Audi Q7 grows up: the SUV now talks to the road through its lights

Audi has unveiled the third-generation Q7. It is no longer the flagship — a larger Q9 sits above it — but the new SUV gains projecting daytime lights, active rear lamps and a route-reading suspension.

Audi has unveiled the third-generation Q7. It is no longer the brand's flagship SUV — the larger Q9 will sit above it and effectively act as a longer, roomier version. Yet the Q7 itself, after a decade-long run of the previous generation, has gained a far more distinctive character.

The crossover looks more substantial: a higher bonnet, a wider visual stance, swollen rear haunches and a large grille. The front lighting is now split across two levels, in line with the latest Audis, but the real headline isn't the shape of the headlamps. The daytime running lights can project warnings straight onto the road, including a turn signal. The rear lamps have gone active too: they can alert cars behind to a crash, a hazard ahead or an unsafely short following distance.

The cabin is built around a large curved OLED display that merges the instruments and infotainment. The front passenger gets a separate screen. The panoramic roof can dim in sections and remembers the chosen setting. In the UK three rows of seats come as standard, and boot space ranges from 581 litres with the third row folded to nearly 2,000 litres depending on configuration.

At launch the British Q7 gets a 3.0-litre V6 diesel with 299 hp and 630 Nm, paired with a mild-hybrid system. Other markets, including the US, get petrol engines. The chassis features adaptive air suspension, all-wheel steering, permanent all-wheel drive and electronically controlled dampers. The suspension can use route data to prepare in advance for bumps and level crossings.

Audi has also leaned hard on driver assistance. The Q7 can memorise up to five parking manoeuvres of up to 200 m, reverse on its own in 50 m chunks and pull onto the shoulder while calling emergency services if the driver stops responding.

Sales begin in July. The timing works in Audi's favour: today's BMW X5 is already long in the tooth but will soon be replaced. So the new Q7 is arriving not into a quiet market but right ahead of a major reshuffle at the top of the premium SUV class.