Audi has made its Q7 TDI less expensive to buy and cheaper to run by introducing the more cost-effective Q7 Ultra model for the European market. Like other Audi models bearing the ‘Ultra’ designation, the Q7 Ultra was engineered to be as fuel efficient and environmentally friendly as possible, sacrificing some performance in order to deliver a balance of good fuel consumption and sharp driving performance, the automaker says.
The majority of changes applied to the Q7 Ultra have happened under the hood. The 3.0-liter TDI V6 now produces 218 horsepower rather than 272, and 369 lb-ft of torque instead of 443 lb-ft. As a result, 0-62 mph now takes 7.1 seconds instead of 6.3 seconds and the top speed has been lowered from 145 mph to 134 mph.
Performance figures are trivial on a car like the Q7 Ultra, though. The real gains have been made in fuel efficiency, with the model delivering the equivalent of 42.8 US MPG, up from 41.3 in the standard Q7 TDI. That doesn’t sound like much, but in the long run, one or two MPG can make a world of difference.
Keeping with its cost-effective nature, the Q7 Ultra costs 58,000 euro to buy, 3,890 euro less than the Q7 TDI. The order books are now wide open for European customers, however U.S. buyers will likely miss out on this decidedly frugal seven-seater.
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