It was a double delight for local fans of the four rings as its Jamaican arm, Audi Jamaica, launched the new Q7 SUV and Q8 SUV coupé together on Friday, July 26 at their Oxford Road showroom.

“We’ve missed having the Audi Q7 and Q8, because we had been waiting on the new production allocations and for Audi to launch them both,” Damien Kerr, general manager, Oxford Road, told the Jamaica Observer‘s weekly Auto magazine.

Kerr admitted that the delay may have cost Audi Jamaica sales; however, he was quick to note that the Q8s were all spoken for and the market still has a demand for premium seven-seat SUVs.

“The Q7 and Q8 are key to Audi. They represent the largest models we sell,” he said.

The Q7 has received a visual update that sets the tone for Audi going forward. The body now has minimal and cleaner lines, with the most obvious change to the Audi singleframe grille.

There is both a material and design transformation that emphasises the powerful and more present appearance of the new Q7. On either side of the grille are available HD Matrix LED headlights, and in the back, digital OLED rear lights to provide a unique lighting signature coming, going, or turning.

From its launch, 18 years ago, the Q7 has been developed as a flagship luxury seven-seat SUV. It continues to have generous headroom and elbowroom in both the front and back. The standard panoramic sunroof offers a first-class, airily spacious atmosphere. The third row consists of two electrically folding seats accessible from not only the trunk, but either side of the rear doors.

Under the bonnet of the Q7 is a 3-litre V6 making 340bhp. This is connected to an eight-speed tiptronic transmission, quattro permanent four-wheel drive, and a mild hybrid system that powers a 48V system. The latter allows the Q7 to coast with the engine off for up to 40 seconds under certain circumstances, and effortless start-stop behaviour.

“I believe with this new facelift, a look I really love, I believe we’re probably going to increase our Q7 sales. We have quite a lot of pent up demand already, so we’re trying fill that and as well with the launch event gain new customers,” explained Kerr.

The sportier Q8 stays steadfastly so. It also gains the new front fascia, having the singleframe grille in high-gloss black and the new corporate logo, the new four rings in contrasting white and black instead of chrome. There are also more colour options for the interior, exterior, and wheels available.

“The Q8 looks fabulous. We’ve been able to few more sporty features, making the seatbelts red and so on. We believe with the new exciting colours, and the new fascia that adds a little more aggression, a little more style, it will further make a difference in the sales as customers can further customise their cars,” shared Kerr.

He called Audi a brand of the future and, while there isn’t an electric version of the Q7, there will be a high performance version, the SQ7 with its 4-litre V8 motor.

Audi Jamaica will also soon launch the smaller Q6 e-tron, a revised A3 sedan. For 2025 there are even more model changes and electrified vehicles on the horizon.