Audi Q7 hybrid running costs, insurance, warranty & tax
Relatively speaking, the Audi Q7 TFSI e has the potential for low running costs, especially for business users
| Insurance group | Warranty | Service interval | 2021/22 company-car tax cost (20%/40%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 3yrs / 60,000 miles | 1yr / 9,300 miles | From £2,003 / £4,006 |
Running an Audi Q7 plug-in hybrid will be a bit of a roller coaster. Positives include potentially strong fuel economy and low tax rates – especially company-car Benefit-in-Kind (BiK). Negatives include high insurance groups and higher servicing costs – the latter at least when compared to Audis with sub-2.0-litre engines. Against those of other high-end large SUVs, Audi’s servicing plans seem cheaper, although they don't always include as many services, making exact comparison difficult.
Audi Q7 hybrid insurance group
As mentioned above, insurance groups aren't a strong suit of plug-in Audi Q7s. Trim level doesn’t make a difference either, as all versions of the car sit in group 50. This is a common theme across cars of this ilk, though. For example, the Range Rover Sport PHEV also sits in group 50 across its range.
Warranty
The Q7 hybrid is no different to all other Audis sold in the UK – it comes with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty as standard. It's worth noting that there isn’t a limit on how many miles can be done in the first two years. So if a component protected by the warranty breaks before two years is up, even if the car has done over 60,000 miles, Audi should fix it. Owners can also pay for an extended warranty that lasts 12 or 24 months beyond the end of the standard policy.
The warranty isn’t all that impressive considering manufacturers such as Hyundai, Kia, Toyota and MG all cover their models for significantly longer. Kia in particular shines with its seven-year or 100,000-mile guarantee. Shorter warranties aren’t all that uncommon with premium German brands, though: BMW covers its models for three years, although there's no mileage cap in this instance.
Servicing
Audi recommends servicing its vehicles based on use. Lower-mileage cars that are predominantly used to nip about town or to do the school run should be serviced every 12 months or 9,300 miles. Whereas those doing frequent longer journeys on main roads and motorways should be serviced every 24 months or 18,600 miles.
Audi offers a servicing plan, too. It's available for all models up to three years old and covers two consecutive services. For Q7 TFSI e models, the total plan cost is £629 or around £26 per month.
Road tax
As the Audi Q7 TFSI e produces more than 50g/km of CO2 it misses out on zero road tax (commonly referred to as VED, or Vehicle Excise Duty) when first registered. That said, the amount payable is just £15 – some way off the maximum of £2,175. From the second time it's taxed onwards, the Q7 PHEV is charged £145 a year – the same as for all hybrids.
As all Q7 TFSI e models cost more than £40,000 there's an additional annual tax of £335 to pay the first five times it's taxed. On a positive note, company-car tax is relatively affordable thanks to those low official CO2 figures. Even the most polluting Q7 TFSI e is only in the 17% Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) band, compared to 37% for the entry-level diesel Q7. For someone in the 40% income-tax bracket, this equates to roughly £300 more tax per month.
