2022 Audi SQ7 Review: Fast, Powerful and Worth 100K+

I’ve got a beauty for you this week!  The beautiful and extremely fast 2022 Audi SQ7, a 3-row performance luxury SUV.

Exterior

I love the looks of it, especially in this Navarra Blue color.  The entire front end is designed to feed air to the big engine, the body lines look great, you get a rear spoiler and quad exhaust, and the 21” wheels and large tires look fantastic.

Performance

When you pop the hood, a 4-liter V8 with twin turbos greets you, and it’s a runner!  500-horses, and an incredible 568-pound feet of torque.  It is mated to an 8-speed shiftable transmission and it will take you from 0-to-60 in just 3.6 seconds and speed is limited to 155-miles per hour.  Outstanding numbers for an SUV.  The transmission shifts so fast it is unlikely you’ll ever use the shift paddles.  This is a Quattro, which means it has Audi’s terrific all-wheel drive system.   

Interior

Audis are famous for great interiors and this one certainly has one.  The quilted and bolstered heated and ventilated power seats are very comfortable and hold you nicely in place.

As you fire up the big V8, a beautiful 12” gauge cluster comes to life.  It’s colorful and you can change the layout.  To the left you can choose from different screens including fuel economy info and traffic sign recognition.

Looking across the dash, there is beautiful gloss black with some use of carbon fiber and stitching, and if you look down you’ll see large aluminum pedals, including a big dead pedal.

High on the center stack is a 10” screen to operate the Audi multi-media interface that operates everything including the Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system with 18-speakers, navigation, Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and much more.  It is simple to operate and very fast.

Under that is another 10” screen for all your climate controls.

The center console is well laid out, it features a couple of cup holders, USBs, and you can select from five drive modes, but I’ve only tried Dynamic.  The center armrest raises and lowers, and has a couple more USBs in it.  There is also a button to turn off the start/stop system.

Moving to the backseat, there is a lot of head room and leg room.  2^nd row passengers can control their own climate, they have air conditioning vents, USBs, and a power supply.  The rear seats slide and recline.

Flip the 2^nd row seats over to access the 3^rd row power folding seats.  The 3^rd row would be tight for adults but perfect for children.

Utility

Cargo area is very large with the 3^rd row down, and there is very good space when the 3^rd seats are up.  Besides the power buttons to fold the seats down, there is a button to lower the SQ7 to make loading cargo easier.  The tailgate is power operated.

Standard Equipment 

This is a luxury SUV, so it has everything including a head-up display, panoramic moon roof, massaging seats, soft closing doors, headlight washers, keyless entry, adaptive cruise control, and so much more.

Safety

Notable safety features include blind spot warning, front and rear parking sensors, a terrific rearview camera, lane departure warning, laser headlights, pre-collision warning with avoidance assistance, and rear cross traffic alert.

Ride and Drive

This SUV is an absolute blast to drive, the acceleration is insane, and the exhaust rumble is fantastic.  The Quattro system plants the Audi to the ground for maximum traction under heavy acceleration.

Handling is superb for a big SUV, partly due to the fact the SQ7 comes with four-wheel steering.  The interior is whisper quiet thanks to dual pane acoustic glass surrounding the vehicle.

Verdict

Fuel economy, not so great at 15 in town and 21 on the highway.  As you would expect, all this wonderfulness and horsepower comes at a hefty MSRP of $103,340 as you see it here, but after spending time with this exceptional SUV, I can justify every penny of that.

1. 1. What I Liked Most:  Performance and handling.
   2. What I would change:  Actually nothing, it’s an awesome SUV.
   3. MSRP: Base price: $87,500, as equipped:  $103,340.
   4. Fuel Economy: 15 city/21 highway/17 combined.
      
   5. Odometer reading when tested: 900 miles.  
   6. Weight:  5,291-pound curb weight, 6,945 GVWR.
   7. Spare Tire: Repair Kit.
   8. Length-Width-Height:199.6” long/77.6” wide/69” high.
   9. Fuel Tank Capacity: 22.5 gallons with the filler on the passenger side.
   10. Official Color: Navarra Blue Metallic.
   11. Towing Capacity:  7,700 lbs. 
   12. 2022 SQ7 in a few words:  An outstanding family SUV that will give you a real thrill when you hit the accelerator hard.
   13. Warranty: 4-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper with roadside assistance. 
   14. Final Assembly Location: Bratislava, Slovakia.   
   15. Manufacturer's website: Audi