Test drive Audi SQ7
From a place, the Audi SQ7 tears so that the asphalt burns under the wheels, and the traction is realized instantly and without alternative. In terms of acceleration speed, the SQ7 puts on the blades its conventional predecessor
There is something in common between the world of "charged" cars and the crowd of football fans. The only difference is that if the latter live in the football world, supporting this or that team, rather for the sake of an idea, then "emki", "eski" and other "erks" from the world of cars are still inside it and simply cannot physically exist in isolation from the very idea of driving on the roads. And so - very similar. Some have sports clubs, paraphernalia, a mandatory dress code in the form of Stone Island "compasses" on the left shoulder and other subcultural classics. The latter have a brand, model and forums with club stickers, for which the Russian police almost began to segregate motorists into good and bad. And also - the desire to be sure to wipe the nose of the representatives of a competing organization.
Owners of "lighters" do not reach fights, but sometimes they clash on the roads in earnest. The system of values and ranks here is strict and multistage, but the drivers of fast cars are quite capable of bullying each other without regard to status. And the newly minted owner of the Audi SQ7 will surely receive offers to drive in batches, including from owners of much more affordable cars. Because for all external attributes, this crossover, especially in white, is about the same: a low fit compared to the standard version, aggressive exhaust, thin tires on 21-inch disks, behind the curly spokes of which huge calipers can be seen, but contrasting, on the verge permissible, black body trim with a matte radiator grille. And instead of stickers from the GTI-club, the crossover has its own distinctive "compass" - a red diamond with the letter "S".
The S prefix itself, by the way, appeared on the Q7 for the first time, although the top model of the first generation was even more powerful. That Q7 was equipped with a titanic 500-horsepower V12 engine with a volume of 6,0 liters, but the engine was diesel, and the car itself looked quite ordinary, and in Ingolstadt they decided not to give it an "S" nameplate. Now they have given out, although the engine is also diesel, it has eight cylinders instead of twelve and develops 435 hp. - 65 hp smaller than the previous flagship.
From a place, the Audi SQ7 tears so that the asphalt burns under the wheels, and the traction is realized instantly and without alternative. Acceleration is as powerful as it is smooth: the maximum thrust - an impressive 900 Nm - is available from idle, and the acceleration is quick and almost linear. You can only feel the shifting of the eight-speed gearbox by sound - the thrust takes you by the collar and furiously drags you forward, regardless of the rpm and the current gear. Overtaking can be performed without switching to low ones, because it is enough to press down the "gas" a little harder on a segment of about 50 meters. In terms of acceleration speed, the SQ7 puts on the shoulder blades its conventional predecessor not only in terms of tabular numbers, but also in sensations. It’s hard to believe that this diesel has a third less volume.
The new four-liter engine is the successor to the previous 340-horsepower 4,2 TDI, which was one step below the six-liter on the first generation Q7. But this heritage can be traced only in the architecture of the motor itself. In terms of a set of innovations, this motor probably surpasses all serial engines of the concern that have been produced so far. The electromechanical supercharger alone, which helps two traditional turbines push air into the engine at low rpm and completely destroys the turbo lag effect, is worth a lot. The turbines themselves operate sequentially - one operates at low and medium loads, the second is connected at high loads. At the same time, the intake systems are located on the sides of the engine block, and the exhaust is attached to the collapse of the cylinder block, which is why the air ducts of the intake and exhaust pipes connecting the turbines and the compressor are a very intricate system in which even German engineers themselves get confused. On the machine, all this is closed with a massive plastic lid so as not to confuse the consumer.
Those of them who are still interested in this should know that the 4,0 TDI engine is the first diesel engine with a clever system for changing the travel of the intake and exhaust valves and a different algorithm for the operation of the valve mechanism at low and high speeds. The electronics change the position of the camshafts, including in the work one or another profile of the cams of the shaft and, accordingly, the operating mode of the valves. The exhaust valves are generally used selectively: at low speeds, only one remains active, at high speeds the second is connected, opening the way for the exhaust gases to the impeller of the second turbocharger. All this is necessary not only so that the owner of the car could once again show off technical knowledge in the company. It is this very complex design that allows you to provide that even steam locomotive traction, which the Audi SQ7 overwhelms on the move.
