What do Audi and Chrysler have in common? Each is finally offering an SUV. Talk about late. The sport-ute "fad" has been going on for over 20 years now--but better late than never. Or so these brands must hope.

With gas above three bucks a gallon in many places and predicted to go much higher before summer ends, this seems like a bad time to launch largish V8 SUVs with EPA-rated city mileage in the low teens. Yet here they are: the 2007 Chrysler Aspen, which is plainly based on corporate sibling Dodge Durango, and the 2007 Audi Q7, which is not based on the Touareg from corporate parent Volkswagen, or so Audi insists.

Instead of cloning VW's Touareg, Audi chose to borrow only roughly 15 percent of the SUV's underskin components.

No Worry, No Hurry
What took them so long? Well, each brand has been doing pretty well lately without an SUV. Chrysler's 300-series sedans still sell without huge profit-sapping incentives. Audi, meantime, has edged up in U.S. sales and market share with smart new cars like the compact A3 and redesigned A6. Moreover, a linewide quality drive over the past two years has helped lift Audi from 15th to 8th in J.D. Power Initial Quality Surveys of owner-reported "things gone wrong" in the first 90 days. Still, both these brands have missed out on a lot of lucrative sales action. And make no mistake: reports of the SUV's imminent demise have been greatly exaggerated. Overall demand remains healthy, with only the largest, heaviest models losing ground because of soaring gas prices.

No Clones, Please, We're Audi
Given that, Audi of America rightly terms Q7 "the most important launch in our history." Audi dealers have long pleaded for an SUV to keep buyers in the fold. Now they have one, but it's no automatic slam-dunk. Audi frankly admits that each Q7 will be a "conquest" sale at the expense of established luxury-SUV players, no easy task with blue-chip competition like the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz ML-Class.

Yet Audi has reason to be upbeat about the Q7's prospects. For starters, its first SUV is not a truck-based vehicle like Aspen but a car-type unibody design. (Unibody as in "crossover," as in today's hottest-selling vehicles, as in X5, ML-Class and many more.) Second, Audi knew that being so late to the game demanded something more than just a tarted-up Touareg, so it essentially redesigned the VW SUV to suit its own purposes and "brand values." The result is claimed to share only 15 percent of the Touareg's components by value, all under the skin. Last but not least, the Q7 starts at a competitive $49,900, a bit above the Mercedes ML500, a few thousand under the V8 BMW X5 4.4i, and in the ballpark with other upper-echelon SUVs.

Bigger, Bolder, Brawnier, Brainier
"Q7" stands for quattro all-wheel drive and seven-passenger capacity, both standard. Because practical three-row seating required a larger-than-Touareg package, the Q7 is 13 inches longer and three inches wider than the five-seat VW on a 5.8-inch longer wheelbase. Those gains imply extra heft, but Audi held it to a reasonable 183 pounds in base trim.

Not surprisingly, the Q7 wears signature Audi styling cues from a big "single-frame" grille to high-set "eagle head" taillights. Design mavens will note how the rear liftgate cut mimics the angle of the rearmost side windows before dropping down to encompass the taillights. That eliminates split lamp housings and contributes to a fairly wide load opening.

The Q7 bows in base and uplevel Premium models with a 4.2-liter V8 and six-speed automatic transmission. Audi says lower-cost 3.6-liter V6 versions are coming in September. Both engines are basically the same as those available in the Touareg, as is the mandatory 6-speed automatic transmission. But the Q7 V8 uses Audi's FSI direct fuel injection to extract a good deal more power: 350 horses vs. 310 for the VW and 325 pound-feet of torque vs. 302. V6 Q7s will have 280 hp vs. 240 with the VW's 3.2-liter engine. Q7 V8s can tow 5500 lb standard and 6600 optional - good, but not top of the class. Audi says a turbodiesel option may be added later.

These corporate cousins take different approaches to all-wheel drive. Unlike the Touareg system, the Q7's quattro setup lacks low-range gears, relying on automatic-locking front, center and rear differentials, all computer controlled. VW includes a locking center diff and offers a lockable rear unit as an option, but no front locker. Both SUVs have broadly similar suspension layouts and offer optional computer-managed air-spring suspensions with adjustable ride height. But the Q7's air ride adds rollover sensors that can activate the standard ESP stability-control system to help minimize an impending tip and will trigger the standard front torso side airbags and/or full-length side curtain airbags. Rear torso side airbags are optional. The ESP itself features an off-road mode that allows a small amount of wheelslip on loose surfaces, useful in some situations.

While few Q7s will likely stray far from the beaten path, the four-mode adaptive air suspension provides ground clearance ranging from 9.4 inches for rock-hopping down to 5.9 inches for highway travel. Base models come on 18-inch wheels (like V8 Touaregs), Premiums on 19s (optional for base Q7s and the VWs). Twenty-inch rims are available, as are summer performance tires (in lieu of all-season treads) and an S-Line trim package with 21-inch wheels. Brakes are antilock 4-wheel discs, as expected in the luxury class.

The interior of the 2007 Audi Q7.

They Do It With Radar
The Q7 boasts two other electronic safety aids. One is standard radar-based adaptive cruise control that maintains a set following distance not only at highway speeds but in stop-and-go driving, too. It can even stop the vehicle completely if needed. It can also sense when a vehicle ahead makes a sudden stop and will signal the driver to take action by first sounding a tone and flashing a warning light, then by applying the brakes to "jolt" the driver while readying full braking power. It's not unlike systems available in the Acura RL and certain Mercedes models. We haven't yet tested a Q7 this way, but we don't like the idea of using any cruise-control system in the urban crush.

The other new gimmick is optional Audi Side Assist, a Q7 exclusive that uses radar-type sensors to scan for vehicles in the driver's rear "blind" spots. If one is detected when attempting a lane change or other maneuver, the system will flash lights in the side mirrors. This we have experienced, and it's as useless as Infiniti's lane-departure warning system.

More Bells and Whistles
Somehow, Audi forgot to give the Q7 power-adjustable pedals and power-fold seats, but you can get most everything else expected in a modern upscale SUV. Besides standard features already mentioned, every Q7 includes a tire-pressure monitor, power tilt/telescope steering wheel, power front seats with memory, leather upholstery, gorgeous real-wood cabin trim, split folding 2nd- and 3rd-row bench seats, Bose audio, in-dash CD changer, manual side and rear sunshades, and a power liftgate that can be adjusted for opening height. The Premium's $10,000 price hike buys rear-obstacle detection, four-zone climate control, heated front and 2nd-row seats, heated steering wheel, voice-activated navigation system with rearview camera, keyless entry/ignition, satellite radio, and a three-panel "Panorama" sunroof with a power interior shade. The Premium also includes 2nd-row captain's chairs, which are available for the base model, as are the other upgrades. Among the few stand-alone options are a power-retractable trailer hitch and twin portable DVD players that clip into special brackets on the back of the front-seat headrests.

Late to Market, But On Target
Late it may be, but the Q7 matches most any like-priced SUV for on-road manners, utility, comfort, luxury, and standard equipment. It also boasts unique features like Side Assist, plus top-notch Audi workmanship. Unfortunately, it's as thirsty as any large SUV, with a dismal EPA-rated city/highway economy of just 14/19 mpg--and pricey premium gas is mandatory. But if your wallet--and conscience--can bear that, Audi's first SUV has a lot going for it. That includes a measure of exclusivity. Audi won't state a sales goal, but hints that Q7 would draw no more than a modest 20,000 orders a year. Still, that's a lot of new business for this German brand. Better late than never, indee