Is a Second Facelift Enough To Keep the Audi Q7 Competitive for a Few More Years?

Instead, they are giving the current one a second facelift, and we have the first spy shots to prove it.

Caught testing in the open somewhere in Germany, the 2024 Audi Q7 will bring revised front and rear ends once again, after the first update dating back to 2019, four years after production of the second generation officially kicked off at the VW Group’s factory in Slovakia, Bratislava, and at other facilities.

Even with the vinyl stickers on, it is clear that it will feature a new grille, with a much smaller design. There is a slightly bigger central air intake in the front bumper, and smaller side vents. The headlights are new, and they have different graphics, with the LED DRLs moving from the lower to the upper parts. It is likely that the hood and front fenders had to be tweaked in order to fit the updated styling.

As you can expect, the profile remains unchanged, unless it really has new side skirts beneath the camouflage. Further back, it has new taillights, and a different rear bumper and diffuser. It seems that the chrome strip in the middle of the tailgate, positioned below the lighting units, was phased off. Chances are that it will continue to sport the four-ring emblem between the taillights, and the ‘Q7’ and ‘quattro’ logos on each side of the license plate. The reflectors do not seem to have been updated at all, and it appears that it will still have black cladding on the lower parts of the body for a more utilitarian look.

It is impossible to tell yet what will be new inside, because our spy photographers couldn’t get close enough to this prototype to snap a few interior shots too. Nonetheless, if we were to guess, we’d say that the updates might revolve around the software of the infotainment system and digital dials. The third screen, which is used to control the HVAC system, will still be present. A new steering wheel, as well as fresh upholstery and trim, might be part of the second mid-cycle refresh. Moreover, don’t act surprised if they revise the technology gear, and if they give it additional safety systems, but that’s our two cents on the subject.

The second facelift of the second-generation Q7 will continue to use the VW Group’s MLB Evo platform, which is the foundation stone of the Q8, Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, Cayenne Coupe, Bentley Bentayga, and Lamborghini Urus. It is possible that some powertrains will be updated in order to become less polluting and probably more frugal, but there’s no way of knowing yet what they will do to them. Our spies believe that the refreshed Q7 is due for the 2024 model year, meaning that it might premiere in a few months.