The highlight of the electric turbine is that it does not require cranking and exhaust pressure. It goes into working mode in a quarter of a second at any engine speed, so the maximum 900 Nm is available from about idle. The power of this turbine is 7 kW, and in order to make it work, the engineers had to perform really difficult things. So, in the SQ7 there was a second electrical network with a voltage of 48 volts instead of the traditional twelve and a separate battery. The high-voltage network makes it possible to do with thinner wires (otherwise there would be a few extra kilograms of copper on board) and isolates such a powerful consumer from the on-board network.
This network has freed the hands of engineers in terms of energy-intensive on-board systems. The second consumer of electricity was a system of active stabilizers with built-in actuators. What for? The halves of the stabilizer, attached to the struts of the left and right wheels, are connected in the body of a powerful electric actuator, which is capable of turning them relative to each other at the command of the electronics, not just suppressing the roll of the car in turns, but removing them altogether. It's hard to believe, but a large two-ton crossover is capable of even passing high-speed 90-degree turns without any rolls. Cutting bends faster and faster, at some point you catch yourself thinking that this behavior of the car gives the impression of complete control. Roll is an important element of feedback, and it can be unsafe for an inexperienced driver to miss them. However, in order to bring the crossover to the limit, you need to try.
The discrepancy between the size and weight of the driving characteristics is surprising in the standard version, and the SQ7 with its active stabilizers and initially clamped suspension is quite unexpectedly perceived as a very fast passenger car. The steering response and the quality of the feedback are at a height, and the crossover passes corners like glued, even on a slightly wet road from rain. The driver does not even know what a complex electronic game the onboard systems are playing at this moment, since everything works in the background: traction walks along the axles, ESP delicately adjusts the trajectory, and the active rear differential precisely gives out a little more moment to the wheel, which is outside the turn ... I don’t even want to think about what is beyond the border, where all these smart mechanisms cannot keep the car on the road at once.
Having quickly passed through the wet serpentine, you finally realize that the SQ7 is a completely different car. It’s not just fast, it’s safely fast and stable as much as it is possible for a car weighing almost 2,5 tons. And this stability is not given in exchange for the furiousness of the suspension and the unbearable acuteness of reactions. On the go, the SQ7 is completely comfortable in any of the chassis modes and is very quiet. It will not be easy for an ignorant person to find out that there is diesel here.
Once in familiar urban conditions, you find that for all its combat appearance, the crossover actually seeks to envelop the passengers with such care, from which you even want to give up the steering wheel. Even if the SQ7 is not yet able to drive completely independently, it is already showing the beginnings of self-driving. I'm not sure if all 24 electronic systems mentioned in the press release can be found in the list of equipment, but radar cruise control, capable of independently driving a car on a highway or in a traffic jam, stopping and moving off, is already there and working. What's more, Audi can steer on the lane markings and read road signs by adjusting its own speed. Another thing is that control is still needed, and the car does not allow you to take your hands off the steering wheel. Otherwise, the SQ7 will first disclaim responsibility by disabling the conditional autopilot, and then it will completely slow down with the "emergency" on.
In principle, this entire set of assistant systems can be installed on a standard crossover with a simpler motor - they do not need a 48-volt network. But on the top-end SQ7, it looks quite organic like the quintessence of electronic automotive intelligence, available for real money here and now. And this story is not about who will beat whom in a fight, but who has a clear weight and technical superiority before it.
If the sales of the Audi SQ7 start in Russia, then not earlier than mid-autumn. Judging by the price in Germany, our model is unlikely to be sold for less than $ 86, and given the long list of equipment, the price tag of a real car may well step over the $ 774 mark. It is also clear that high prices will not force real fans of technology to give up and those who, having been ill with club parties and street races, still want to have a strong and powerful car, even being a calm and settled person. In about the same way, respectable uncles buy tickets and rooms in hotels of the conventional Marseilles at exorbitant prices, and for the same reason they may well make a little noise in city squares. Their wives can only accept this.
Photo and video: Audi
