2027 Audi SQ7 PHEV Spied: Three-Row Performance SUV Looks Like A BMW Designed By GM

The Hot Version Of The Audi Q7 Can Hide Its True Style No Longer

The Autoblog spy photographers have sent us a new batch of images that reveal the upcoming 2027 Audi SQ7 with minimal camouflage and many changes over its predecessor. There’s still some vinyl deception around the lower headlight clusters and upper taillight elements, over the front and rear badges, and on the side windows behind the B-pillar, but enough of the production design is evident to see that the SQ7 (and the Q7 upon which it is based) will look a lot more American, with a sprinkling of BMW. From a distance, the decals over the upper taillights give the SUV a look not dissimilar to a BMW X5 or X7, but that’s not what catches our eye here. Take a closer look at the door handles. Instead of flush-fitting or recessed handles, this SUV has tiny stubs at the base of the B- and C-pillars, something that we’ve seen on BMW’s Vision Neue Klasse concepts (among other SUVs).

Some Audi SQ7 Design Cues Look Like GM Penned Them

The front three-quarter close-up that heads this article shows a sharp hood crease that draws the eye to a narrow LED daytime running light atop a flat-faced front end. Call us crazy, but we see more than a little bit of the latest Chevrolet Traverse in that front end, and at the back, the vaned graphics in the lower taillight call to mind the Escalade IQ, while the overall shape of the rear clusters isn’t far off what the Chevy Blazer EV’s designers styled. Once the camouflage comes off, and with a color other than back, this should look more like its own thing, and the roof spoiler, quad-exit exhaust, diffuser, and large-mesh front grille will help onlookers identify it as the hot Q7. Earlier sightings have also revealed that a narrow pinstripe will connect the taillights, which will have customizable graphics, helping the SUV stand out at night.

Plug-In Hybrid Power

The spy shots reveal ports on either side of the vehicle, one for gas and one for electricity, confirming that the hotted-up Q7 will be a plug-in hybrid. What’s uncertain is whether this new model will have a V8 like the current 500-horsepower model. Although Audi will reportedly continue to power the next RS6 with an electrified eight-cylinder engine, the automaker has not revealed where else it may be used, and it’s entirely possible that only top-tier RS vehicles get access. But even if it uses the 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 from the Cayenne S E-Hybrid, where it produces 512 ponies, we can expect more overall output, greater efficiency, and sadly, a higher price, with our spies reporting that the new SQ7 is likely to cost in the region of €130,000, or over $150,000. This prototype is still hiding views of its cabin, so there’s still a substantial amount of work to do. It’s possible the new SQ7 will be revealed before the end of 2025, but we believe a 2026 debut for the 2027 model year is more likely.

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