Well, it didn’t take too long. Just days after Audi was caught testing a prototype of an updated Q7, the swanky SUV has now been speculatively returned. The adjoining digital design exercise of Kolesa tries to peel off the camouflage and show how the luxobarge will be overhauled. Keep in mind that this will be the second facelift for the model, after major revisions introduced in 2019. This time around the changes will be less significant.
As seen in the spy photos, the Q7 2024 gets new LED graphics for the headlights and taillights. The Ingolstadt design team also modified the grille and the air intakes of the front bumper. Although the prototype sported a disguise on the rear bumper and tailgate, any potential changes should be minor. Unlike BMW, Audi takes no chances with its designs, which is why we expect the second facelift to play it safe.
This should be the last update of the Q7 equipped with combustion engines. Audi has announced that it will only launch purely electric vehicles from 2026. Logic tells us that the revised luxury SUV will be introduced before the end of this year with petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains and will remain on sale until after the middle of the decade. It will eventually be replaced by an electric vehicle, with the German luxury brand aiming to phase out sales of ICE-powered vehicles by 2033.
Audi has offered several interesting engines for the Q7 over the years, with the V12 TDI being the craziest of them all. The 6.0-liter twin-turbo monster available in the model’s first generation had an astonishing 1,000 Newton-meters (738 pound-feet) of torque in 2006. With the proliferation of electric SUVs offering large amounts of instant torque, the beast diesel is now obsolete.
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The Q7 has always been offered with a host of powertrains and the current model is no exception. Depending on the market, it can be had with anything from a small four-cylinder gas mill to a beefy V8 for the SQ7. The latter was temporarily offered with a diesel V8 in Europe, while plug-in hybrid powertrains are also on the way.
This upcoming facelift should bring even cleaner combustion engines and we wouldn’t be surprised if the PHEV gets more electric range.
