Audi will intro Q7 hybrid in late '08 in Europe, no U.S. plans at the moment

Ok here's the deal. Audi is building a hybrid Q7. It will be launched in late 2008. After our last report on the subject, I contacted Audi US spokesman Christian Bokich to get clarification on the on-again, off-again hybrid SUV. Chris verified that Audi AG will indeed build a Q7 hybrid and that no plans for U.S. availability have been announced. The only new Q7 variant that has been announced for the U.S. is the 3.0L TDI diesel. Our European friends will, however, have access to the gas electric powertrain that pairs up a 3.6L direct injected V6 with a electric drive. The V6 will apparently put out 280bhp and 277lb-ft f torque. Combined with a battery and motor, this configuration is expected to yield around 24mpg - about the same as the diesel Q7 I recently sampled. According to a Channel 4 report from the UK, the Q7 system was developed along with Porsche's system for the Cayenne; that one won't appear in production until 2010.

[Source: Audi, Channel4.com]