Audi stopped naming its cars after engine size some years ago. The number on the back now refers to a power bracket, not litres. Most people know this vaguely. Fewer know which engine sits behind which badge, and since 1 July 2026 that has stopped being trivia.
On the Chinese-market Q7, 45 TFSI is the 3.0-litre supercharged V6. Not a 4.5, not a 2.0. A six-cylinder engine comfortably above 2,000cc.
Why the number matters now
Nigeria’s green tax charges nothing below 2,000cc, 2 per cent from 2,000 to 3,999cc, and 4 per cent at 4,000cc and above. A 3.0 V6 Q7 pays the 2 per cent. Someone who assumed the badge meant something smaller will find that out at clearing, which is a poor moment for surprises.
| Badge | What it actually is | Green tax band |
|---|---|---|
| Q7 45 TFSI | 3.0 supercharged V6 | 2% |
| Q5L 40 TFSI | 1,984cc four | None |
| X3 2.0 | 1,998cc four | None |
The Q7 is worth the band, if you need what it does
This is a seven-seat vehicle in the real sense, not a five-seater with two folding perches. It carries adults in the third row and still has boot space behind them. Nothing smaller does that.
Ground clearance is around 201mm on the standard setup, which handles Nigerian roads without drama. The V6 moves a large, heavy car with authority and, because it is a six rather than a strained four, does so without sounding like it is working.
The running cost follows from all of that. A big car with a big engine and permanent all-wheel drive uses fuel. Nobody should be surprised by it and yet people are.
The comparison worth making
If you need seven seats, the Q7 is the answer and the 2 per cent is a cost of getting the right vehicle. If you have been talked into seven seats by a salesman and you carry five people twice a year, the Q5L gives you an Audi with more rear legroom than the standard car, a 1,984cc engine, and no green tax at all.
That second sentence saves more people money than the first one does.
What we check before shipping
The air suspension on cars equipped with it, since it is a wear item and an expensive one. The service history, which arrives in Mandarin and gets read rather than filed. The engine and its actual displacement, confirmed against the VIN rather than against the badge, so that the tax position is known before the car moves.
And the year, because the 12-year age limit puts the oldest importable 2026 vehicle at model year 2014.
If you are deciding
Count how many times last year you carried more than five people. If the number is high, the Q7 is the vehicle and the tax is fine. If it is low, we would rather tell you that now than sell you the bigger car.
Message us on WhatsApp with what you actually carry and we will tell you which one fits.
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