Is it a sports car or an SUV? Audi blurs those lines when it comes to the 2025 Audi SQ7. First and foremost, it’s an SUV—and a good-sized one, boasting three rows of seats and plenty of cargo space. But getting behind the wheel and hearing the roar of the powerful V8 engine—accompanied by its outstanding handling—makes the SQ7 feel like a sports car. Not only is the SQ7 considerably more powerful than the last Q7 we reviewed, but it also gets styling and feature updates for the 2025 model year.
Photo: Perry Stern
While the 2025 Audi SQ7 and the 2021 Q7 we last reviewed are quite similar, significant updates come with the 2025 model year in addition to features found only on the higher-performance variant. Differences include:
The 2025 Audi Q7 comes standard as a three-row SUV, available in three model series—Q7 45, Q7 55, and SQ7—and three trim packages: Premium, Premium Plus, or Prestige. Prices range from around $62,000 for the Q7 45 Premium to around $98,000 for the SQ7 Prestige, including the destination charge.
For this review of the 2025 SQ7, Audi provided a test vehicle equipped with the Prestige trim package and the following significant options:
The test vehicle's manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) was $119,640, including the $1,195 destination charge to ship the SUV to your local dealership from the Bratislava, Slovakia, assembly plant.
Photo: Perry Stern
It's been five years since Audi introduced the high-performance SQ7 to American buyers; that coincided with the release of the second-generation Q7. For the 2025 model year, the Q7/SQ7 gets a significant design update, giving the big SUV a modern, sporty look.
Audi's signature Singleframe grille is a dominant element common to all the German luxury brand’s SUVs. For 2025, the octagonal grille gets new vertical inlays, making it look even larger. My SQ7 test vehicle featured the Black Optic package, which gives the grille a unique pattern and blacks out the large four-circle logo in the center and the vehicle's badging. The black trim works well with the Chili Red—one of the new colors for 2025—giving the SUV a sinister look.
Flanking the grille are updated Matrix-design LED headlights with daytime running lights featuring four customizable patterns that give the SQ7 a distinctive look at night. For the first time, the SQ7 is available with OLED taillights that feature the same customizable styles as up front.
The revised rear bumper on the SQ7 better showcases the large quad exhaust outlets that hint at this SUV's V8 power. The new 22-inch multi-spoke wheels, exclusive to the SQ7, round out the updated look.
Interior changes are more subtle than the exterior updates but elevate the SQ7's sporty nature. A new carbon twill matte trim highlights the dashboard and center console, and the high-end SUV is available with red seat belts and red stitching throughout the cabin.
The stylish new seat trim continues to the second row, along with the red seat belts. Seating space is good, and there are dual-zone rear-seat climate controls and heated outboard seats. A panoramic sunroof adds to the spacious feeling.
All SQ7s have a two-passenger third row, but access requires some flexibility. Once there, legroom of just 29.2 inches makes this a space best suited to small children. The third-row seats fold to create a flat cargo floor; if you don't need to seat seven passengers, it's a much better use of space.
Photo: Perry Stern
The 2025 Audi SQ7 continues with its unique dual-screen infotainment system that's been standard since this high-performance SUV launched. The primary 10.1-inch touchscreen features haptic response when you select features, making it feel like pushing a button. It works well, but it takes some getting used to. Just lightly touching the screen doesn't result in a selection; it requires pressing the icon.
The lower 8.6-inch display features all climate functions. While I prefer knobs and buttons, the system is easy to use. There's quick access to seat heat and ventilation controls, and Audi clearly lays out how to adjust the air flow speed and direction. Adding to the high-tech look is the high-resolution 12.3-inch digital driver display. Audi calls this its Virtual Cockpit, and it features multiple configurations, including the option to show full-screen navigation with satellite imagery.
For the 2025 model year, Audi adds new functionality that allows customers to download popular apps like Spotify, YouTube, and Zoom from the Audi App Store to run as native features in the infotainment system. This functionality requires a subscription to Audi Connect Plus, which includes a high-speed Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight devices. A six-month trial subscription comes with every new SQ7, after which the price is $25 per month.
