It's really hard to not fiddle when you have a good thing going. The constant fear of being overtaken or left behind dogs your mind, and at times might play tricks on you. I guess, it's the similar sort of dilemma Audi were in when they recently launched the facelifted Q7 in Europe . Now the Q7 has been around the international markets for nearly four years and its fan base doesn't seem to be waning. So when they planned a mid-life facelift more than a year ago, the conundrum facing them was - should we or should we not? Well, they decided to take the plunge anyway and this, the facelifted Q7 will be available at your local showroom by the time you read this.
So what's new, you ask? Well, it's a facelift in the literal sense and the changes are more cosmetic than mechanical. You now get LED turn lamps and daytime running lamps. Why o why did they have to overdo it is beyond me, but well, if 23 diodes arranged in a U-shape catch your fancy, then you are the kind of person Audi wants to target. A new front bumper has also got more prominent 'chin wings', ala the A4. New shaped tail lamps with LEDs, a newly designed all-aluminium tailgate (that saves some pounds and blushes) with a flatter spoiler and a new rear bumper make the raft of major exterior changes.
On the inside, you get a new audio system with a 40 gb hard drive - 30 gb of which is dedicated for navigation alone (what a waste!). It also has two SD card slots – one for maps and the other for music. More lights on the door pads means this car is a festival all year round, with just festoons needed to complete the party. Everything else stays more or less the same, so you get seven seats (with the option of a six-seater), lots of space and lots of other gadgets to play around with.
It feels no different on the road, because mechanically this vehicle is the same, apart from a new regenerative braking system that re-charges the battery under braking, thus putting less stress on the alternator and therefore the engine. Audi claims a marginal improvement in fuel efficiency in the process and a 5 g/km CO2 reduction, which probably changes the tax band under which it's available in some countries in Europe but makes no difference to the price tag here.
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