• There are four driving modes for the Q7 e-Tron, EV which is pure electric power, Hybrid where the e-Tron system chooses between diesel and electric power and finally Battery Hold and Battery Charge functions which do as they say. Default driving mode is EV, with the engine triggered by tickling the accelerator.
• UK pricing for the Q7 e-Tron will be released close to order books opening in the next few months, but this Q7 is expected to cost around £65,000 (not including government grant!), when the first cars reach the UK late in 2016. With an expected 8% BIK figure, no wonder Audi are predicting 50% of sales will come from SME buyers.

What’s not?

• The Q7 e-Tron might have 373bhp, with 62mph acceleration coming up in 6.0 seconds and a top speed of 140mph, but it doesn’t feel as sporty or dynamic to drive as the standard car – with the electric motor feeling slow off the mark.
• The Q7 e-Tron weighs 450kg more than a standard Q7 and you can feel that extra weight when you’re on the move. Although the handling is still tidy, with plenty of grip, you can feel the Q7 e-Tron’s bulk – it’s not a car that enjoys being hustled round twisty road routes. There’s more body roll too.
• Like other plug-in hybrids, there’s a regenerative braking system fitted as standard on the Q7 e-Tron. However, we felt it gave an inconsistent feel to the brakes and made them hard to modulate.
• All the hybrid battery kit has to go somewhere and the lithium ion batteries and electric motor mean the Q7 e-Tron is a five-seater rather than a seven-seater, which may put off some family buyers. Still, on the plus side the boot has a flat load floor and without those extra seats there’s more space.

The Verdict

To make the most of the Q7 e-Tron’s efficiency and economy you’ll need to make sure it’s charged regularly – which could prove to be a hassle. But apart from this and the high list price, there are very few reasons not to recommend this hybrid version of Audi’s big SUV.

However, we reckon that the savings made over the standard Q7, could make the e-Tron version more attractive to user-chooser SME company car buyers.

The Low Down for the Audi Q7 e-Tron review