Tag: Audi Q7

Does Driving Your Audi Leave You All Wet? If So, Check These Common Water Leak Causes

Audi water leakGerman luxury car like an Audi could suffer from water leaks it is actually more common than you think. And it is not limited to just the lower-end models. There are reports of the Q7 and A8 having issues. There is nothing more disconcerting than washing your Audi in preparation for a nice night on the town. And the next thing you know your feet are soaking wet.

There have been a number of threads in the AudiWorld forums over the years that have discussed the water leak phenomenon. The censuses have been that if you are unfortunate enough to have an Audi that suffers from a water leak there are two main culprits. One is the air conditioning evaporator drain and the other is the sunroof drain. Both of these tend to get clogged with debris. The good news is that if you know where to look both are relatively simple to clear on your own and you can avoid an expensive trip to the dealer.

Wet Feet

Water leakAudi Pages site which provides a detailed walkthrough of how to clean these drains. You need nothing more than a small flat head screwdriver, a pair of needle nose pliers, a shopvac and about 45 minutes.

Sunroof Drain Tube Water Leaks

Sunroof water leakAudiWorld forums are a fantastic source of helpful information. But it would also help you to have a service manual to show you the location of the drains for your particular model. If you click HERE, you can download a PDF of most shop manuals for free. Also, investing in a good Bentley shop manual is never a bad idea either. Just one DIY fix will more than pay for the cost of the book. Happy driving and stay dry out there!

Images: Audi

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Audi Announces 2023 Model Year Updates For the US

2023 Model

The German automaker will be expanding its EV lineup later this year. Audi is now updating its US product portfolio for the 2023 model year.

The Ingolstadt brand is introducing the 2023 model year for the United States. Audi’s 2023 MY lineup will get a slew of minor and major updates across the company’s portfolio. Every single Audi model now gets additional standard and optional equipment. These include the entry-level Audi A3 and Q3 variants and the top-of-the-line A8 and Q8 offerings.

Audi will also be expanding its EV portfolio later this year. The automaker will add the Audi Q4 e-tron Q4 Sportback e-tron to its lineup. For now, the 40 and 45 variants of the 2023 Audi A4 get LED headlights with integrated LED DRLs. One will also find a Bang and Olufsen sound system in the Premium Plus trim of the nameplate, and the convenience package for the entire A4 range now gets the adaptive cruise control feature.

Audi is also updating the appearance options for the 2023 A4, including new wheels. In addition to a wide range of equipment, the Premium variant of Audi A6 and S7 now get adaptive cruise control as standard. As part of the Executive package, Audi now offers the 2023 RS7 with a remote park assist feature and a black Dinamica headliner.

Audi Announces 2023 Model Year Updates For the US

For its 2023 model year, the adaptive cruise control feature is standard across all Q5 and SQ5 variants.

November last year, the 2022 Audi A8 facelift made its world debut. As a result of this, the 2023 update now gets only minor updates across the range. Audi A8 customers opting for the German automaker’s Comfort Plus package will now get HD matrix design LED headlights. Audi will now offer the high-octane S8 version with a Valcona leather interior.

SUVs and crossovers are the best-selling body types in the market right now. Nevertheless, Audi did not refrain from updating its range for the 2023 model year. The automaker’s Q3 nameplate now gets a wireless phone charging pad and LED headlights with LED daytime running lights as standard across the lineup.

The company also offers an optional appearance package for the 40 and 45 variants of the Q3, which gets new wheel options. Perhaps one of the most significant changes for the 2023 model year is a new entry-level engine option for the Audi Q7. The SUV now gets a 2-liter four-cylinder motor which churns out 261 HP of maximum power.

Lastly, Audi’s flagship Q8 and SQ8 models also get HD matrix design LED headlights and headlight washers as standard for the 2023 model year.

Image source: Audi

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Audi Urbansphere Concept is a Futuristic Vision For Urban Travel

Urbansphere

Audi Urbansphere concept vehicle gets Audi’s PPE electric vehicle platform and charging (up to 270kW fast) capability.

