Audi Q7: the new SUV learned to project its turn signals straight onto the road

Audi has unveiled the new generation of the Q7 with an unusual lighting feature. As Motor1 reports, the SUV gets Digital Matrix LED headlights capable of projecting the turn signal directly onto the road surface — a lit arrow appears next to the car, synchronized with the conventional indicators. Audi is calling it a world first for series-production vehicles.

The idea is simple: when the driver flips on the turn signal or hazard lights at night, a piece of graphics appears on the asphalt in front of the car showing the direction of the maneuver. It’s not a replacement for the standard indicators but rather an additional visual cue, aimed primarily at pedestrians and cyclists. The feature should prove especially useful in dense city traffic, in parking lots, and in courtyards, where a standard turn signal isn’t always immediately noticeable. The system only works with low beams active — by day, the projection isn’t needed.

The new Q7 brings other lighting tech too. Alongside the Digital Matrix LED headlights, there are OLED taillights with customizable light signatures (eight variations in total) and an optional illuminated grille. For the U.S. this is a significant moment: complex adaptive matrix headlights were long held back by local regulations, and now Audi is finally bringing them to the American market together with the new Q7 and the upcoming Q9.

Technically the Q7 has moved forward as well. The third generation gets a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 producing 429 hp, quattro all-wheel drive, and an eight-speed automatic. The SQ7 version runs a 4.0-liter V8 with 591 hp and hits 97 km/h in 3.7 seconds. U.S. sales kick off in the fourth quarter of 2026, with pricing yet to be announced.