2021 Audi Q7 plug-in hybrid not coming to America

The 2021 Audi Q7 will be a thoroughly refreshed example of the three-row luxury crossover, as we saw in its European reveal. One of the noteworthy additions was the inclusion of a plug-in hybrid variant that we expected to come to the States. Now the specs are in, and we checked in with Audi to see if there was any news for an American-specification one. Turns out there is news: there won’t be a U.S. one.

The Audi representative we reached out to explained that Audi found too much overlap between the Q5 plug-in hybrid, announced before the Q7, and the latest E-tron EVs. As such, the Q7 plug-in hybrid will not be imported, despite the fact that the more powerful Q7 will share its powertrain with the North America-bound A8 sedan, both of which make 449 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. The lower power Q7 has a powertrain making 375 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. Both systems have a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 and an electric motor.

As for the purely internal-combustion-powered refreshed Q7, it’s still on its way to the United States. The Audi representative couldn’t give us exact timing, but said it would launch here sometime in 2020.