It has been a long wait. The Audi Q7 had run for roughly a decade with only mid-cycle tweaks to keep it current, long enough that the segment around it had moved on twice. Now the third-generation car is finally here — revealed alongside its performance sibling, the SQ7 — and the headline for anyone who cares about how an SUV drives is simple: the V8 lives.
The performance story: the SQ7 keeps its V8
While the rest of the industry quietly retires large-displacement engines, Audi has kept the SQ7's twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 in the lineup for the new generation. Audi positions the SQ7 as the quickest car in its class, with reported 0–60 mph times in the 3.7-second range — supercar pace for a three-row family hauler.
In a segment full of downsized fours and EV crossovers, the SQ7 turning up with a biturbo V8 is the most interesting thing Audi has said in months.
That matters beyond bragging rights. The SQ7 has always been the enthusiast's pick in the Q7 family — the car that makes a seven-seat SUV genuinely fun — and carrying the V8 into the new car keeps that identity intact rather than handing it over to an electric motor and a synthesized soundtrack.
The Q7 itself: hybridized V6, new platform
The standard Q7 moves to Audi's PPC (Premium Platform Combustion) architecture — an evolution of the MLB evo underpinnings — and leans on electrification to stay relevant without going full EV. The core engine is a hybridized 3.0-litre TFSI V6, with reported output around 362 hp and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm), paired with a 48V mild-hybrid system that allows low-speed electric-only running. Plug-in hybrid variants are expected to follow.
It remains a three-row SUV — the practical brief hasn't changed. What's changed is how much of the powertrain is now electrically assisted, and how much quicker the whole range is as a result.
A bolder face
Visually, the new Q7 is a clear departure from the outgoing car. The front end is more aggressive, built around a large blacked-out mesh grille and an illuminated Audi rings badge. The lighting is the giveaway: a split headlight design, with slim LED daytime running lights sitting above the main headlamps — the look Audi has been rolling out across its newest models. At the back, a thin light bar connects the LED tail lamps, with a third brake light mounted above the rear glass.
It's a tougher, more deliberate design than the smooth shape it replaces — closer in attitude to the flagship Q8 than the soft outgoing Q7.
When you can buy one
The all-new Q7 is expected to reach the United States — one of its largest markets — around mid-2026, with the SQ7 following as the range-topping performance variant. Final US specifications, pricing, and EPA figures haven't been published yet.
Why it's worth watching
The Q7 was never the most exciting Audi, but the new car arrives at an interesting moment. It's a bet that a big combustion SUV — mild-hybridized, not electrified into silence — still has a place, and that buyers still want a V8 at the top of the range. For the SQ7 in particular, that bet is the whole point.
Based on Audi's reveal of the third-generation Q7 and SQ7. Performance figures are as reported ahead of launch; US specifications, pricing, and EPA numbers are pending. We'll update with confirmed details and first-drive impressions when the car reaches North America.