At $84,000, a six- or seven-passenger luxury SUV better provide some unmistakable style, cutting-edge technology and fearsome performance, when summoned. And though we missed seeing three-plus years’ worth of incremental changes, the 2025 Audi Q7 is a good summary of the brand’s ongoing progress.

The reality is that the 2025 Q7 is a moderately updated version of a vehicle last largely revised in 2020, though this year’s model sees a healthy number of refinements to the exterior, as well as some new tech bits. 

Those include long-awaited access to streaming music services on the multimedia interface, plus the intriguing traffic light information system and standard Google maps, access to both of which is by subscription after a three-year trial.

After a break, you can easily forget that a relatively large, three-row vehicle such as this Q7, parked on upgraded, diamond-shaped 21-inch wheels and high-performance all-seasons, is still entirely imbued with racy Audi DNA. 

I first thought my 55 model’s turbocharged engine was a little labored on shifts and overall acceleration, even in the vehicle’s Dynamic drive mode (there’s a 261-hp 2.0-liter version, this vehicle’s 335-hp 3.0-liter V6 and the ridiculous 500-hp 4.0-l V8 on the SQ7).

But lean into it, hard – pedal, steering and braking – and the 5,000-pound Q7 does things that other full-sized SUVs can’t, won’t and don’t do. It has cornering grip, stability and high-speed prowess that are astounding, and can handle a thrashing like a vehicle half its size. And, when I looked, generate 14.2 mpg in the process, though 20 mpg city/highway is the official rating.

Maybe don’t do that with the three rows full of people, but know that the Q7 has capability aplenty, and responds to heavy pressure on the accelerator, in safe environments. The inclusion of all-wheel steering, a $1,350 option, added to the vehicle’s versatility, both out on the road and for much easier parking jobs in tight spots. The bigger engine (or that crazy V8) both mean 7,700 pounds of towing, as well.

Happily, performance also comes with an extensive suite of safety features and programs, some of which were one-of-a-kind a decade ago but are now found on more pedestrian vehicles. The Pre-Sense forward collision warnings and automatic braking, the super-bright blind spot warnings inside the mirrors and an aggressive lane-keep system are all there. There’s also this year’s added traffic light system, which tells you quite accurately how long you’ll have to wait an upcoming red light, especially in Front Range cities where the lights have been updated to broadcast that info.

My ride, with standard Quattro all-wheel drive and that 3.0-liter engine, had a base price of about $66,000. It had been upgraded to the Prestige Package, a $12,000 option group that included a 3-D sound Bang and Olufsen sound system, a four-zone HVAC system with touchscreen controls in the second row, ultra-brilliant laser-light LED headlamps, leather throughout, as well as heated/ventilated/massaged front-row seats.

And just like every other brand on earth, Audi now offers its own $2,100 Black optic package, which included those matte gray wheels, black exterior trim and logos, plus darkened chrome exhaust outlets. For 2025, they’ve decreased the amount of drama on the Q7’s face and body, with small upright posts in the octagonal grille, and here that grille, the window trim, the door trim and the rear fascia are all a glossy black.

That complements the very attractive interior, which is still reminiscent of a Q8 I last drove in 2019, so changes there are clearly not a quantum leap. You still get a moderately overwhelming mix of touchscreen displays and temperature-sensitive accent lighting throughout the cabin, with upper and lower center touchscreens. 

The lower screen, which mostly offers HVAC controls, still seems like an attention-grabbing overstatement. It also still uses an Audi-specific haptic design, meaning you really have touch the screen, quite hard, to effect any changes. 

Otherwise, it’s a beautiful mix of glossy black and chrome-edged appliques on the dash front and center console, real wood surrounds, stitched leather and a flat layer of vents. The odd multi-position center armrest pops up to reveal a phone charger, but almost no other storage space besides a deep, pop-down holster box by the driver’s left knee.

The ashtrays (really) in the second-row doors speak to some long-ago German car style, plus optional manual window shades. Seating is all stiff and efficient, but so tightly configured, so I wasn’t able to power-lift the tiny third-row seats without inching the second-row seats out of the way. Third-row up, you’re left with a pretty small cargo area; I thought there might be more room under the cargo deck, but it’s filled up with maybe the largest audio subwoofer I’ve ever seen. You can also airlift or drop the suspension remotely to help with cargo loading.     

Andy Stonehouse’s column “Mountain Wheels” publishes Saturdays in the Summit Daily News. Stonehouse has worked as an editor and writer in Colorado since 1998, focusing on automotive coverage since 2004. He lives in Golden. Contact him at summitmountainwheels@gmail.com.