Driving Audi's new flagship SUV through the Canadian Rockies. Audi's Q7 was a huge commercial success with 400,000 built over the long nine years. But it's significant for other reasons, too; its first generation gave rise to what has become one of the most profitable and fastest growing segments of the brand. Also, the Q7 was the first Audi to bear the Q name, paying tribute to the legendary Quattro. Being the first to install AWD on everything from a city car to a supercar, Audi should have been one of the early adopters of the SUV trend, but apart from dipping a toe in the water with the Allroad crossover, the company arrived at the 4x4 party relatively late. Now, nearly a decade later, Audi's first all-rounder will be remembered as the successful launch of the whole SUV lineup, spanning three models, with the prospect of growing to six. Together with the rumored Q7-based Q8, they'll remain at the top of the model food chain.
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