Meet the Thrifty, Europe-Bound Q7 Ultra

Audi Q7 Ultra (Credit: © Audi)

Audi offers one of the broadest selections of vehicles available today, as its offerings range from hopped-up supercars and wagons to timid and fuel-efficient cars and SUVs. On the latter side of things, the German automaker has gone even further with its lineup of Ultra vehicles, which deliver stunning fuel economy and decent performance. The latest addition to this lineup of thrifty vehicles is the Europe-bound Q7 Ultra quattro.

This model checks in with a 3.0-liter TDI engine that produces 218 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. This power head out to all four wheels via Audi’s famed quattro all-wheel-drive system. This amounts to a 0-to-62 time of 7.1 seconds and a top speed of 134 mph.

The Q7 Ultra is certainly no speed demon — the numbers above verify my claim — but it is acceptable. Where this new SUV thrives, however, is in its fuel economy. In Europe, this model ranges from 6.2 l/100 km to 5.5 l/100 km (37.9 to 42.9 mpg). It’s also pretty easy on the environment, as it emits just 144 to 161 grams of CO2 per km.

Audi failed to mention the price of this fuel-efficient SUV, but it did mention that the Q7 lineup will start from €58,000 ($62,977) in Europe – a slight price cut. It also mentioned that the Q7 will arrive on dealer lots starting in September 2015. There is no mention of a delay in releasing the Ultra model, so I assume that it’ll hit dealers at about the same time.

As for a Q7 Ultra launch in the U.S., I suggest you refrain from holding your breath. Given the fact that car buyers here are, for the most part, diesel-phobic, we likely won’t see the Q7 Ultra and its stellar mpg rating here in the States.