Infotainment and networking

Equipped with the optional MMI navigation plus, the new Audi Q7 is a highly connected car. Its integrated Audi connect data transfer module comes not only with a Wi-Fi hotspot, but also with the fast LTE Advanced transmission standard. The navigation system offers the driver intelligent destination suggestions based on previously driven routes, taking into consideration past experience with respect to the time of day and traffic loads. The route is calculated online on the servers of the map and navigation provider HERE, using real-time data for the overall traffic situation. If the data connection is lost, the system switches to the on-board routing running in parallel.

Get to the traffic light on green: the Audi connect services

With the MMI radio plus, the Audi Q7 has a package from the service offer of Audi connect on board: the functions of Audi connect safety and service, which are divided into the areas of emergency call & service and vehicle remote control. The offer is made even more attractive with the services of Audi connect navigation & infotainment, which are linked to MMI navigation plus. These services include traffic information online, navigation with Google Earth™, and the hybrid radio, which switches between FM, DAB+, and web stations independently in order to always ensure the best possible reception. The customer can use the touch display of the MMI to select points of interest such as parking garages or sights in the navigation map and view fuel prices, photos, opening hours, and ratings. The navigation map is designed with a new texture and includes 3D models of many large cities. During the first three years after purchasing the new car, the user can update it free of charge four times a year.

The Audi connect navigation & infotainment portfolio also includes the Car-to-X services that draw on the swarm intelligence of the Audi fleet. Apart from online traffic sign and hazard information, as well as the on-street parking service, traffic light information is a new addition to the lineup. Because the car is connected with the city’s infrastructure, it receives information from the main traffic light computer via a server. This allows the driver to adjust their speed so that they get to next traffic light on green. The Audi virtual cockpit and the optional head-up display provide an individual speed recommendation as well as the remaining time until the next green-light phase, even if the driver is already waiting at a red light. The system thus contributes to a predictive and efficient driving style and facilitates a steady flow of traffic. The offer will be rolled out step by step in selected European cities.

Audi connect also includes the cloud-based Amazon voice service Alexa, which is integrated into the MMI operating system. The driver can use it to place orders and get information on various current events. Alexa streams music and audiobooks and provides access to over 80,000 Alexa skills. The smart home control allows users to lock doors in the house, adjust the lighting and close the garage door from within the car.

The Audi smartphone interface is used to integrate iOS and Android smartphones in the onboard infotainment system. It establishes the connection to the mobile device and transfers its native environment, Apple Car Play or Android Auto, to the MMI display – this can even be done wirelessly with the iPhone. Customers can use the myAudi app to connect the Q7 with their smartphone – even outside of the vehicle. The app provides the myAudi navigation and controls the Audi connect assistance and remote services. In addition, the smartphone calendar can be transferred to the MMI system. The optional digital Audi connect key authorizes an Android smartphone to not only lock and unlock the vehicle, but also to start the engine via the start/stop button. Data is exchanged via near field communication. Up to seven drivers can store their preferred settings in individual profiles. This personalization encompasses up to 400 parameters, from climate control to navigation destinations and media. The car recognizes the particular user from their key signal when the car is unlocked and activates the associated individual profile automatically.

The infotainment program is complemented by attractive hardware components: The Audi phone box connects the smartphone to the vehicle’s antenna and charges the phone inductively. It uses Voice-over-LTE to connect faster and makes it possible to use high-speed data transfer and high-resolution online voice telephony at the same time. The Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System carries the 3D sound with its elevation information to the first row of seats via 23 loudspeakers. The music sounds exactly how it was recorded in the concert hall.

Poised and safe on the road: the driver assist systems

An extensive range of driver assist systems is available for the new Audi Q7, divided up into the Tour and City packages. The adaptive cruise assist, which combines the functions of adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, and active lane assist, reduces the driver’s workload particularly on long journeys. In combination with the efficiency assist it brakes and accelerates the large SUV in anticipation of the conditions ahead. To do so it analyzes sensor information, navigation data and traffic signs. The camera-based traffic sign recognition is also part of this package, as are turn assist and collision avoidance assist, which prevent collisions with oncoming vehicles or vehicles ahead.

The City assist package includes the crossing assist, lane change warning, exit warning, and cross traffic assist rear. With Audi pre sense 360°, the Audi Q7 also offers all-round safety: The system detects risks of collision in the vehicle’s environment and initiates targeted protective measures. It consists of the following assist systems: Audi pre sense front, Audi pre sense rear, Audi pre sense basic, and Audi pre sense side. The latter registers impending side collisions up to a vehicle speed of 60 km/h (37.3 mph) due to crossing vehicles or vehicles approaching from the side.

The 360 degree cameras assist the driver as an individual option, allowing the driver to switch between multiple views. They provide a view of the cross traffic, a detailed view of the wheels, and a 3D view with freely selectable perspective. The camera-based trailer maneuver assist, which reduces the driver’s workload when reversing and maneuvering with a trailer, is also available as an option. The driver can steer the trailer using the lower MMI touch display.

Backing many of these systems is the central driver assistance controller, which continuously computes a differentiated model of the environment. This way, the assist systems can react precisely and in good time to objects, such as by initiating braking. Navigation is also highly precise because the sensor data fusion locates the car down to the exact lane. Depending on the selected options, the central driver assistance controller receives the data to do this from up to five radar sensors, five cameras, and twelve ultrasound sensors.

All terms marked in the text are explained in detail in the technology lexicon at www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/technology-lexicon.

The equipment, data and prices specified in this document refer to the model range offered in Germany. Subject to change without notice; errors and omissions excepted.