Audi unveils facelifted version of premium SUV Q7; price starts at Rs 80 lakh

German luxury carmaker Audi on Thursday launched a new version of its flagship SUV Q7 in India with prices starting at Rs 79.99 lakh (ex-showroom) as it seeks to further accelerate growth in the country. The locally assembled vehicle is powered by a 3-litre petrol engine with a 48V mild-hybrid system generating 340 hp. It can accelerate from 0-100 km/hr in 5.9 seconds.

The new Q7 will be available in two variants -- Q7 Premium Plus and Q7 Technology -- priced at Rs 79.99 lakh and Rs 88.33 lakh (ex-showroom), respectively.

"We are getting back our Q7, which not just is one of our portfolio cars but it is 'the' car for us. It has been our trailblazer, and the car always has received a fantastic response from all segments of customers, be it category A towns or B towns or C towns," Audi India Head Balbir Singh Dhillon told PTI.

Whether it is businessmen, family members, sports personalities or Bollywood, the model has always attracted a wide range of customer profiles, he added.

With the new Q7 coming in, he said, Audi India is upbeat of another strong performance in 2022.

"We were launching the Q7 now, and Q5, we launched towards the end of last year. So, we will have full availability of these products. The product availability itself for the whole 12 months of this year gives us full confidence that we will do well (this year too)," Dhillon said.

Audi India had posted a two-fold jump in retail sales at 3,293 units in India in 2021. It had sold 1,639 units in 2020.

The company had opened bookings for the new Q7 last month.

"We are already sold out for the first couple of months," he said when asked about the response to the vehicle.

On the road ahead for 2022, he said Audi will launch high volume models, in addition to some top-end products.

"With a diverse product portfolio, we are looking forward to a strong sales performance during 2022," Dhillon said.

However, he said the challenges of the semiconductors shortage are not yet over.

"To some extent that challenge globally remains but it is improving slowly but surely, not fully out of it yet, but we are still confident that we will have a very good growth this year...and I firmly believe this year also we will do double digits," he added.

Compared to the previous version, the new Q7 is equipped with features like lane departure warning with steering assist, park assist plus with 360 degrees 3D surround camera and adaptive windscreen wipers with integrated washer nozzles.

It also has a comfort key with sensor-based boot lid operation, air ioniser and aromatisation and 8 airbags, among other features.

Audi India is providing a standard 2-year warranty that can be extended up to 7 years, with the new Q7 along with 5-year roadside assistance (RSA) that can be extended up to 10 years. Besides, it is also offering multiple service plans, which can be purchased up to 7 years of ownership.