Earlier in February, the Head of Audi Design Marc Lichte discussed the gorgeous Audi Skysphere concept. The car draws inspiration from the controversial and mysterious Horch 853. Even though Audi Skysphere is quite an eye-catching grand tourer concept, we were impatiently waiting for Audi’s take on a futuristic utility vehicle, since crossovers and SUVs are the most popular body types in the market. The wait is over as the Ingolstadt brand recently unveiled the all-new Audi Urbansphere concept.

Audi Urbansphere is the final installment of Audi’s next-generation concept cars. The Sphere concepts showcase how the Ingolstadt brand’s electric architecture will underpin its autonomous offerings in the future. The utility vehicle gets Level 4 autonomous driving features and is the largest Audi concept. For context, the Urbansphere is 500 mm longer than the Q7 SUV, which is the biggest product in Audi’s portfolio.

The powertrain of the Audi Urbansphere gets a dual electric motor setup. The EV’s 120 kWh battery pack can deliver 466 miles of range (WLTP) and also churns out 400 HP of maximum power and around 509 lb-ft of peak torque. Audi’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) vehicle architecture underpins the all-new Urbansphere concept. The vehicle rides on 24-inch wheels and comes complete with adaptive air suspension and rear-axle steering.

Urbansphere

“Audi Light Canvas” is an LED digital light surface that dominates the front end of the Urbansphere instead of a traditional grille.

Even with its imposing dimensions, Audi claims that it designed the new concept car for applications in megacities. In an official press release, the company also reveals that Audi is targeting the Chinese market with its Urbansphere concept. For the uninitiated, China happens to be the world’s largest electric vehicle market.

With the help of a “co-creation” approach, the teams at Audi’s design studios in Beijing were able to finalize the design of the Audi Urbansphere while accounting for the needs of customers across Beijing. Chairman of the Board Management at Audi AG, Markus Duesmann, shared his thoughts on the new Urbansphere concept. “To make e-mobility even more attractive, we think about it holistically and from the customer’s needs,” says Markus.

Image Source: Audi

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New vs. Old: Audi e-tron Sportback Races a V12-powered Q7 TDI

New vs. Old: Audi e-tron Sportback Races a V12-powered Q7 TDI

Mat Watson of CarWow drag races an Audi e-tron Sportback against a 2009 Q7 TDI equipped with a 6-liter V12 motor.

In one of CarWow‘s most recent videos, the YouTube channel uses the age-old rivalry between old and new as a parameter to investigate how an Audi e-tron Sportback fares against a first-generation Q7 (facelift model). The latter is propelled by a 6-liter V12 TDI diesel engine which produced 493 HP of maximum power and 738 lb-ft of peak torque in its factory tune.

CarWow’s presenter Mat Watson was quite impressed by the diesel Q7. Watson recently also proclaimed that the Q4e-tron is the best electric SUV on sale. Even though the e-tron Sportback is more powerful than its smaller sibling, it is still no match for the Q7 TDI, when it comes to the overall power output. The all-electric SUV produces 405 HP of power and around 490 lb-ft of torque. So it would seem that a drag race between the two models would favor the internal combustion model.

However, Watson was quick to highlight that “the idea behind this race is to show just how fast these latest electric cars are compared to internal combustion engines.” At 5,390 lbs the Sportback is much lighter than the V12 Q7, which weighs around 5,809 lbs. Thanks to its electric-only powertrain, the Sportback should also accelerate much faster than the Q7 TDI. Unsurprisingly, Watson also shared our opinion. “It could be a very close race. This (e-tron Sportback) will get off the line very very well, not sure how that (V12 Q7 TDI) will get off the line,” said Watson.

New vs. Old: Audi e-tron Sportback Races a V12-powered Q7 TDI

After an underwhelming soundcheck, both cars lined up for the first bout where the Q7 TDI proved to be victorious, on the account of a driver’s error.  Mat’s reaction time cost him the first race. “I held on the brake, and it just didn’t go very well,” explained Watson. Luckily, the drivers agreed to race a couple of more times, and on both occasions, the e-tron Sportback won the race with a quarter-mile time of 13.5 seconds.

The Q7 TDI made up for its losses by beating the e-tron Sportback in back-to-back rolling drag races, but the battery-powered model performed better in brake tests thanks to regenerative braking. Overall, CarWow’s latest webisode offers a thrilling ride and keeps the viewers on their toes throughout the video.

Image Source: CarWow

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