The SQ7 also has wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. I easily connected my Samsung Galaxy S23+, and Android Auto launched automatically every time I started the vehicle. Many popular features downloadable from the Audi App with the subscription service are already part of Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. With either Android Auto or the in-house apps, the music sounds fantastic on the optional Bang & Olufsen Advanced sound system, putting out 1,920 watts through 23 speakers.
The advanced technology in the Audi SQ7 isn't just for in-cabin entertainment features; it also improves the driving experience. In addition to its powerful V8, the SQ7 comes standard with Quattro all-wheel drive (AWD), larger front brake rotors, sport adaptive air suspension, and four-wheel steering. The rear-wheel steering system turns the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels at higher speeds for better stability and the opposite direction at lower speeds for improved maneuverability.
My SQ7 had the optional S Sport package, adding active roll stabilization that keeps the big SUV flat in the turns and a sport rear differential that varies torque between the rear wheels for improved traction and cornering. Red brake calipers are also part of the package. They don't add stopping power, but they look cool.
Photo: Perry Stern
Not only does the SQ7 boast sporty styling that helps it stand out from the rest of the Q7 lineup, but it also has the power to back up those looks. Under the hood is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine, putting out 500 hp and 568 pound-feet of torque. Power runs to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Unfortunately, the powerful V8 is thirsty. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the 2025 Audi SQ7 gets an estimated 17 mpg in combined driving. During my drive loop with a mix of highway, city, and twisty back roads, the trip computer indicated 15.2 mpg.
I love the sound of the Audi’s V8 engine, and when I started the SQ7 for the first time, the rumble coming from the four exhaust outlets made me smile. The SQ7 isn't small or light, weighing more than 5,200 pounds, but with the excellent grip provided by the Quattro AWD system, the big SUV shoves you back in the seat when you launch it from a stop. Audi says the SQ7 can reach 60 mph in just four seconds, and I have no reason to doubt this figure.
The big Audi gets up to highway speed quickly, and if you're not careful, it will just as quickly continue past the legal limit. On the highway, the ride is smooth and quiet, with the adaptive air suspension absorbing all but the worst bumps in the road and the dual-pane acoustic glass side windows keeping the noise out. With the seat massager in action, I set the adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assistance to 70 mph and turned up the volume on the high-end audio system, making the SQ7 a nice place to spend a long drive.
When I left the highway to tackle some of my favorite back roads in Southeast Michigan, it was easy to forget that I was driving a seven-passenger SUV. The Audi SQ7 behaves like a much smaller vehicle, with quick steering response and agile handling.
Many of the winding country roads I drove while testing the SQ7 were in disrepair following a cold Michigan winter. Still, the adaptive air suspension and active roll stabilization helped to keep the SQ7 stable, delivering a confident ride even when pressed hard around sharp corners. Quattro helped put the power to the road when accelerating out of a curve, accompanied by the Audi's intoxicating V8 growl.
Photo: Perry Stern
The 2025 Audi SQ7 delivers performance and handling at a level unexpected for a seven-passenger SUV. While it benefits from a powerful V8 under the hood, the SQ7's suspension and drivetrain technology set it apart from its standard Q7 siblings. More than just a high-performance machine, the Audi SQ7 delivers a high-end experience on par with the best luxury SUVs available.
While third-row space in the SQ7 is a tight squeeze, rivals to the high-performance Audi like the BMW X5 M or Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S don't offer a third row, and they are less affordable than the Audi. So, if you're looking to entertain all the driving enthusiasts in the family, the three-row SQ7 could be the ideal solution.
Perry Stern has worked in the automotive industry for over 30 years and has always been a car enthusiast. Driving almost every new car on the market, Perry has written for multiple publications in addition to his work for JDPower.com. Recently relocated to southeast Michigan, Perry remains passionate about cars, especially his 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
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