Review: Audi Q7 S line 3.0 TFSI quattro - This seven-seater SUV clicks all the right buttons

RM462,272. That is what Audi Malaysia wants for the Q7 S line 3.0 TFSI quattro, on the road, before you even think about the Audi Assurance Package in 2026.

It is not a small number. But after a proper stint behind the wheel, weaving through KL traffic, hammering down a few badly patched stretches of road, and parking it (badly, at first) in a few too-tight car parks, there is a strong case to be made that this is the seven-seater SUV in Malaysia for people who still want to feel something when they drive.

First impressions: it drives like a tank, and that is a compliment

The first thing you notice about the Q7 is how solid everything feels. Not heavy in a clumsy way, just planted. Point it at a bad road, a pothole, a stretch of broken tarmac that would normally have you wincing, and the car just shrugs it off.

There is a sense that this thing could plow through almost anything without breaking a sweat, and that is despite riding on 22 inch wheels wrapped in fairly low profile 285/35 rubber, which on paper should not be this forgiving.

A lot of that composure comes down to the adaptive air suspension sport fitted as standard on the S line, working hand in hand with quattro all-wheel drive and its self-locking centre differential. The suspension is constantly reading the road and adjusting damping on the fly, which is why harsh impacts rarely make it into the cabin in a jarring way.

Audi has also thrown in all-wheel steering, which quietly helps the Q7 feel more nimble than its size suggests once you are actually moving, whether that is squeezing through a gap in traffic or taking a tighter corner than you expected to.

Under the bonnet sits a 3.0 litre V6 MHEV, good for 340 PS and a meaty 500 Nm of torque from as low as 1,370 rpm all the way to 4,500 rpm. That low-down torque is the reason the Q7 mostly feels like a big, smooth, naturally aspirated engine rather than a turbocharged one.

Power delivery is unhurried and linear most of the time. Push it a bit harder, though, and you do occasionally catch the turbo working for its keep, which is a nice little reminder of what is actually going on under there. All of it runs through an 8-speed Tiptronic gearbox that stays out of the way and does its job without drama.

Big car, small car park problems

Here is the honest trade-off. The Q7 feels genuinely large to drive, and it takes a session or two before you properly know where its corners are. The surround view camera helps enormously here, and once you have spent some time with it, threading through traffic feels surprisingly agile for something this size.

But car parks remain the one place where the Q7 reminds you exactly how big it is. If your daily routine involves a lot of tight multi-storey parking in town, expect a short adjustment period.

Where the Q7 really comes alive, though, is on the highway. This is a car built for eating up long distances. Settle into a cruise, and it just hunkers down and gets on with the job, the kind of car that makes a long KL to Penang or anywhere with a long distance run feel a lot shorter than it actually is.

A cabin built to be touched, not just looked at

Step inside and the Q7 makes its strongest argument. The top of the dashboard is properly soft to the touch, as is the top of the door cards, which is the kind of detail that is easy to skip on a spec sheet but obvious the moment your hand brushes against it.

There is a band of carbon fibre-look trim running across the dash from the steering wheel to the door, and Alcantara across the mid sections. Hunt around long enough and you will eventually find hard plastic, but only right down at the bottom, well out of sight and out of reach for most occupants.

The Valcona leather sport seats are excellent, and Audi has not skimped on the rear either, with proper air vents, a rear blower control, and even rear-specific climate controls integrated into the centre console.

Noise, vibration and harshness levels are excellent throughout, which only adds to the sense that you are sitting in something properly screwed together.

What stands out most, though, is how tactile everything feels. The buttons click. Properly click, with an audible, satisfying snap that has genuinely become rare on modern cars where everything is creeping toward flat, silent touch panels. Even on the touchscreen itself, certain functions trigger a click noise that makes the whole interaction feel deliberate rather than mushy.

Audi has actually pulled off a clever trick with the centre stack. There are two screens, the main infotainment display up top, and a second one below it for climate and other functions that looks like a touchscreen but is not entirely one.

Underneath that lower screen sit what appear to be touch-sensitive Drive Select controls, but they are actually physical buttons dressed up to look like part of the touch panel, complete with a satisfying click when pressed.

Below that is a rotary volume control that doubles as a track skip button when pushed left or right, plus buttons for the camera and parking functions. There is also a dedicated button that, once you find it, gives you quick access to driver assistance settings such as adaptive cruise assist, distance warning, Audi pre sense, and lane departure warning, useful if you ever want to dial any of it down in a hurry.

The centre console storage itself is not particularly deep, so do not expect to hide much in there. It is also home to the wireless charging pad, which sounds great on paper until you realise that with the armrest closed, your phone effectively bakes inside there. Not the best spot for a wireless charger, and a genuine niggle in an otherwise thoughtfully laid out cabin.

