Seven-seat family cars are made for large families and are designed to be large, spacious, safe, and filled with all sorts of storage spaces, and family-oriented gadgets. The only Audi that offers seven seats, for now, is the Audi Q7 until the highly-anticipated Audi Q9 comes out.
The Q7 is the largest Audi SUV and it does not come with seven seats as standard. With seven seats in place, the Q7 is comfortably able to pack in 5 adults and two children in the back which is perfectly in line with all the other cars from this segment such as the Mercedes GLE, the Land Rover Discovery, and the BMW X5.
The first generation of the Q7 was released in the mid-2000s, and the second generation was released in 2017. The 2nd generation post-facelift Q7 was released a year or two ago which means that it is soon going to be replaced with a brand-new model.
The Q7 is a really good family car which means that it is quiet, comfortable, safe, easy to drive, and packed with family features such as easy to reach IsoFix mounting points on almost all seats, rear-seat entertainment package, wide-opening doors, child locks, and a large cargo area.
Why do seven-seater cars exist?
As far as seven-seater cars go, you can choose between mid-size SUVs, full-size SUVs, and minivans. The mid-size SUV segment is the most popular seven-seater car segment, but it is not able to match full-size SUVs and minivans for passenger space. Cars like the Q7 were not originally intended to be available with seven seats, but automakers decided to do so because not everyone is constantly using seven seats.
The Q7, the Mercedes Benz GLE, and the BMW X5 are the three most popular German executive mid-size SUVs with seven seats, and only a small portion of these is being bought with the seven-seat option. SUVs such as these exist because automakers are able to broaden the market appeal of these, but they do sacrifice space to do so.
Full-size SUVs such as the Mercedes Benz GLS, the BMW X7, the Chevy Suburban, and the Cadillac Escalade are the largest SUVs you can buy these days. Packing seven seats in these SUVs makes even more sense because they are large enough not to suffer when it comes to passenger space.
Minivans are the best seven-seater cars because they make use of available space the best. They are also best when it comes to family-friendly features while also being the safest.
Audi Q7 – Is it a good family car?
A good family car offers a few distinct benefits such as space, safety, comfort, and various family-friendly gadgets. The Q7 offers an abundance of space with only 5 seats in use which means that the cargo space of the Q7 is class-leading. However, if you lower down the third row of seats, the cargo space becomes a bit more restrained.
As far as outright seating space is concerned, the first and the second row of seats hardly ever lack space, but the third row is only usable for children. Safety-wise, the Q7 is where it is at because it comes with all the 21st-century safety features while also being a 5-star safety-rated car.
The Q7 is also a quiet and comfortable car which means that falling asleep in the Q7 is as easy as it gets, something your children are likely going to appreciate. The ride quality of the Q7 is best when the car is equipped with air suspension, without it, it is quite a firm SUV.
As far as family gadgets are concerned, the Q7 is available with rear-seat entertainment, IsoFix mounting points on almost all seats, individual rear door locking, air vents on the pillars, adjustable ride height, lots of USB ports, and lots of interior cubby spaces.
Is the Audi Q9 going to be a family SUV?
The Mercedes Benz GLS and the BMW X7 are now the two largest and most luxurious German executive full-size SUVs. The X7 only came out a few years ago while the Mercedes GLS/GL has been around since 2006. We all know how competitive these three brands are, so it’s only a matter of time before Audi releases its own full-size SUV, the Audi Q9.
Judging by the available information, the Q9 is going to be the largest, most expensive, most comfortable, and most luxurious Audi SUV to date. This means that it is going directly against the GLS and the X7 to become the best family SUV on the planet.
FAQ Section
Is the Audi Q8 available with seven seats?
The Audi Q8 is not being offered with seven seats and it is likely never going to be because the chassis on which it is based was never intended to come with seven seats. If the Q8 were to offer seven seats, those rear seats would be extremely cramped thanks to the Q8s sloping roofline design.
Furthermore, the Q7 is already available with seven seats so there is really no need for the Q8 to be a seven-seater SUV. The Q8 is positioned as a more youthful, more modern approach to building an SUV.
Should I buy the Audi Q7?
If you are interested in buying a large family SUV, the Audi Q7 is indeed a car you ought to consider. First of all, it is the largest and most spacious Audi SUV which in itself makes it incredibly competitive. The current Q7 is the best one of them all while the 1st gen Q7 is the worst.
If you are interested in buying the Q7 you should focus your attention on the current post-facelift 2nd generation because it is the best from every perspective, except for the price of course.
When is the Audi Q9 coming out?
According to available data, the Audi Q9 is likely going to see the light of day really soon, but there are some pictures of it already rolling around China. This means that the Q9 is likely around the corner and we should expect it to drop even in 2022.
All in all, the Q9 is likely going to be one of the most exciting SUVs this year, so if you want a family SUV and you are not in a rush, you should wait a while before the Q9 sees the light of day.
