In a bid to inject some excitement in the luxury SUV segment, Audi has launched a limited-run version of its biggest SUV. Tagged simply as the Q7 Black Edition, its sales are limited to just 100 units in India. If you are intrigued, then get this – the Black Edition is based on the Technology trim and will be available in both petrol and diesel guises. Pricing? The 45 TFSI costs Rs 82.15 lakh, whereas the 45 TDI wears a price tag of Rs 86.30 lakh (ex-showroom India).

It doesn’t take an Honours Degree in English to decipher what this special edition is all about. Essentially, it gets a bunch of black-coloured elements. The list includes front grille, air vents, door trim strips with Quattro logos, B-pillars, roof rails, ORVMs, rear diffuser and alloy wheels. For all those additions, Audi is asking for an additional Rs 1.02 lakh and Rs 1.05 lakh for diesel and petrol versions, respectively. Although, you have to say that the contrast of all those black panels with white body paint makes the Q7 look sporty. But, of course, it isn’t!

No surprises in the mechanical department. The powertrains remain identical to those found on the standard Audi Q7. The 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol is good for 248hp/370Nm and the 3.0-litre, 6-cylinder, turbo-diesel is tuned to produce 245hp/600Nm. Both engines come coupled to an 8-speed automatic transmission and very little oomph is wasted because there’s permanent all-wheel-drive. Acceleration times are impressive too. The diesel can complete the sprint to 100kmph from nothing in 7.1 seconds, whereas the petrol does it in 6.9 seconds. While the diesel tops out at 234kmph, the petrol is all out of puffs at 233kmph.

The Black Edition shares all the features with the Technology trim.  What that means is that the standard kit includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, an 8.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 19-speaker Bose sound system, electrically adjustable ORVMs with memory and auto-dimming functions and 4-zone climate control.

In India, the Audi Q7 competes with the Mercedes-Benz GLE, BMW X5, Volvo XC90 and the Land Rover Discovery. If it were your money, which one would you choose?