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2016 Audi Q7 e-tron Diesel PHEV Is the World's Most Efficient Premium SUV

After showing the second generation Q7 SUV in Detroit, Audi moved quickly to launch its first-ever diesel plug-in hybrid model, the Q7 e-tron TDI quattro. It's likely to go down in history as a trailblazer in the premium SUV segment and we were there for its big debut at the Geneva Motor Show.
2016 Audi Q7 e-tron TDI quattro 22 photos
Photo: S. Baldauf / R. Kah
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If you are not an Audi fan, finding the differences between the e-tron and the regular Q7 will be impossible. However, a brushed aluminum grille trim and aero wheels have left a small mark on the design. They remind us of the Q5 Hybrid, a car very few people actually know about.

The Q7 e-tron is said to be "the first diesel plug-in hybrid with quattro drive in the premium segment." At its core is a current generation 3.0 TDI engine making 258 HP (190 kW) that's been mated to a 94 kW electric motor built into the 8-speed tiptronic auto gearbox.

As with the A3 e-tron, there are a number of driving modes to choose from that either safe fuel or keep the battery charged up. The most powerful setup sees a combined output of 373 HP (275 kW) and 700 Nm (516.3 lb-ft) being sent to all four wheels to a 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 6 seconds.

The green side of the vehicle is as follows: a mind-bendingly low consumption of 1.7 l/100km (138.4 mpg US) and CO2 emissions of 50 grams. When fully charged, the battery will also give you 56 kilometers (35 miles) of fully electric driving.

The emissions of the Q7 e-tron are lower than those of the XC90 T8 from Volvo, which uses a petrol hybrid setup (64 grams), and of course the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid (79 grams per km). That basically makes this the cleanest, most efficient premium SUV on the market right now.

2015 is likely to be the year when Mercedes and BMW also reveal plug-in hybrid SUVs of roughly the same size (BMW X5 xDrive40e and Mercedes GLE 500 e). With Tesla expected to launch the Model X crossover in about a year, it's pretty clear that that electricity really does belong on an SUV.

To really get a feel of how the Q7 e-tron technology works, we suggest checking out the video below.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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