U.S. to get diesel and hybrid Q7 SUVs this year

Audi has announced plans to launch its first ever hybrid model with the introduction of a new hybrid Q7 SUV in America planned for later this year. Developed with both Volkswagen and Porsche, the new hybrid system combines a petrol engine with an electric motor and can run independently on either power source. VW is expected to launch its own hybrid Touareg early next year and Porsche says its hybrid Cayenne won’t arrive in the U.S. until the end of the decade.

According to its designers, the new parallel hybrid system is modular and can easily be adapted to the rest of Audi’s lineup. The Q7 Hybrid features a 34kW electric motor sandwiched between a 280hp (206kW) 3.6L V6 FSI petrol engine and the vehicle’s torque converter, according to Automotive News. The electric motor provides an additional 285Nm (210lb-ft) of torque to the internal combustion engine’s 375Nm (277lb-ft).

As well as the hybrid, Audi plans to launch a new diesel Q7 in the U.S. with the most likely model being the current 3.0L V6 turbodiesel version sold in other markets. The diesel SUV will be available in all 50 states by the end of next year. Click here to see our previous story on the hybrid Q7.