2024 Audi SQ7 Review and Test Drive

Audi's three-row performance-luxury SUV is aging gracefully.

Christian Wardlaw | 

Jul 2, 2024 | 10 min read

Christian Wardlaw

Press the engine start button in the 2024 Audi SQ7, and you're in for a treat. A turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine roars to life, sounding like an American muscle car. The SQ7's deep rumble is unexpectedly salacious, considering this Audi is otherwise a businesslike three-row midsize luxury SUV. Only a handful of subtle cues, including 21-inch wheels, red-painted brake calipers, minor fascia modifications, quad exhaust outlets, and SQ7 badges, hint that 500 horsepower and that alluring exhaust note await.

The 2024 SQ7 is the performance-tuned version of Audi's Q7. Last redesigned in 2017 and most recently refreshed for 2020, the current-generation Q7 should be nearing its expiration date. However, at about the same time I evaluated the 2024 SQ7, Audi announced another round of updates for its three-row SUV. The 2025 Audi Q7 and SQ7 get revised styling, new paint and wheel selections, and infotainment enhancements, suggesting it will be a couple of years until a replacement arrives.

Christian Wardlaw

2024 Audi SQ7 Price Is Solidly in Luxury Territory

At the start of the year, the 2024 Audi Q7 was available with 45 TFSI and 55 TFSI model designations and a choice between Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trim levels. Prices ranged from the low $60,000s to the mid-$70,000s, including the destination charge. Audi also offered the performance-tuned SQ7 in Premium Plus and Prestige trim, with prices from the low to mid-$90,000s.

For this Audi SQ7 review, I test-drove the SQ7 Prestige in Southern California. Highlights from the optional equipment list included Daytona Gray Pearl paint, 22-inch wheels wrapped in summer performance tires, the S Sport package, the Luxury package, the Black Optic package, the Carbon package, the Audi Laser Light package, and a high-end Bang & Olufsen audio system.

The manufacturer's suggested retail price of the test vehicle came to $116,740, including the $1,195 destination charge to ship the SUV from the Bratislava, Slovakia, assembly plant to your local dealership. Audi provided the vehicle for this SQ7 review.

Christian Wardlaw

Stealthy Styling Looks Good on the Audi SQ7

Aside from its optional 22-inch wheels, my Daytona Gray Pearl SQ7 test vehicle conveyed minimal visual excitement. The only hints it might be special were the quad-outlet exhaust and the intoxicating rumble emanating from them. And that's just the way I like my performance vehicles: stealthy.

If the Audi SQ7's exterior styling is conservative, the interior is cold and technical. Fortunately, my test car had the Arras Red leather, injecting some personality. The quality of the cabin materials is excellent. With piano-black surfaces, multiple display screens, carbon-fiber trim, and metallic accents, the test SQ7's cabin conveyed seriousness, making it a fitting sanctuary for those practicing the religion of speed.

Touch-sensing controls are the rule, not the exception, and glare and reflections can hamper their use. Also, Audi places driver-assistance system controls on stalks instead of the steering wheel spokes. At first, I found that approach awkward, but I acclimated over time.

Christian Wardlaw

Comfortable and Roomy, Except for the Third-Row Seat

Though the Audi SQ7 can seat seven people, three had better be small. The third row is inhospitable to adults, and for maximum passenger happiness, I recommend you limit second-row occupancy to two grown-ups instead of three.

The SQ7 Prestige has heated and ventilated front sports seats wrapped in soft leather, and they're terrific. Although they initially feel firm, they provide excellent long-distance comfort and support. The test vehicle had the Luxury package, which equips the SQ7 with massaging front seats.

Similarly, the sliding second-row bench seat is comfortable and offers plenty of room for legs and feet, especially when moved into its rearmost position. The test vehicle had heated outboard rear seat cushions, a four-zone automatic climate control system, four second-row air-conditioning vents, and rear window shades to enhance passenger satisfaction.

However, with the second row in its rearmost position, I experienced no legroom in the third row. So, if you plan to use the third row, you'll need to slide the second row to a middle position. Even so, after I gracelessly climbed into the third row, I nearly suffered a claustrophobia-induced panic attack. It is a kids-only proposition.

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Stow the Third Row

Using the third-row seat chews into cargo space, too. Behind it, the SUV provides only 14.2 cubic-feet of volume. Fold the third row down, and the Audi's cargo hold grows to a respectable 35.7 cu-ft. Maximum cargo room expands to 69.6 cu-ft with the second and third rows dropped flat.

In front, easily accessible practical storage locations include the small door panel pockets and the cupholders. Inconveniently, the wireless smartphone charger lives in the bottom of the bin under the center armrest, meaning you can use it for charging or storage, but not both. Audi does provide a slot designed to hold the key fob, though.

In the back, there are storage nets on the seatbacks but few other spots for stashing stuff.

Christian Wardlaw

The SQ7's Multi-Media Interface Is Helpful but Slow

Like the rest of the Q7 and SQ7, the Audi Multi-Media Interface (MMI) has aged well. The voice recognition system is a little slower to respond to commands than in a BMW or a Mercedes, but it proves just as accurate and helpful. If you'd rather not use the native MMI environment, you can wirelessly launch Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Audi includes physical controls for stereo volume and radio tuning; otherwise, you'll need to use the haptic-feedback touchscreens for nearly everything. The upper screen provides access to infotainment features and vehicle settings, and the lower screen handles the climate system and secondary functions. The screens are logically organized with simple graphics and operate similarly to smartphones. But they collect plenty of dust and fingerprints and suffer from glare and reflections.

My test car had the optional Bang & Olufsen Advanced audio system with 3D sound, which adds $5,000 to the bottom line. That seems ridiculous until you listen to it.

