Everyone is currently talking about electric vehicles, but combustion engines are by no means completely outdated. ntv.de checked four popular SUVs from Ingolstadt – combustion engines from the good A6 Allroad to the useful and sporty SQ7 and Q7 PHEV to the extreme RSQ8.
Let’s face it, electric cars rock quite well – especially the ones with power (and therefore acceleration) in abundance. But the car fans among us, in particular, somehow miss the sound and look forward to the end of the combustion engine with tears in their eyes. But what does the end mean here? Combustion engines can still be sold until 2035, and who knows what will happen by then. Perhaps the (thanks to potential e-fuels even climate-neutral) combustion engine will get a second chance after all?
But don’t speculate for long, rather enjoy the offers that are still available. Here and today using the example of four SUVs from Audi, which are not just fan cars, but have a practical background. The SUV, whether or not you find it politically correct in times of the energy crisis, is incredibly popular and continues to be in great demand. The skyrocketed utility cars are not necessarily gas guzzlers.
The start in this context is the A6 Allroad 55 TDI Quattro and this offer is even environmentally friendly and emotional at the same time. Firstly, the Allroad is only a slightly higher (about three centimetres) A6 Avant with a boyish look thanks to add-on parts such as the bumpers with underride protection. So it’s a modified version of Audi’s business station wagon, if you will.
Secondly, it has an economical diesel under the hood, which is much cleaner than its reputation thanks to the now complex exhaust gas cleaning system and with a WLTP average consumption of 6.9 to 7.5 liters per 100 kilometers it is certainly not too thirsty. And that despite the enormous power of 344 hp, so that there is really a lot of driving fun. As the icing on the cake, the optional 73 liter tank also has a range of more than 1000 kilometers – what electric car can do that?
What a pity that the diesel engine, which costs at least 74,800 euros and has the model designation 55 TDI, which deviates from the classic model (otherwise variants with this engine are known under the S4 and S6 labels), is not cheap at all. Anyone who can dig up such a budget or pay the leasing rate will receive the jack-of-all-trades as a reward. With the always standard air suspension on the top allroad plus the whisper-quiet six-cylinder, the mild SUV becomes a gentle kilometer eater. Just a few centimeters of accelerator pedal travel in high gear allow the 2.1-tonner to push like it’s been pulled on a rubber band thanks to the overpowering 700 Newton meters of torque from 1750 rpm.
Wild acceleration results in a sprint time of allegedly 5.2 seconds to country road speed, but has no hint of drama. Perhaps because the eight-stage converter shifts smoothly into the next gear at a little over 4000 revolutions, which not only feels smooth, but also avoids any acoustic overload. And by the way, the strong Allroad also shines with almost 1700 liters of cargo space.
The SQ7 surpasses this skill by around 200 liters and is perhaps even a bit more emotional, but its base price of 102,000 euros also makes you emotional – sighs included. Of course you have to have it in your account first. Incidentally, the SQ7 was once an extremely powerful V8 diesel, until exhaust gas legislation thwarted the Ingolstadt-based company.
And not just those, the unit has been removed from the range across the group, this fate also befell the Touareg V8 TDI. And since the development budget was apparently not too strained and they wanted to offer an adequate replacement for the SQ7, they simply made a virtue out of necessity and without further ado planted the classy EA825 group engine under the sheet metal of the large all-wheel drive vehicle.
The double-turbocharged four-liter eight-cylinder with direct fuel injection is not only ultra-strong with 507 horsepower and 770 Newton meters of torque, but also has an intense sound that gives you goosebumps. It bangs straight into the hearts of V8 fans and, of course, pushes powerfully. Give it 4.1 seconds and 100 km/h would be reached. The top speed here is also limited to 250 things like the much weaker Allroad.
That’s enough, after all, the brakes have to work hard to slow down 2.3 tons of rolling mass. And although the SQ7 is not a track tool, a ceramic brake is included in the option list for a whopping 8,500 euros as a precaution. Is she necessary? This is where the ghosts fight. Although the system should convince with its longevity, if there is a defect outside of the warranty period, an amount can quickly become due again, not unlike the price for the special equipment. However, a bit of chassis assistance can’t hurt the SQ7 to make it even more agile. However, he does not drive phlegmatically around corners, since the rear wheels also always steer. So you can quietly jet a little faster around the corners without getting your hands wet on the steering wheel.
For an additional 4,800 euros, the high-tech chassis also compensates for rolling movements and improves traction in the transverse performance spectrum with an electronically-mechanically (multi-plate clutch) controlled differential on the rear axle. Depending on the driving situation, the torque can be shifted between the left and right wheel in a flash. But although the SQ7 pulls powerfully if desired, it is more of a cruiser for covering long distances. And if you don’t exceed the recommended speed with the cruise control switched on, you can even achieve single-digit consumption values. Incidentally, up to seven people can be accommodated in the spacious SUV. Someone should say that luxury, performance and practicality cannot be reconciled.
Of course, all of this can be increased significantly. However, the extremes are not always immediately visible, as Audi does with the RSQ8, for example. If you order the 600 hp bolide without lettering, you should be on the road fairly unmolested. Sure, the thick oval tailpipes in the Audi RS style tell the connoisseur pretty quickly where the rabbit is running. But otherwise? Okay, when the four-liter eighth begins its work, you can already see that there is no ordinary engine under the sheet metal. Eight-cylinder bangers in their purest form is something that is gaining in value as electromobility spreads. After all, the V8s themselves are disappearing in the performance segment and are increasingly giving way to supercharged six or even four-cylinder engines.
In the Audi, the willing customer can still enjoy this special engine shape in various appearances – and not only inconspicuously, but also quite useful. Because with 1755 liters of trunk volume, the most dynamic Q is not only an athlete, but also a load master. And with a reasonably supple chassis and automatic converter (eight gears), it’s also not a thoroughbred roughneck, but a veritable tourer at times. He can be bad, but doesn’t have to be.
Of course, the RSQ8 surpasses the SQ7 in terms of performance, and it goes one step further when it comes to acceleration (3.8 seconds to 100 km/h). It has to be said that such values ??are no longer a cause for excitement in the age of emerging electric cars, even though such acceleration capabilities are still intense in physical perception. The RSQ8 is currently only available as a stock vehicle at prices starting at just under 170,000 euros.
Before this paper draws to a close, let’s take a look at the Q7 60 TFSI e. The Volkswagen group has currently put plug-in hybrids on hold, but continues to advertise the models on its websites. This at least gives hope that the twin-engine variants will soon be available again – despite all the adversities such as the end of state PHEV subsidies or delivery bottlenecks. Finally, the competition is also focusing on vehicles powered by petrol and electricity.
Even if the target group is pointed, the PHEV makes sense for some customers. For example, if you can charge for free (and in an environmentally friendly way) at work or at home thanks to photovoltaics. Then you achieve a respectable degree of efficiency with the 2.4-tonne six-cylinder. Sure: If you use the 462 hp total power to shoo the Ingolstadt within 5.4 seconds to 100 km / h and then up to 240 things, he drinks properly. With a fully charged 18 kWh battery, however, you can actually roam around 40 kilometers with 136 hp and even gently accelerate the hybrid to up to 135 km/h.
Whether the high system performance tempts you to press the right pedal deeper to activate the melodious three-liter V6 petrol engine is ultimately a question of character. Just like choosing the right Audi SUV model. In any case, the Ingolstadt team is well positioned in this discipline. There is no doubt here.
