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Automotive News Europe

August 11, 2015 01:00 AM

Audi makes Q7 more agile, frugal

DOUGLAS A. BOLDUC   

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Audi says the Q7's all-aluminum outer skin makes the SUV look like a well-toned athlete.

Audi has packed its new Q7 with a rich mix of advanced technologies that improve safety, comfort and connectivity while simultaneously reducing the large SUV’s fuel consumption.
Audi says the Q7 is the first premium SUV to offer all-wheel steering, which significantly improves the vehicle’s agility. This makes the Q7 easier to park because at low speeds the rear wheels move in the opposite direction, which reduces the SUV’s turning radius by up to 1 meter.
The all-wheel steering also makes the SUV more responsive if the driver needs to make an evasive maneuver at high speeds.
Another key Q7 feature is what Audi calls "predictive efficiency assistant," which in combination with the adaptive cruise control automatically adjusts the preselected speed based on the route topography, speed limits and road users ahead.
Even if the route guidance is disabled, the system uses the route data to alert the driver about situations when it is advisable to slow down. It does this because it recognizes curves, traffic circles, intersections and speed limit signs -- in many cases long before the driver sees them -- and provides a message with detailed graphics to the driver about the forthcoming situation.

To help reduce fuel consumption, which is up to 28 percent better than the previous model, Audi made the second-generation Q7 325kg lighter, largely through the heavy use of aluminum.
The lightweight material makes up 41 percent of the Q7’s body structure, compared with 0 percent in the previous-generation model, this includes the complete outer shell, the doors, which are 24kg lighter than the predecessor model's, as well as the front fenders, hood and tailgate.

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