700 miles in the Audi Q7 TFSI e - the perfect long-distance cruiser?

Once packed, we all bundle into the car, and the first thing we notice is that the cabin is every bit as vast as the Q7’s enormous exterior dimensions would suggest. In the back, space is nothing short of palatial, with the three full-size rear seats offering an abundance of leg and head room thanks to sliding and reclining abilities. 

And it’s the same story in the front, where our particularly elongated videographer (6ft 2in) gives an approving nod as he extends his legs and pushes back into the sumptuous Valcona leather passenger seat.

With everyone comfortable and everything packed, it’s time to hit the road.

First-class comfort

Like many people, I struggle to look at my phone for prolonged periods of time as a passenger, let alone type on a laptop. But in the back of the Q7, I’m finding it remarkably easy.

Part of that is unquestionably due to the earliness of our departure – the M25 isn’t its usual stop-start self this side of 7am – but I’m putting most of it down to the velvety ride afforded by the Q7’s brilliant optional Adaptive Air Suspension.

Those lucky enough to have experienced advanced air suspension set ups like this will attest to their utter brilliance.

Ruts, divots and cracks in the road that would usually send jarring tremors up through the chassis and into the cockpit are smoothed over as if not there at all. Even the notoriously rough concrete section of the M25 is absorbed without a hint of fuss.

So glossy is the ride – complemented beautifully by the near-sound-proof double glazing that transforms the interior of the Q7 into a cocoon of total tranquillity – that before we know it we're 85 miles into our journey and just a few minutes from Folkestone and the Eurotunnel.

After crawling through customs, we eventually slalom our way onto the narrow train, helpfully guided by the Q7’s parking sensors and 360-degree overhead-view camera – we won’t be leaving any paint on the carriage.

Quarter of an hour later we’re halfway to France and 246 feet under the Channel – giving us a bit of time to take a more detailed look around Q7’s lavish interior.

Up front, the modern, minimalist gloss-black dashboard and flashes of aluminium trim ooze opulence, while the LED ambient lighting (currently set to purple) sends a plush, soothing hue throughout the entire cabin.

In the middle of the dashboard sit two 10.1in touchscreens, stacked neatly one above the other. Both are slightly angled toward the driver for a sporty, cockpit-like feel. The upper display houses Audi’s advanced, always-online MMI infotainment system, while the lower screen manages the tri-zone climate control and heated seats. Both screens feature clever haptic feedback for a reassuring, tactile feel.

In the back, the dark headlining, tinted glass, window blinds, and deep carpets combine for a truly lavish passenger experience. Le Shuttle doesn’t have a first-class carriage, but if it did, it would look like this.

There’s also plenty of charging ports dotted around to keep devices topped up, while an abundance of useful pockets and cubbies means there’s plenty of space for all our travel snacks – essential for a journey of this length.

After just 35 minutes, we emerge in Calais and continue our drive.

Clever in-car tech to whisk away the miles

As the flat farmlands of northern France flash by in bursts of green and brown, we can’t help but be impressed by the Q7’s sense of effortless pace. There’s a real purpose to the way it covers miles – it wants to get to the destination just as much as you do.

But, alas, progress is short lived as we soon encounter heavy traffic around Brussels. However, this acts as another crucial test of the Q7’s capabilities. No long-distance drive is ever without congestion, so being able to deal with it well is a must.

Up until this point of the journey, we’ve had the Q7 in ‘Auto’ driving mode, which means the live navigation system has worked with clever predictive sensors to seamlessly blend the electric motor and 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine for maximum efficiency.

But now, as we slow right down, the system switches to full EV mode, which means despite the stunted stop-start traffic, progress is silky smooth and whisper quiet – and it also means we’re saving on fuel.

The Q7’s 26kWh battery offers up to 52 miles of electric-only range* when fully charged – one of the best in class, and topping up from a 7.4kW wallbox takes as little as 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Or, as we’ve been doing on this trip, clever regenerative braking and energy recapture during coasting can pump power back into the battery for later use. 

Twenty minutes later we break free of the traffic, and after a whistle stop tour of Belgium and a short flash through the southern tip of the Netherlands, the signs finally switch to German.

Now by this point, almost eight hours into our 12-hour drive, it would be easy for the endless motorway miles and fairly monotone landscape to become tiring for both driver and passengers – but that’s where the Q7 reveals another long-haul strength: its ability to keep you fresh and focused, mile after mile.

As standard, the Q7 comes with a wealth of advanced driver assistance systems that take the sting out of long journeys like this. In our top-rung Vorsprung-spec car, for example, adaptive cruise control keeps you a safe distance from the car ahead at all times, and can even bring the car to a complete stop in traffic, while lane assist will stop you from wandering off course, and traffic sign recognition means you’re never in danger of creeping over the speed limit – particularly useful in continental Europe, where speed limits seem to randomly change every few miles.

And it’s not just safety tech that can keep you alert and attentive. Our Q7’s optional 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system (currently blasting Oasis’ Little by Little…), is sonorous enough to command your full attention, while the large, high-definition 12.3in Audi Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster and optional head-up display puts vital driving information right in your line of sight, so you can keep your eyes firmly on the road.

With just under four hours to go, we pull into a service station to swap drivers one last time. My turn – and with autobahn country now all around us, it’s time to see what the Q7 can really do…

Continent-crushing performance

As we rejoin the carriageway and effortlessly cruise up to the speed limit, I take stock of my new surroundings. The driver’s seat, for starters, blends comfort and sportiness beautifully – the side bolsters hugging, but not restricting me.

And in my hands, the flat-bottomed three-spoke leather steering wheel feels fantastically ergonomic, with the small ‘S-line’ emblem at the bottom adding a nice dash of Audi flair.

Visibility is great, too. The high-rise seating position gives me a commanding view of the road ahead, while the big windows and large wing mirrors mean I have great all-round awareness. The Q7 is a large car, but it really doesn’t feel it on the road.

An hour or so later, we come across our first stretch of totally clear autobahn. As I flick the driving mode from ‘Auto’ to ‘Dynamic’, we feel the air suspension stiffen and the whole car hunker down. As we pass the derestricted sign, I accelerate hard and the Q7’s 3.0-litre V6 roars into life, the car surging forward with breathtaking urgency. 

With 394PS and 600Nm of torque on tap – and confidence-inspiring quattro all-wheel drive to get it all down – the Q7 feels every bit as quick, if not quicker, than its 5.7-second 0-62mph time suggests.

Within just a few moments, we begin to see cars in the distance and slacken off, all mesmerised by the sheer viscerality of what we’d just experienced. The car that has ferried us comfortably, efficiently, near-silently for the last 11 hours had, at the touch of a button, transformed into an entirely different beast – one that truly belies its size and weight.