The instrument cluster deserves a special mention too. It is genuinely well designed, with a premium look and feel that matches the rest of the cabin, and crucially, when you put navigation maps up on the cluster display, Audi has made sure the speedometer and rev counter stay visible rather than disappearing, which is more than can be said for some rivals that ask you to choose between the map and your gauges.

Sound quality comes courtesy of a Bang & Olufsen system, and it punches well above what you would expect given how well hidden the speaker grilles are not highlighted by any chrome or trim. What you'll mostly see is the two visible grilles tucked into the A-pillars and the big one on top of the dashboard. The clarity is excellent and the bass has real punch to it, a genuinely pleasant surprise.

What about the third row?

It is a three row, seven-seater SUV, so we have to talk about the third row. With any SUV built like this, the third row seats are going to be tight, and the Audi is no exception.

The trick is that you can slide the second row forward a touch, which frees up a worthwhile amount of legroom back there. It will not turn the third row into a place adults want to spend a long journey in, but for kids on a long distance drive, that little bit of extra room makes a real difference to comfort - and the second row seats too in this configuration has decent amount of legroom.

If we are talking outright third row space in this segment, the Volvo XC90 is still the one to beat. The Audi is not too far behind though, and for most buyers cross-shopping this class, it should be more than acceptable.

Looking the part, S line style

This particular Q7 wears the S line treatment, and it is not shy about it. S badges show up everywhere, right down to the side mirrors projecting an S line logo onto the ground when you open the door.

Chrome has been banished entirely in favour of a blacked-out look, and the grille is a striking, deeply three dimensional piece that anchors the whole front end. It is clearly aiming for aggressive, but it stops well short of looking tacky, landing instead on properly sporty.

I do however would have preferred for the four ring Audi emblem at the grille to be in chrome, because i feel it should wear proud that it's an Audi. 

The Q7 is still, fundamentally, a boxy SUV silhouette. But Audi has been clever about where it introduces curvature, softening the overall shape just enough that it never reads as overly slab-sided or harsh. The result is something that looks substantial and grown up rather than aggressive for the sake of it.

Where it sits in Malaysia, and what else Malaysian buyers should cross-shop

At RM462,272 OTR for private registration, the Q7 S line lands right between its closest rivals currently on sale in Malaysia. The Volvo XC90 Ultra B5 MHEV, also a seven-seater, undercuts it by a meaningful margin at RM418,888.

At the other end, the Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 4MATIC AMG Line, locally assembled in Pahang and also offered as a seven-seater, comes in well above the Q7 at upwards of RM528,888.

That puts the Q7 in a genuinely useful middle ground for Malaysian buyers shopping this segment, pricier than the Volvo, noticeably cheaper than the Mercedes, while bringing a driving experience that arguably splits the difference in the right direction.

Audi has also already revealed an all-new, third-generation Q7 globally, due to launch in Germany from September 2026. So the model reviewed here is technically on its way out in terms of generations, but that will take some time to arrive in Malaysia, so this model is still relevant i feel. 

The verdict

Is RM462,000 a lot of money for an SUV in Malaysia? Yes. But it is also worth remembering that the Q7 S line is not even the priciest full-fledged seven-seater premium SUV you can buy here, the Mercedes GLE 450 sees to that.

And once you are behind the wheel, none of the spreadsheet comparisons really matter anyway. What stays with you is the drive, planted, composed, and genuinely engaging on a good stretch of road.

Then there is the cabin, just as nice to touch as it is to look at. Soft where it counts, tactile in every button and click, finished with a level of care that makes the whole experience feel worth it.

Parking lot quirks aside, this is proof that a seven-seater SUV does not have to feel like a compromise on the way it drives. For Malaysians who still want to enjoy time behind the wheel, even with three rows and the school run in tow, the Q7 S line delivers exactly that.

Audi Q7 S line 3.0 TFSI quattro specifications

Drivetrain: 3.0 litre turbocharged V6 petrol with 48V mild hybrid system (MHEV), quattro all-wheel drive with self-locking centre differential

Engine output: 340 PS, 5,200 to 6,400 rpm

Torque: 500 Nm, 1,370 to 4,500 rpm

Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic

0-100 km/h: 5.9 seconds

Fuel consumption: 9.1 L/100km (claimed)

Fuel tank capacity: 85 litres

Suspension: Adaptive air suspension sport, all-wheel steering

Wheels and tyres: 22-inch Audi Sport 5-V-spoke star anthracite black, gloss turned finish, 285/35 R22

Seating: 7-seater (3 rows), Valcona leather sport seats plus, front seat ventilation and massage, 4-way lumbar support

Boot space: 780 litres (5 seats up), expandable to 1,908 litres with rear seats folded

Safety: Audi Pre Sense front and rear, side assist with exit warning and rear cross traffic assist, lane departure warning, Audi Connect emergency call and service, surround view camera, adaptive cruise control with efficiency, swerve and turn assist, park assist with parking system plus

Price: RM459,990 (retail)