What is it?

The Q7, Audi’s first foray into the SUV market, has been with us since since 2006 and has become quite a favourite amongst families who require a classy and comfortable proper 7-seater. Its versatility doesn’t stop there as it has the driving manners of something much smaller, it’s a great tow car with the ability pull a braked trailer weighing up to 3500kg, and with its Quattro system it’ll confidently take you exploring off the beaten track.

The new Q7 is slightly narrower and shorter than its predecessor, and weighs in at 325kg less than the original, so it should be cheaper to run and better to drive.  And yes, it also shares VW Group's MLB platform with the Bentayga, Cayenne, Touareg, and even the Lamborghini Urus, so it’s in good company.

On the road

As you would expect with a car of this size and class, everything about it is effortless, from tootling around town to embarking on long journeys, the Q7 wafts you along with ease to where ever your desired destination may be.

It’s impressively quiet too, wind noise is very well suppressed, even at motorway speeds, and of course being a Quattro there’s oodles of grip for when you’re driving like a … well, let’s just say spirited!  That said, if performance is what you’re after then there’s the SQ7 as the Q7 aims more towards luxury and comfort than sporty handling, but it’s still remarkably agile for its size.

Being the faster version of the 3.0ltr V6 diesel with 268bhp, it accelerates effortlessly and relentlessly to reach 60mph in 6.1 second and carries on to reach 150mph, I’m told.  It’s all quite civilised too, there’s no punch in the back like you experience with some cars, this is helped by the 8-speed tiptronic gearbox which works seamlessly to the point that you just don’t notice it.

The Q7 comes with five driving modes to suit every journey and occasion; Allroad, Efficiency, Comfort, Auto and Dynamic.  Dynamic is fun - huge fun, but for the majority of the week I was happy to leave it in Comfort which made it super-wafty.

Fuel-wise, when it arrived it had a full tank with a range of 700 miles, and over the week of various journeys it showed an averaged of 41 mpg - I couldn’t use the 700 mile.  To aid consumption, when you back off the accelerator the gearbox disengages the engine and allows the Q7 to freewheel benefiting fuel consumption and reducing noise, not that you’ll notice this, as I wrote above, it’s all pretty seamless.

Off road

Of course, the Q7 isn’t a 4x4 in the traditional sense, but the Quattro system handled itself well on a variety surfaces, including wet grass, which is every 4x4’s nemesis.

Wearing 20” tyres I obviously didn’t take anywhere gnarly, but fitted with a quality set of winter tyres and smaller wheels I reckon you’ll be pleasantly surprised where the Q7 can take you, and would make a great family tourer for those who find themselves in some fairly inhospitable places.

Interior

No matter where you sit in the Q7 you will be spoilt for space, and in the front there is a large expanse between you and your passenger. It isn’t exactly what I would call inspiring, but it’s certainly classy.  It’s a nice space in which you can wile alway the hours in comfort as you cruise across continents, or nip to Asda for a loaf and some milk, your choice.

The Q7 comes packed with all the usual driving aids and features that you’d expect on an almost £70k SUV.  The dash layout is clean and simple and is only let down by the climate controls which involves prodding a touchscreen that’s under the main infotainment screen. Granted, it isn’t as difficult to use as other vehicles like Sloda’s Enyaq and the Cupra Formentor, but physical buttons that you can find and feel, and don’t take your eyes away from the road, are less distracting.

Just like the last Q7 I drove, I particularly liked Audi's Virtual Cockpit, a 12.3” digital panel that sits behind the steering wheel that can display speed, revs and other driving essentials alongside a full-screen sat-nav map, phone or audio information.

Rear seat passengers also have it easy, you could have a party back there and no one would notice.  Third row passengers will be fine too, as long as they don’t have long legs.  Oh, and the Q7 is one of the very few cars on sale with six Isofix seat mounts, so it's a seriously child-friendly choice.

With the third row seat folded there’s 740-ltrs of space, and 1925-ltrs with the second row folded - enough for a couple of folks to have a decent night sleep!  To make life easy for loading and unloading bulky items here’s no lip at the boot entrance, and all Q7s have an electric tailgate.

Conclusion

The Q7 might be a bit on the large size, but using with it for a week proved that it’s also quite practical and easy live with.  Everything about it was effortless and I enjoyed every mile we took together.

price: £57,770  (£72,325 with options)

more at » audi.co.uk