Born out of the platform of the BMW X5, the all new X7 is just a huge leap ahead in the field of BMW’s SUV section. Quite understandable, the BMW X7 can be re-written as the 7-seater SUV. After being on the sidelines for all this while, whereas, the other competitors have been flooding the roads with similar 7-seaters. But not anymore. The X7 tends to give it a chance and take on the competitor head on.

Audi, on the other hand, is one of the first companies to offer AWD (all wheel drive) drivetrain. Yet, it is a kind of a late comer as far as SUVs are concerned. The company entered the SUV market only in 2006, with the original Audi Q7. The second generation model of Q7 looks a very close template of the first model.

So, here are the two titans, in a battle of the likes. The two power packed SUVs lock horn once the former, the BMW model, is launched. But before that, it is important to at least get these two cars together and draw a close comparison, on paper, what they have on offer and what makes them such talked about and talked about SUVs.

Exteriors

The BMW X7 is far away from getting the traditionally known muscular body. Instead, the company has adopted a more classic design for the upcoming luxury 7-seater. Up front, there is a split square-ish grille with rounded corners and vertical slats. There is a generous quantity of chrome inserts all over. The body is not very fancy or sculpted but is more inclined towards attaining the classic design.

On the other hand, the Audi Q7, though not so curvy itself, looks like a perfect SUV-cum-cruiser. The Q7 manages to look big and generous by its outer design only. The front profile is flanked by a flatted and horizontally stretched headlamps cluster. The front bumper is muscular and gets the trademark hexagonal grille with horizontal slats. The lower side profile gets a thin strip of faux metal strip running from the front wheel arches to the rear ones. The back section is very much inline with the front and perfectly compliments the slanting coupe-ish roof. The roof gets lower roof rails,which are modest in rising to its deck.

Interiors

The BMW X7 is very spacious from within and gets features that define luxury. The front row is big and comfortable and gets a big cushioned armrest. The dashboard wears a very detailed look with a touchscreen infotainment system and buttons bits everywhere, including the three-spoke alloy wheels. The horizontally slatted AC vents are well placed below the screen to offer better cooling. The two rows at the back are quite spacious, with the second one being more comfortable than the third. The third row is foldable to make the boot bigger.

The Audi Q7 is added with an interior dashboard which is arguably one of the best in the segment. The pop up display unit seems to be detached and is placed well away from the main cluster. The AC vents are long and extend up to the other side of the front panel. The layout is much funkier than the BMW counterpart and looks better. The seating layout is same as BMW, with a foldable last row. The seats are given a touch of elegance with premium leather upholstery.

Power plant

The BMW X7 is a close replica of the 7-series sedan, with the tuning done according to the needs of an SUV. The entry level variant gets a 3.0-litre turbocharged engine, which is capable of making a maximum power of 320 bhp. The top-of-the-line variant gets an even more powerful 4.4-litre V8 engine which makes a max power of 445 hp.

On the contrary, the Audi Q7 gets a lesser powerful engine but is smoother and gutsier to drive. The 3.0-litre engine is just enough to make a max power of 268 bhp. But this helps in keeping the cost low and also provide the best acceleration and power even in lower revs (1,500 revs per minute). This makes the Q7 an effortless machine.

Verdict

Getting down to a verdict is not an easy thing, especially if you are comparing two cars from giant luxury car makers. Both the cars are elegant, powerful and smart. Drawing a conclusion line on this comparison is difficult.

If you think the BMW X7 is more powerful, the Audi Q7 is no less and has a new definition of smoothness to offer. If The X7 looks good on the outside, with split front grille, the Q7 takes the interior designing to a new level. Choosing one among the two on the basis of merit is a difficult task to be achieved. The only parameter on which you could possibly be able to make a decision is on preference. The elegance of BMW or the finesse of Audi – a question of personal choice and preference