Comparison: Ground clearance Audi Q7 vs. competitors 2025

So, how has the Audi Q7 evolved in its ground clearance game? Its first incarnation, the Q7 4L 2006-2009, and its subsequent facelift model trotted out with a still-respectable 205 mm. But then, like a teenager after a summer growth spurt, the Q7 4M hit the scene in 2015 boasting a beefier 245 mm – a noticeable hike for carving through rough terrain or mounting those pesky urban curbs. And it wasn't just a phase; the Q7 4M (1. Facelift) 2019-2023 model has kept that same ground clearance, which, like a good pair of boots, gives it the stature it needs when it matters.

But how does the Q7's clearance stack up in the Audi family? Well, it's the veritable giraffe among Audi's antelopes. Its SUV cousins, with height anxiety, the Audi SQ2, Q2, and the entire Q8 e-tron bloodline, including the sportier SQ5 siblings, tip-toe around at a mere 145-172 mm above the ground. Even against the more rugged Audi SQ7 and its brethren with their identical 245 mm ground clearance, the Q7 stands tall - or at least doesn't stoop any lower than its sportier or more luxury-focused siblings. Here's the kicker: the Audi Q5 and Q5 Sportback, with their surprising 208 mm, feature an altitude advantage that beckons the question, why the Q7 didn't stretch just that bit further?

Now, it's time to compare the elephant in the room – and by elephant, I mean the hefty height of the Q7 – with its peers. The Genesis GV70, with its 185 mm, looks up to the Q7, much like a child gawking at a basketball player. The BMW iX1 and Mercedes-Benz EQB, at a sidewalk skimming 170 and 154 mm, respectively, might be alright in suburbia but would likely struggle to keep their underbelly unblemished where the Q7 could gracefully glide. The Land Rover stabilizers, Discovery Sport, and Range Rover Velar hover at a close but not quite there 212 mm and 213 mm. At the higher end, the Volvo XC60 reaches a soaring 230 mm. However, the king of this clearance castle is undeniably the BMW X7, towering with a regal 221 mm, laughing at rockier roads that might make the Q7 wince. But when push comes to shove (or drive comes to bump), the Audi Q7’s significant clearance holds its own, promising fewer heart-stopping scrapes and more smooth sailing over life's unexpected speed bumps.