When looking to the future, some automakers aim at hybrids and others tend to focus on diesel. That's no surprise to auto enthusiasts who strive to keep up with the game. But sometimes there are surprises in the crossover interests between the two.

This automaker was late to the sport-utility vehicle game with its mid-size Q7 SUV, trailing fellow premium German automakers that had SUVs on the market for some time. When it did get around to its introduction of the Q7 sport utility vehicle, Audi also showed its interest in hybrids with a tandem showing of its Q7 Quattro Hybrid concept. Its approach calls for further examination.

Rather than just maximizing efficiency, Audi took a high-performance approach by basing the Q7 hybrid on the top-of-the-line V-8 model. The electric motor injects up to 43 horsepower and 148 lbs-ft of torque into the driveline on top of the 350 hp and 325 lbs-ft that the engine makes by itself. This extra power shaves over half a second off the sprint to 62 mph - the company claims the task is completed in a sports car-like 6.8 seconds - and about two seconds off high speed acceleration from 50 to 75 mph that is so crucial for passing. Top speed remains unchanged at 154 mph.