Q7 shows its age inside as well, sporting as it does the previous-generation Audi HMI, per the outgoing RS6 and RS7. That means two central screens, the lower for climate controls and other quick-access controls and the main screen for the infotainment. The screens feature haptic feedback, delivered upon a firm press. Neither the software nor the screen's responses are the sharpest or most crisp. Smartphone mirroring including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay work as they should most of the time, though CarPlay can randomly disconnect for no apparent reason.
The driver’s display is last-generation too but its common sense arrangement approach and pleasant view options are near-timeless. As is the last-gen, button-festooned steering wheel, gladly bereft of the backlit click panel controls, or the forsaken haptic touch controls on some of the latest Audi wheels. It’s tactile and quality in feel – another reminder (not that we needed it) that what went before was better.
Interior materials feel immaculately-assembled, every switch and knob operates with oily-slick precision and it’s easy to find the ideal driving position. A master of options, Audi also offers different steering wheel designs – one with a flat bottom, like the firm’s sportier models – Nappa leather trim, four-zone climate control in the rear and more.
The game of options is a dangerous one in Audis and the Q7 is no exception. If you’re a sucker for box-ticking, the Vorsprung is surely the spec for you. It might add a nearly new family hatch to the price (c£23k) but it throws in pretty much everything, from the matrix LED lights (and OLED rears) to rear-wheel steering and on the inside, the Bang & Olufsen sound system. Technology Pack Pro for reference, is a £5295 pack on lower-spec cars, that includes the B&O sound system, head-up display, panoramic sunroof and much more. Deliberate with the configurator as to what your requirements will necessitate in the spec…
All told the Q7 is still a pleasant bus to stroke along in, with a broad glasshouse and plenty of room, the appeal for families is easy to see, even if we’d plump for the lower, more dynamic A6 Avant equivalent, every time.
