With nearly every mid-size SUV from volume makers offering luxuries such as fabric-wrapped pillars, multiple soft bear on points,

Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press

18-carat woods and metals, state-of-the-art electronics and the list goes on, some even sporting driving dynamics that rival premium brands, accepted luxury marques accept been forced to up their game. Some have been left backside to fight head-on with virtually-premium competitors while others accept answered the call and delivered an entirely new level of luxury never before seen in the price class. With the advent of the 2017 Q7, Audi is now at the top of the latter list.

It was hard to meliorate on the Q7'due south styling, the new model adding more than drama to the frontal design with a bigger, broader version of Audi'due south singleframe horseshoe grille, expected revisions to its LED lighting elements forepart and rear, and sharper creases to all body panels, but the approachable model'south interior mixed some extremely well fabricated components with others that were substandard, well-nigh noticeably

Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press

hard plastics beyond the lower dash and glove box hat, less than ideal electronic interfaces and some hollow feeling switchgear that suffered further from poorly damped, wiggly activeness, all of which will be immediately forgotten when slipping inside the latest Q7.

Where the quondam model acquired me to question its worthiness against a number of better equipped admitting much lower priced book-branded "competitors", the new 2017 version, with pricing starting at $65,200 plus freight and dealer fees, has raised the bar within the entire luxury SUV sector. I doubt Range Rover will feel whatever force per unit area to meliorate its largest offering and BMW'due south X5 has long been up to snuff, but the recently tested top-line $73,500 Q7

Photograph: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press

3.0 TFSI Quattro Technik was one of the nigh impressive crossover SUVs I've ever spent time in.

I won't go into much detail well-nigh where Audi has applied high-grade soft touch constructed materials because, beautifully finished leathers aside you'll exist sorely tested to find any difficult plastic. What'southward more, my tester fifty-fifty featured padded psuede for the door inserts, while 18-carat aluminum spanned the instrument panel, the lower console and each door panel, this only upstaged by absolutely gorgeous open pore hardwood laid aslope.

Then again you may be more stimulated by electronic interfaces, another area the Q7 improves on the onetime model and but about everything else in the industry. Ahead of the commuter is a fully commuter-configurable high-resolution colour 12.three-inch TFT

Photograph: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press

display that immediately modernizes the look of the primary controls. The graphics are crisp, clear and colourful, while a steering bicycle-mounted "VIEW" push decreases the diameter of both tachometer and speedometer while instantly enlarging the multi-information brandish at centre, the latter replete with useful features and functions. Elegantly thin steering wheel spokes are filled with all the necessary switchgear to scroll through the MID and admission other features, much of which is duplicated in more detail on the power retractable tablet-style 8.3-inch infotainment brandish overtop the centre dash.

Audi incorporated its MultiMedia Interface (MMI) display within the Q7's instrument panel previously, and then separating the infotainment screen frees space for a cleaner blueprint that's now more horizontal than vertical, dispensing of the traditional "centre stack", at least visually. Additionally, the MMI's lower console-mounted

Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Printing

rotating dial controller has switched places with its completely redesigned and much more advanced gear selector, the latter now acting like a palm rest for the quondam, a smart idea beingness that most transmission shifting duties are taken intendance of via steering bicycle paddles and the new layout is but ameliorate from an ergonomics standpoint. The rotating punch is now joined by a couple of touch on-sensitive toggles for navigation, phone, radio, and media, various quick access buttons that recognize manus movements before really being pressed, and a large touchpad with pinch, swipe and finger gesture capability, Audi fifty-fifty including a handy row of eight programmable preset keys for personalized control. The MMI operating system speed is much improved and its processes easier to navigate through, while both Apple CarPlay and Android Machine are included, which ways voice recognition works better and GPS navigation is more than authentic.

Additionally,

Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Motorcar Press

a 360-caste surround photographic camera organisation joined front and rear parking sensors plus slightly shorter overall body length for less stress in confined areas, while all cares seemed to dissipate when cranking my tester's impressively powerful 558-watt 19-speaker Bose 3D environs sound system. Really, it's book control never quits, and it was absolutely baloney free no matter how loud I tested it. And to think there's an fifty-fifty meliorate Blindside & Olufsen system bachelor? Audi at present owns this audiophile'south ears.

The quad-zone machine climate control interface (there'due south another dual-zone HVAC panel in back) is too by and large touch-sensitive and includes buttons for the three-fashion heated and cooled seats at both sides, while simply above is a nicely organized row of buttons for Audi'south Drive Select, turning off the motorcar stop/start system, powering the MMI screen into the dash, etcetera.

Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press

mentioned the features described to yous in this review are for top-line Technik trim, with other items not yet noted including full LED headlights, proximity access with pushbutton ignition, an electromechanical parking brake, ambient interior lighting, a power tilt and telescopic steering column, auto-dimming rearview and side mirrors, perforated leather upholstery, 12-way powered forepart seats with four-way powered lumbar, HD and satellite radio, a powered tailgate, loads of active and passive safety features and much, much more than. It also included an array of optional packages and standalone features.

