Audi Q7 E-Tron Quattro diesel electric plug-in hybrid debuts at Geneva auto show

CONCEPT SUV PREVIEWS PRODUCTION PHEV THAT WILL RETURN UP TO 138 MPG

   Soon after the debut of the newly redesigned Audi Q7 earlier this year, the Ingolstadt-based automaker brought a diesel plug-in hybrid version of the flagship SUV to the Geneva motor show.

   Hailed as the first plug-in diesel hybrid from the brand, the Q7 E-Tron features a 3.0-liter TDI diesel engine coupled with an electric motor located in the front part of the SUV producing a total of 373-hp and a massive 516 lb-ft of torque. Audi says that the hybrid powertrain is good for sprints from 0 to 62 mph in just 6.0 seconds, though it's the 117.6 mpg figure, or 138.4 mpg according to the NEDC standard, that's more impressive.

   The Audi Q7 E-Tron Quattro boasts a 34-mile all-electric range, and a whole host of new technologies including active engine mounts that cancel out unwanted vibrations through selective counter pulses. The hybrid SUV also features a thermal management system that makes use of excess heat produced by the electric drivetrain for the benefit of the passengers, if required.

   As this is still a hybrid, the E-Tron features a lithium battery that can be fully charged in two and a half hours, with the SUV also offering a total of four driver-selectable driving modes. The Q7 E-Tron is designed to start in EV mode, but can switch over to hybrid or battery hold mode, which will store up energy. The SUV also has a coasting mode, with the regenerative braking system generating energy for the lithium battery.

   A production version of the hybrid SUV is set to go on sale in the U.K. by the end of the year, though Audi has yet to make firm plans about availability in the U.S. or the rest of Europe.

   The standard version of the new Q7 was shown at the Detroit auto show earlier in the year, being the first production vehicle from Audi to make use of the new MLB platform. U.S. versions of the nonhybrid Q7 will be offered with a choice of two 3.0-liter V6 engines including a 333-hp and 324.5 lb-ft TFSI gas engine, and 227-hp and 442.5 lb-ft TDI engine. The SUV is set to go on sale in the U.S. in early 2016, after a late-2015 commercial launch in Europe.