New Audi SQ7 super-SUV price confirmed

Prices, along with other details of the new high-performance Audi SQ7 SUV, have been revealed. It features unique engine technologies as well as enhanced specification compared to the rest of the Q7 range. The new car made its UK debut in front of a British audience at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. Prices for the hyper-SUV start at £70,970, with first deliveries in August.

Unusually for a performance version, the SQ7 uses a diesel engine, featuring some innovative performance-enhancing technologies. It’ll also benefit from some visual enhancements, as well as more standard equipment than other versions of the Audi Q7. It’ll go up against the likes of the BMW X5 M50d when it arrives in August.

Those visual enhancements include familiar Audi ‘S’ car styling cues, such as quad tail pipes, and a subtle body kit. There are also unique alloy wheels, silver mirror caps, extra chrome detailing in the grille and a deeper, more aggressive front bumper with larger air-intakes.

Naturally, the big news about the SQ7 is its engine. It’s a triple – yes, you read that correctly – triple-turbocharged 4.0-litre diesel V8, which manages 429bhp. It can propel the car from 0-62mph in just 4.8 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. Power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

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It’s that third turbocharger that’s interesting, however: unlike the other two, which are spun in the conventional fashion by the car’s exhaust gases, this third one uses an electric motor to get going instantly. That means there’s zero ‘turbo lag’ – that slight delay you get in normal turbocharged cars between pressing the accelerator and the power arriving.

This results in the aforementioned scintillating performance (especially for a near-two-tonne SUV) and also helps keep running costs down. Audi claims the SQ7 will return about 38mpg on average, while its CO2 emissions are rated at 194g/km, for a £265 annual road-tax bill.

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Naturally, there’s also uprated suspension to help deal with the extra performance. This adaptive system helps to reduce body lean during had cornering, while there’s also four-wheel steering, which makes the SQ7 more agile at low speeds and more stable at high speeds.

In terms of styling, the SQ7 differentiates itself from the standard Q7 with larger front air intakes, a revised grille and silver mirror caps, while there are quad exhaust pipes at the back. It also comes with LED lights at the front and rear, as well as revised bumpers at either end.

Inside, there’s a choice of two different types of front sports seats, while you also get the Audi’s ‘Virtual Cockpit’ instrument screen as standard. The SQ7 also comes with Audi’s top-spec MMI infotainment system, including a Bang & Olufsen stereo with up to 19 speakers. Buyers will also get the choice of having five or seven seats.

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You also get up to 24 driver assistance systems, ranging from the mandatory traction control and anti-lock brakes to limited self-driving capability.

Pricing for the Audi SQ7 starts at £70,920 and orders are being taken now. Deliveries of the new car will begion in August.