Audi Launches Q7 e-tron 3.0 TDI quattro, Full Specs and Pricing Announced

Being just €2,400 less expensive than the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, this Audi is out of the reach of most regular family car buyers. It's not the kind of car that you can justify buying because of the lower fuel consumption, is it?

However, we can't deny the fact that Audi stuffed a lot of technology into the world's first V6 diesel plug-in hybrid with permanent all-wheel-drive. At the heart of the project is the same 3.0 TDI engine you get on the regular Q7. However, the output has gone down from 272 to 258 PS. Between it and the 8-speed automatic gearbox, Audi installed a 94 kW electric motor. It can power the SUV by itself or work together with the V6 to deliver 373 PS and 700 Nm (516.3 lb-ft) being sent to all four wheels for a 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint time of 6 seconds.

That's right, this hybrid vehicle weighing over 2 tons is as fast as a Golf GTI. In theory, the Q7 e-tron can use its 17.3 kWh battery to drive without using diesel fuel for up to 56 kilometers (34.8 mi). However, we find those numbers and the 1.8 l/100km (130 mpg) fuel consumption to be too optimistic.

To make the high price of the SUV a little easier to swallow, all Q7 e-tron TDI models come with standard LED headlights and the Virtual Cockpit system. However, we know for a fact that you can't get the 7-seat option because the trunk floor is packed with battery cells. Audi has also developed a service and app that allow you to start the car remotely, play with the climate control and access data about your journeys.

"Look, honey, I was 1% more efficient on my way to work than last week," says the German businessman to his wife while tucked into bed.