SPIED: NEW Shots Of The Upcoming Audi Q7 POP Up — Notice ANYTHING Different? What's Taking SO Long?

Audi had better come out with a very good Q7. As a current owner of a Q7 S-Line, I am looking towards the upcoming Tesla Model X as my next purchase for transporting my young twins. But design for that too has not been finalized and not shown to the public. Only early design (and working) prototypes and possible Model S mule cars have been spotted. Who shall get my money in the next years or two... Audi or Tesla?

so, basically it comes down two vehicles that don't currently exist and no one has seen or driven. Ok. And those are the only two choices because...?

If Audi delayed Q7 and A4 launches for a smaller grill...someone needs to be fired

Though we make good money on the Cayenne and the Q7, both of them too easily betray that they are built on the truly class-trailing VW Toerag (we no longer stock it because you cannot give them away). The Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini SUVs need a dedicated, aluminum intensive platform rather than being based on a mildly updated VW Toerag which was behind the times at introduction. A V8 Grand Cherokee is a far better product for a lot less and the Mercedes ML/GL are worlds better if you're hell-bent to spend that much.

Honestly surprised to hear that you have difficulty selling the Touareg. Believe it or not I see tons of them where I live and, though conservative, are pretty good looking on the road. However, there are definitely better options out there that are lighter, more affordable, perform better, and are more reliable. Even the Q5 is a better choice.

@cidflekken 8,233 total sales in the USA last year. For a lot less money the Grand Gerokee is a lot better. For the same money you can get a Mercedes or a BMW. The Toerag can EASILY cost $60K for a TDI and that is $25K too expensive. It is a dismal seller and will spend MONTHS on the lot. That entire time is costs us money. We also canned the Routan almost immediately way back when. The EOS is also not worth carrying. Its sales are even more dismal than the Toerag. We carry the Jetta and Passat because they sell. We're not that thrilled about Golfs other than the GTI and the TDI. A gas Golf is a SLOW sale yet surprisingly the Jetta S is a fast seller. Go figure. In that location, Audi Porsche is the money arm.

I am not sure the Grand Cherokee is a lot better, I have never driven one but one of my neighbors traded her SRT-8 for a AUDI SQ5, she said the Cherokee was basically a "fast truck", it drove like a truck. She loves her SQ5. My wife drove them all and she loved the ML, X5 and the TOUAREG V8. She picked the VW and has loved it so far (3 years). She loves the fact that there are only a few of them where we live.

BTW Matt do your bosses know you are thrashing VW? Don't you guys have a close relationship with the VW Group?

@USNA1999 YES!

And you would be surprised at how venomous the dealer voice is toward VWOA/VWAG at the moment. In a word: scathing! Dealer meetings with VW are widely known to be acrimonious and VW has had dealers in must have locations drop their franchise.

VWOA has a revolt on their hands at the dealer level. When they had us down to Arizona for a greet and drive of the Scirocco they were thinking of bringing over, it was not pretty. The base price for the car was projected to be $35K with the "GTI" level being well over $40K. The dealers resoundingly thumbed it down. We are also against the $100K Phaeton return. The dealers were livid that the rest of the world pretty much got the new Golf a year before North America.

The dealer association knows the products it needs, but Germany has been deaf historically to anything the American dealers say. Thus, the dealers feel no need for decorum. As long as I have watched (6 years now), the dealers have wanted much more dramatic styling, competitive crossovers and sedans, now A and B segment hatchbacks, and a pickup. None of that is in the cards.

Until recently the management of VWOA was the puppet of Germany. VW expected dealers to give up their profits to meet sales goals and if the sales goal were met, VW refunded what the dealers gave to swing the deal. If the goal was missed, VW increased its invoice price to the dealer (i.e. VW's portion of the profit goes up and the dealer loses money). That is different than most brands where the manufacturer gives up some of its profit to help the dealer sell the car.

The current management of VWOA is trying to play hardball because VW in Germany says they want VWOA to do so. VWOA is trying to convince VWAG that VWAG needs to reduce its portion of the profit to increase sales and to keep VW dealers profitable. To name 2, Ford and Hyundai-Kia dealerships are much more profitable on a per unit basis because the dealer is seen as a partner to the company and not its enemy (the implied VW mentality).

Sadly, I predict VW's German arrogance will fire the people trying desperately to meet their goal of increasing sales 50% in 3 years.

The group of investors I am a part of has nothing to lose by being direct about VW's current status. We can force a "put" at any time and recoup our investment. This is not about love for VW but making money. VW has a tremendous potential to be a lucrative brand in the USA, if only Germany would play ball here like is so willingly does in China.

We've been holding on gambling that the 3 row crossover that was to be built in Chattanooga was going to be the ticket for major sales strides, but with the ridiculous UAW drama and the German union in effect keeping the CrossBlue from being built in TN, the VW dealers association is very angry and worried.

Matt thanks for all the great info, no wonder they don't succeed in this market. Maybe I should stay away from them but I really do like the upcoming GTI.

@USNA1999 the GTI is a great product if you can afford it.

It will look like every other Audi from A1 through Q7. I'm not sure why Audi feels the need to waste their money on camo. Yawn.

Looks ready under the wrap.

They should just get Toyota to build them one. Toyota can build a better quality SUV for alot less money.