Audi Q7

It's come unfashionably late to the SUV market, but Audi’s Q7 won’t go unnoticed – it’s bold and brash in every way. Yet you have to ask yourself how much it offers that the cheaper A6 Allroad doesn’t. There is no doubt, though, that the new SUV will sell on its looks alone, while its seven-seat cabin and sporty drive will prove irresistible to well heeled, image-conscious buyers.

There are long Qs forming outside Audi dealerships across the country, and not everyone is asking for a brand new TT. As the German company’s designers were busy putting the finishing touches to their fresh sports car, they found time to pen Audi’s first fully fledged SUV.

We’ve already been impressed by the Q7 in left-hand-drive form (Issue 908), but now the first UK-specification right-hand-drive models have arrived. In flag-ship S line trim, the 4x4 has masses of road presence. It is a simply enormous SUV, but it has the look of an estate car on steroids. S line side skirts plus special front and rear bumpers give a beefy appearance, topped off by colossal standard-fit 20-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, there’s S line-badged leather seats and a dashboard based around the cabin of the A6. Unlike some rivals, the Q7 aims to offer a car-like environment – there’s plenty of space, but it doesn’t feel particularly light or airy.

Rear passengers travel in comfort, and the Q7 scores even more points thanks to its neat third row of seats. Two chairs fold out of the floor and, while they are quite tricky to get to, they are large enough for adults to travel in over short distances.

Under the bonnet, the Q7 hides its most potent asset – the mighty 4.2-litre FSI V8 powerplant which has been borrowed from the RS4. While the unit has been detuned to deliver 345bhp in this particular guise, it still provides an amazing soundtrack as the revs rise to 7,000rpm. Despite its 2,270kg weight, the Q7 sprints from 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds and goes on to a top speed of 154mph.

Equipped with a similar adaptive air-suspension system to its Allroad stablemate, the Q7 gives the driver an impressive choice of five modes, ranging from maximum ground clearance high-lift to a squat dynamic setting. Boasting surprisingly stiff steer-ing, the Audi feels just as nimble as a BMW X5, and only at high cornering speeds does it begin to roll. The big wheels do nothing for comfort in pot-holed urban areas, but the Q7 is a relaxed cruiser on the motorway.

With a £48,625 price tag, the range-topping Audi is priced to compete directly with the Mercedes M-Class and Porsche’s Cayenne. However, once you have added smart extras such as satellite navigation and blind-spot warning lights on the door mirrors, the cost of the model we’ve driven here rises to a hefty £56,640. While it’s not cheap, the Q7 is sure to keep Audi’s salesmen busy this summer.