Audi Q7 Facelift Local Assembly Begins In India; Launch Soon

Audi has officially commenced the local assembly of the 2022 Audi Q7 Facelift in India. The SUV comes to India as a completely knocked down (CKD) unit and it will be produced at Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd.'s (SAVWIPL) manufacturing facility in Aurangabad, where the company also makes the recently launched Q5 facelift. Globally, the Audi Q7 facelift was first unveiled in 2019, however, Audi had to postpone the launch of the flagship SUV due to challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the global semiconductor shortage. We expect the updated model to be launched in January 2022.

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The Audi Q7 has been one of the most popular models in the company's line-up in India. However, the Ingolstadt-based carmaker discontinued the pre-facelift, BS4 compliant model of the Q7 in early 2020, right when the industry was making the transition to the more stringent BS6 emission norms. Now the Q7 moniker is returning with a mid-life update and, like all BS6 Audi models, a petrol-only drivetrain.

Visually, the 2022 Audi Q7 comes with sharper styling, featuring a large singleframe octagonal grille with chrome borders and vertical slats

The 2022 Audi Q7 is likely to be powered by the 3.0-litre TFSI, six-cylinder petrol engine, which will be mated to an eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox and the Quattro AWD system as standard. Like the new Q5, the Q7 will get a mild-hybrid system, featuring a 48-volt electric motor, powered by a Lithium-Ion battery, and a belt alternator starter (BAS).

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Visually, the 2022 Audi Q7 comes with sharper styling updates in-line with the new-gen Audi cars. Upfront, the SUV features a large single frame octagonal grille with chrome borders and vertical slats. The grille is flanked by full LED headlights, however, customers are also likely to get the option to go for the HD Matrix LED technology with Audi laser light. The SUV also get larger intakes, new alloy wheels, new sleeker LED taillights and a revised rear bumper.

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The cabin of the Audi Q7 facelift has been extensively revised. The India-spec car will be a right-hand drive vehicle.

Inside, the Q7 gets an updated cabin, featuring two new large touchscreens that provide haptic and acoustic feedback when clicking on the touch controls. The system also comes with LTE Advanced connectivity, a Wi-Fi hotspot, natural voice control and the extensive Audi connect portfolio. The cloud-based Amazon voice service Alexa, which is integrated into the MMI operating system, is also new, while Audi virtual cockpit with an optional head-up display is also on offer. The SUV also comes with the new flat-bottom steering wheel and premium upholstery among a host of other creature comforts.