Christian Wardlaw

No Shortage of Technology in an Audi SQ7

Audi's Virtual Cockpit Plus digital instrumentation remains a leader in the industry. It is comprehensive and free of gimmicks, and the satellite imagery used for the navigation map display remains impressive years after the automaker introduced the feature.

The handwriting recognition tablet, which you can use to manually input navigation instructions, is a gimmick. It takes over the lower climate control screen, and it had trouble recognizing my writing (which did not surprise my better half at all). I don't understand why anyone might use this method instead of the digital voice assistant.

Audi also equips the SUV with a subscription-based integrated toll module that works like FasTrak or E-ZPass on toll roads nationwide. With Prestige trim, Remote Park Assist Plus can help you park the Audi semiautonomously. However, thanks to the crystal clarity of the top-down surround-view camera system, you may never use the self-parking tech.

In addition, a head-up display is standard with Prestige trim. However, it's not as large nor comprehensive as it should be at the SQ7's price point, and that's particularly evident when using Audi's collection of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

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2024 Audi SQ7 Safety Features Review

Audi equips the SQ7 with a long list of standard safety features, including several that may be optional on its rivals. Highlights include Adaptive Cruise Assist with Lane Guidance and an Emergency Assist system. The SQ7 Prestige adds Intersection Assist to the list.

The Adaptive Cruise Assist system provides adaptive cruise control, and the Lane Guidance function adds lane-centering assist. Used together, they offer a hands-on semiautonomous driver-assistance system that works well in nearly all highway driving situations. The exception is the tech's performance in curves, where the Lane Guidance seems less sure of itself.

Notably, the system can detect a driver's hands on the steering wheel rather than rely on their inputs to ensure they're paying attention. If the driver falls asleep or becomes unresponsive, Emergency Assist will bring the SUV to a safe stop before a collision occurs.

A panel within the digital instrumentation displays the ADAS status using sophisticated graphics. It shows lane position, surrounding vehicles, and when another car is in the SUV's blind spot. Unfortunately, few people will notice this information in that location. Audi should find a way to present that data through the head-up display.

Fortunately, the blind-spot monitoring system glows and flashes so brightly that it would be difficult to make a mistake when changing lanes.

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American-Style Muscle in a German Business Suit

The SQ7 roars with a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine producing 500 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. That's a far cry from the entry Q7 45 TFSI with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine good for 261 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque.

The SQ7 uses an eight-speed automatic transmission and has a standard Quattro all-wheel-drive system. In addition, the SQ7 gets a sport-tuned adaptive air suspension and four-wheel steering. My test vehicle came with the S Sport package, which included a sport rear differential and active roll stabilization. Those optional upgrades help to explain why it drove more like a sports car than an SUV.

Christian Wardlaw

The Audi SQ7 Displays Physics-Defying Driving Dynamics

Audi deserves an engineering plaudit for the SQ7's suspension. It provided a smooth and supple ride in typical driving situations, despite the test vehicle's massive 22-inch wheels and Continental SportContact 6 performance tires sized 235/45R-22 in front and 285/35R-22 in back.

In the city, the SQ7's adaptive suspension soaks up every bump, hole, shimmy, and shake when driving in Comfort or Auto mode. On the highway, the cabin is quiet and unfettered by road noise or impact harshness. This remarkable experience is largely owed to the suspension tuning.

Naturally, the SUV feels firmer in Dynamic mode, which I used for mountain driving and canyon carving. The S Sport package's goodies reveal themselves in those environments, particularly the active roll stabilization technology. It virtually eliminates unwanted body motions, making the relatively tall and heavy SQ7 behave like anything but a three-row SUV.

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Add that option package's sport rear differential to the SQ7's nearly perfect four-wheel steering, extraordinary grip, and fade-free brakes, and you can confidently tackle a twisty road with unbelievable enthusiasm. Hustling this SUV on Southern California's Mulholland Highway was a revelatory experience.

The SQ7's V8 engine sounds sensational and supplies plenty of power. Audi claims the SUV will hit 60 mph from a standstill in 4.3 seconds, and the Environmental Protection Agency gives this model fuel economy ratings of 15/21/17 mpg in city/highway/combined driving. In addition, the engine chugs premium fuel. On the evaluation loop, the SQ7 averaged 16 mpg.

That's one downside to owning an Audi SQ7. The other is how the brakes feel and operate in city driving and heavy traffic. It's hard to bring this vehicle to a smooth, clean stop, and modulating the brake pedal is sometimes challenging. However, the flip side is the system's brilliant performance when driving the SQ7 hard and fast.

Christian Wardlaw

A Subtle, Seductive, and Speedy SUV

The Audi SQ7 is priced similarly with competition such as the BMW X5 xDrive M60i and the Mercedes-Benz GLE 580 4Matic, but the Audi features a standard third-row seat. In addition, the Audi is more fuel efficient than the less sport-focused GLE 580, but the BMW X5 M60i is the most efficient of the three.

What I like most about the Audi SQ7 is its stealthy appearance, classic V8 engine soundtrack, physics-defying driving dynamics, high-end Bang & Olufsen sound system, and its relative rarity on the road. But then, this SUV is so subtle about its intent that its specialness may go unnoticed.

Christian Wardlaw

My first word was “car.” That’s what I’m told, anyway. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with them. The design. The engineering. The performance. And the purpose. I’m a car enthusiast who loves to drive, but I’m also most interested in the cars, trucks, and SUVs that people actually buy. Anybody can tell you that a sports car is fast. What you need to know is whether or not you should buy that new SUV, and why. My life purpose is to help you make that decision.