Audi is getting ready to launch its largest ever SUV, the Q9, but over in China, it’s already revealed something even bigger than the existing Q7. Well, Audi hasn’t, but AUDI, the all-caps, all-electric China-only sub-brand, has in the shape of the E7X.
Following the first official pictures arriving late last year, and ahead of the car making its official debut at the Beijing Auto Show next month, more info on the E7X has appeared on AUDI’s website.
AUDI, Not Audi
AUDI
The AUDI brand was launched in China in 2024, and differentiates itself from the Audi we know – which also sells cars in China – with its block capital spelling and the minimalist, techy design of its cars. You also won’t find four rings anywhere on its cars, as AUDI doesn’t use them.
A product of the Volkswagen Group’s joint venture with Chinese state-owned carmaker SAIC, AUDI builds cars tailored specifically to the Chinese market, starting with the wagon-ish E5 Sportback. Given that the brand’s gotten off to a slow start, AUDI will be hoping a more fashionable car like a big SUV will move things along, and the E7X is that car.
Big Car, Huge Battery
AUDI
We already knew that the E7X would come with 670 hp dual-motor and 402 hp single-motor powertrains, but now we’ve got a bit more info on what those powertrains can do. 0-62 mph on the dual-motor variant is given as a very specific 3.97 seconds – let’s call it 4.0 – and an all-aluminum chassis is said to contribute to better handling.
It’ll need a lightweight chassis to offset the weight of the battery, though, which is an enormous 109kWh unit – bigger than you get in the likes of the Cadillac Lyriq, BMW iX and Volvo EX90. Maximum range is nevertheless quoted at 467 miles, which is less impressive now that we’re firmly in the era of the 500-plus-mile EV, especially since that’s likely on the more forgiving Chinese test cycle.
The E7X, however, benefits from a 900V electric architecture, allowing it to handle charging speeds of up to 400kW. That, says Audi, is enough to add 200 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes.
A Luxury Prospect
AUDI
AUDI hasn’t yet revealed the interior of the E7X, but says it’s a five-seater, setting it apart from the seven-seater Q7, a car it’s slightly wider and taller than and almost as long as. That hints at a more upmarket position for the E7X, and we’d expect the interior to share the same fundamentals as the E5 Sportback, including its dashboard-spanning screen display.
Full details will be revealed at the Beijing Auto Show, kicking off on April 24, but don’t expect the E7X to ever make it outside of the Chinese market – the rest of the world will have to make do with the Q7 and upcoming Q9 for its massive Audi SUV fix.
