The article was originally produced on February 3, 2010, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Audi Q7 V12 Tdi

When you press the start button and the V12 diesel starts up, it's very smooth. Not at all like a petrol V12. I roll away and with the incredible twist this car has, it feels like sliding around on a tongan when cruising in town. But then you first stop at a red light and get the opportunity to press the gas pedal all the way to the floor. The V12 diesel comes to life and the 1000 newton meters of torque make the car almost surge, the torque is so violent that you almost let off the gas automatically for self-preservation.

 

When you press the start button and the V12 diesel starts up, it's very smooth. Not at all like a petrol V12. I roll away and with the incredible twist this car has, it feels like sliding around on a tongan when cruising in town. But then you first stop at a red light and get the opportunity to press the gas pedal all the way to the floor. The V12 diesel comes to life and the 1000 newton meters of torque make the car almost surge, the torque is so violent that you almost let off the gas automatically for self-preservation. 

The sound coming from the V12 diesel is unlike any other V12. It's a much more mechanical sound and at first you might think something isn't right. Of course, the Turbo swallows a lot of the sound, but as you know, a diesel engine sounds very different from a petrol engine and when all 12 cylinders are running at full blast, they make a very nice sound.

My trip for the test has Åre as the destination. And the journey up is completely undramatic and the 67 miles feel more like 6.7 miles. You sit royally in the Q7 and practically float forward with the air suspension. Once up in Åre, I have come to an agreement with Audi's people who are in charge of the test drives on the ice of Lake Åre. But in order to drive on the ice, I have to fill up with synthetic environmental diesel, and Audi has promised to supply me with that on the spot. This is something Audi had to have because of the environment. The problem, however, is that I arrive in Åre with half a tank of regular diesel. So for 1 day I have to run out of half a tank of regular diesel in central Åre to then drive 30 minutes on the lake. Maybe not so environmentally minded. However, a plus on the edge for those of us who are jokingly part of the "Fossil Fuel Weekend" group. I am of course grateful for the pleasant drive on the lake that it entailed and which was mostly on a wide range.

And in an environmental aspect, the Q7 V12 Tdi is actually really stingy if you compare a petrol V12 with the same liters and the same horses. The average consumption was around ? liters per mile and if it had been a petrol car with the same type of driving, 3 liters per mile probably wouldn't have been enough. 

Sure, a Hummer H2 is bigger, but the Audi Q7 V12 Tdi is the car for you who want to be disturbed and have the most power of all but want to drive a diesel. You also don't care that you can buy a super sports car for the same money, because you probably already have one in the garage. The Audi Q7 V12 Tdi is the tip of the iceberg and has everything you want and then some!