Are suv's turning into station wagons?

Discussion in 'Station Wagon News From Around The Web' started by Krash Kadillak, Dec 12, 2014.

  1. Krash Kadillak

    Krash Kadillak Well-Known Member

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    As reported by Jalopnik (with link to TRUCKYEAH! post).......

    http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/2016-audi-q7-its-a-damn-station-wagon-1670262401

    Old Audi Q7:
    [​IMG]

    New Audi Q7:
    [​IMG]

    NEW AUDI Q7: IT'S A DAMN STATION WAGON!

    A giant one, but a station wagon nevertheless. What a bold move! The 2016 Audi Q7 is also 716.5 pounds lighter than its predecessor and will be available as a diesel plug-in hybrid with quattro all-wheel drive as well.

    Just look at that! Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, my favorite guy in the whole VW group is back at Audi as head of R&D, and look what happens! Carbon fiber makes it into the small Lambo, and the Audi Q7 stops being a boring whale with the 3.0 TFSI topping the scales at 4,343 pounds, while the 3.0 TDI is 4,398 pounds before you jump onboard.

    Being the first car that uses Audi's second-generation modular longitudinal platform, the Q7 is promised to be around 26 percent more efficient [(28% (TFSI) and 23% (TDI)] thanks to it sliding through the air with a cd value of just 0.32, plus how light it is considering that it's still a 16.6 feet long machine. It's also a bit shorter and narrower than the current car, but Audi says the new version is more spacious inside with its 9.8 foot long wheelbase and some added head, shoulder and knee room. Additionally, all three seats can each be moved longitudinally by up to 4.3 inches.

    They saved 156 pounds on the body alone, using ultra-high-strength hot-shaped steel for the occupant cell, aluminum castings, extruded sections and panels all around and the rest of the parts being made entirely of aluminum, like the doors, the front fenders, the engine hood and the rear hatch.

    You can also have it with all the bells and whistles from the Audi catalog, including an optional air suspension that has a towing capacity of 3.5 metric tons.

    As a tow vehicle, the new trailer assistant will steer the trailer backwards in precisely the direction indicated by the driver using the rotary pushbutton of the MMI. The system also manages turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction, stabilizes the trailer-tow vehicle unit when driving backwards in a straight line and when the steering wheel is turned too far warns if the trailer could hit the rear of the vehicle.

    IT'S A WAGON THAT CAN TOW BIG STUFF!

    We will know more after its debut next month at the Detroit Auto Show, but in the meantime, what do you think?
     
  2. Jairus

    Jairus Well-Known Member

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    I have always been of the belief that the current SUV is in reality a stationwagon.
    But I was shouted down by members here because it wasn't based on a coupe.

    I like the Audi, but will never own a new car. Build quality is really suspect of anything coming out of Germany these days.
     
  3. ModelT1

    ModelT1 Still Lost in the 50's

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    I look at the old Audi and the new Audi. Okay what's the difference? Still a SUV with a short rear area.
     
  4. Steve-E-D

    Steve-E-D Well-Known Member

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    Really? I would think that is a rather small one.
    The cargo area still doesn't appear to meet the length : height ratio that I consider as the distinction from hatchback sedan.
     
  5. ModelT1

    ModelT1 Still Lost in the 50's

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    They figure if they keep telling us these SUV's are station wagons we'll soon believe them. Next they'll say a Audi sedan is a sports car.
     
  6. CustomCruiser90

    CustomCruiser90 Well-Known Member

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    I like the big Ford SUV out that actually looks like a station wagon. I'd love to have one. I like the Lincoln Mark models that have little styling touches that pay homage to the 1963 Continental.
     
  7. 101Volts

    101Volts Well-Known Member

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    How long is the cargo area? In my mind it could be considered a station wagon if a rather short one.

    "Giant" - Well, in a world with tiny cars I expect so. What's the length?

    [​IMG]

    Not as long as this Wagon Limo, I'm sure.
     
  8. ModelT1

    ModelT1 Still Lost in the 50's

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    That Audi is an ugly hatchback SUV.:banghead3:
     

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