Among Audi’s athletic lineup of tech-laden luxury cars and SUVs, the 2021 Q7 is the one best suited for family duty. Despite its three rows of seats and slightly stodgy styling, the Q7 maintains the fun-to-drive nature that makes an Audi an Audi. Buyers can choose from two turbocharged engines—a 248-hp four-cylinder or a 335-hp V-6—both of which offer satisfactory pep for everything from in-town errands to highway cruises. Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system is standard, but the sportier models in the lineup make good use of an optional four-wheel steering system and an adaptive air suspension to deliver even more agile handling.
What’s New for 2021?
After a thorough freshening for the 2020 model year, the 2021 Q7 sails through with few changes. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert is now a standard feature and the Premium model’s Convenience package now includes a heated steering wheel and a 360-degree exterior camera system. The mid-range Premium Plus gains an optional Executive package which bundles the contents of the 2020 model’s Cold Weather, Warm Weather, and Driver Assistance packages into one. Prestige models now come with leather-wrapped armrests and center consoles and get heated rear seats as standard.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
Premium 45: $55,945
Premium Plus 45: $58,195
Premium 55: $61,795
Premium Plus 55: $64,795
Prestige 55: $72,995
The decision between the turbo-four “45” powertrain and the turbocharged V-6 “55” option is a tough call—and something that is good to leave up to the individual buyer—but the choice of the Premium Plus trim level is a no-brainer. Moving up from the base Premium to the Premium Plus adds plenty of niceties, including a surround sound stereo system, a wireless smartphone charging pad, power-folding exterior mirrors with memory settings, 20-inch wheels, ambient interior lighting, and illuminated door sill inlays. You may also want to spring for the new Executive package, which adds, among other things, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, four-zone automatic climate control, heated and ventilated 12-way power-adjustable front seats, heated rear seats, and all-weather floor mats.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
For 2020, Audi kept the old 248-hp turbocharged four-cylinder but added a new turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 that uses a 48-volt hybrid system to make 335 horsepower, and these powertrains carry over unchanged into 2021. When we tested a 2020 Q7 with the new turbo V-6, we recorded a brisk 5.0-second zero-to-60-mph time, which was slightly quicker than the mechanically similar two-row Q8 SUV.
Despite its bulk, when the Q7 is fitted with the optional performance tires on 21-inch wheels, it feels low and lithe, like a pumped-up sport wagon. The adjustability of the optional air suspension, paired with the added agility of four-wheel steering, makes the Q7 surprisingly fun to flog down a twisty back road. It also rides quite smoothly.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
Not surprisingly, the V-6 powertrain comes with worse fuel economy. The EPA fuel-efficiency ratings are 17 mpg city, 21 mpg highway, and 18 mpg combined, which accounts for drops of 2 mpg across the board when compared to the turbo four-cylinder model. When put to a test drive a 2021 Q7, did well on a 200-mile highway fuel-economy test route. You can expect the four-cylinder Q7 to return similar results to the 2017 model which delivered 26 mpg on our 200-mile highway loop
