In which year did Audi launch the Audi Q7?

Audi launched the Audi Q7 in 2005. The new mid-size luxury SUV was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2005, and production began later that year at Volkswagen’s plant in Bratislava, Slovakia.

The Q7 was historically important because it was Audi’s first production SUV. It was a large seven-seat vehicle designed primarily for road use, with quattro four-wheel drive and a longitudinal engine layout. Its development was previewed by the Audi Pikes Peak quattro concept, shown in 2003.

The Q7’s public launch year and sales year are sometimes confused. Production started in November 2005, but the vehicle went on sale in 2006 and is commonly listed with 2006 model-year designations. Thus, 2005 is the appropriate answer when “launch” means unveiling or market introduction, while 2006 refers to retail availability in many markets.

The Q7 later shared Volkswagen Group engineering with vehicles including the Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus. Audi subsequently added smaller SUVs such as the Q5 and Q3.