The Drive Select settings noted a moment ago include Comfort, Dynamic, Private

Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press

and Off Route, and while I never tested the latter I spent plenty of time in sport mode, or rather Dynamic mode in Audi-speak. This heightens all of the vehicle'southward senses to perform with more than flair, the new Q7 already one of the best treatment SUVs in its class. Its ride gets a bit firmer albeit never harsh, while responses to steering input, throttle actuation and paddle-prompted shifts were immediate and thoroughly satisfying. Somehow Audi has managed to make a very large vii-passenger sport ute feel similar a compact, even so it still delivers that solid, planted, substantive feel premium buyers like, my tester's 285/45R20 Goodyear Eagle Sport run-flat prophylactic no doubt helping in this respect. I became and then utterly connected with this motorcar, the Q7 so completely fused to the road, it was downright Borg-like.

The

Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press

combination of 333-horsepower supercharged direct-injected 3.0-litre TFSI V6 with 325 lb-ft of torque, eight-speed automatic and Quattro AWD is once again fully up to the task of pushing all of this Q7'due south mass, zero to 100km/h achieved in simply 5.seven seconds, only its 2,240 kilos (iv,938 lbs) of unladen weight has been dramatically reduced by 115 kilograms (253 lbs) in its Canadian-spec redesign thanks to much more loftier-force steel and other weight-saving components. To be clear, if you've previously read other accounts of its reported 320-kg (705-lb) weight reduction, our version gets more standard equipment than the lighter base Euro variant, such equally iii rows of seats, a panoramic sunroof and more, but like I intimated a moment ago information technology feels a lot lighter than even our fattened up version should, taking to corners with newfound agility yet always respectful of overly pampered behinds.

Comfort

Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Printing

mode is best to enjoy all the refined smoothness Audi has congenital into the new Q7, plus it's as well where the brand's eco features come into play more readily, including the car on/off idle-stop system that shuts the engine downwards smoothly and brings it back to life with hardly any notice while aiding the big Audi in its impressive 12.6 L/100km urban center, nine.four highway and eleven.1 combined fuel economic system rating. On that notation the Q7 is ultimately tranquility whether the engine is temporarily stifled or running, increased sound deadening materials and attention paid to isolation from outside influences producing incredible results.

As yous might expect the front two rows are roomy and Audi'south seats wonderfully supportive front to back, plus I actually fabricated the effort to clamber into the third row to experience it first hand. Granted my five-pes-8 frame is hardly gargantuan, but I fit in with room to spare so critics saying they're only good for kids should remain

Photograph: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Printing

silent. In guild to fit medium-build adults into all iii rows at that place's a process to be followed, listen you, starting time requiring the front row to exist pulled most all the way forward and then the 2nd row entirely forward, which incidentally left reasonable space alee of my legs, and then subsequently climbing in back via a eye row that easily flips out of the mode, allowed for about two inches in front of my knees, three inches above my head, ample hip and shoulder room, and overall condolement from the two seats provided. I never felt claustrophobic either, much thank you to large rear quarter windows plus a massive panoramic sunroof that comes shut to reaching the rearmost quarters, but I probably wouldn't want to spend an unabridged day back hither.

Every bit for cargo, Audi provides about 420 litres (14.eight cubic anxiety) behind the rear seats according

Photograph: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press

to the U.S. EPA, which makes information technology similarly sized to the A4'south ultra-large trunk, but of course you can lay the Q7'south ii rear rows flat for two,027 litres (71.half dozen cubic anxiety) of life-hauling infinite so the world'south your oyster, garage sale Sundays have met their match. Lowering the tertiary row can be accomplished via power switches located on a panel just backside the second row seats or the cargo side walls, and if you slide the second row seats all the fashion back before manually laying them flat it all folds together like a perfectly symmetrical jigsaw puzzle (if there is such a thing) topped off by an ideally flat cargo flooring. When added to the wide opening rear aperture and relatively foursquare-shaped roofline it results in a very accommodating load area. It'southward fabricated even amend by the flexibility of a second row that splits into thirds, the folded centre position providing lots of pass-through infinite for ski gear or annihilation else long,

Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press

this allowing 2nd-row passengers to savour the benefits of the outboard seats, which in my tester'southward case included 3-way seat heaters.

Along with the supportive rear seats, dual-zone rear rear climate controls and air vented through the backside of the front end centre console as well equally the B pillars, it would exist difficult to become more comfortable in the 2nd row of any SUV this side of a Bentley Bentayga, so I wouldn't be calling shotgun too quickly if I were yous.

The only attribute more than of import to vii-passenger SUV buyers than versatile comfort is condom, and in this respect all Q7 trims earn a best-possible Top Safety Pick

Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Motorcar Press

Plus rating from the IIHS, while Audi besides achieved first place in Consumer Reports latest Report Card on Reliability and scores in a higher place average in J.D. Power's well-nigh recent Vehicle Dependability Study, so long-term durability shouldn't be a problem.

Even considering how good the new Q7 is it still faces a tough boxing in the mid-size luxury SUV segment, merely I can't see anyone being disappointed if they choose Audi's flagship utility over one of its competitors. The new Q7 is stylish, beautifully fabricated, bright to drive, filled with top-tier features, ultimately safe and expectedly dependable.
©(Copyright Canadian Auto Press)