Sebring, Florida – Imagine driving through the orange groves of Southern Florida… cruising down long roads in the heat of 31 Celsius degrees, just slow enough for the perfumes of citrus, mixed with the lingering smell of fine leather, to fill your senses. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect combination of elements. Speaking of impressive combinations…

After a long wait, Audi customers on this side of the Atlantic are finally allowed to receive an engine worth its weight in gold. The Q7’s 3.0 TDI is a real performer, pulling the hefty SUV with the significant power and torque, which the machine ably generates despite its modest displacement number.

Engine

The 3.0 TDI is one of VAG’s most refined and developed engines. Based on Audi’s Common Rail technology, this power house meets Europe’s ULEV II emission standard, one of the strictest emission standards in the world. This feat of engineering is attained with the use of a breakthrough system for cleaning the exhaust, called Adblue. The system, reminiscent of Mercedes Benz’s more complex Bluetec, uses an injection of liquid Urea in the exhaust control system to selectively de-pollute the residual emissions. Even your most enviro-conscious neighbour will be impressed by, or simply oblivious to, your driving a diesel: He won’t smell a thing. With a consumption of 9.5 L/100 km on a full size SUV, this engine pushes a figure of 221 HP and 406 pounds per square foot of torque; more than ‘just enough’ for a vehicle this size.

The gearbox and driveline are no different from the original gas model, just pure and simple: Everything is in its place, and nothing missing from the long list of options. The pollen filter may even work a bit too well, cutting all smells and perfumes from the interior – you may prefer to drive on your favorite country roads with the windows wide open! The seating arrangement is also worth mentioning: The leather clad seats offer wonderful support reminiscent of the sportier models, yet the seats are well set up for a higher center of gravity vehicle. Finally, the second and third row offer up to 28 seating possibilities, offering enough room to carry anything and anyone, at the same time.

What ’s next ?

Audi is considering allowing the more demanding North-American customers to benefit from its 4.2 TDI engine, a beefier specimen, supported by the same new technology offered with the 3.0 TDI. Meanwhile, the Q7 still approaches top of the SUV class, ahead of Cadillac’s Escalade, Mercedes’ ML series and Volvo’s XC90.