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What you're looking at now is definitely THE set of wheels to get if you really want to get noticed soon.

The all-new Q7 is the Audi brand's first foray into the SUV segment. You have to excuse Audi for taking quite awhile before they finally joined the premium SUV fraternity - they needed time to perfect everything for the Q7 before releasing it to the market. And by first look, Audi seems to have gotten everything right.

Styling & interior

Image counts big time for the Q7, and it's hard to find any flaw with the exterior. Standing at 1737mm, the Q7 does give a commanding stance. Upfront, Audi's corporate look has been retained, but given a dose of steroid to match the "sporty but sleek" theme. The air intake outlet under the headlamps resembles the Cayenne strongly, but at least for the Q7, it doesn't look out of place. On another note, the placement of the front foglamps seems like an after-thought by the designers.

Interior is typically Audi - fit and finishing is impressive by any standard, with the plastic used having a high quality feel to it. The aluminium trimming manages to give the interior that extra touch of style, matching the beige themed interior nicely.

The Q7 is one of those SUV that can sit up to seven, and if your priority goes towards ferrying the family and all the necessary barang-barang, the Q7 will not disappoint. Headroom is generous, but legroom wise, only the little ones are best left in the last row. Alternatively, there's the option of just hiding it away to maximise boot space. There's also an array of storage compartments within the Q7.

Driving it

At 204.8mm off the ground, the driver gets a commanding view of the road ahead, which also means there will be the occasional urge to take it off the beaten path. Surprisingly, the Q7 shows off its eager side when thrown at muddied routes - which means owning a car such as this lets you play Indiana Jones once in a while.

The 3.6 litre V6 engine is a lively FSI unit. Mated to a 6-speed automatic with manual selection mode, the Q7 achieves the century sprint in 8.5 seconds. Knowing how conservative Audi usually are with figures, we suspect the Q7 actually achieves a faster timing. This is proven every time the accelerator is floored - the response is spot on, and the needle will eagerly climb up the tachometer, with enthusiastic growls coming from the bonnet making you wish there's more to go before the redline is finally reached.

Until recently, SUVs are usually known to be soft, wallowy, prone to understeer and generally no fun at all. The Q7 manage to go against this order, by which we mean a ride that feels sedan-like, and won't bow down when driven enthusiastically. There is an inspiring level of grip and cornering ability that the day-to-day driver will probably never exploit, courtesy of the Quattro system. When the nose starts diving wide into a corner, the Electronic Stabilization Programme will cool everything down before the information even reaches the steering wheel.

Sum up

If you have the spare cash and want to drive a satisfyingly different premium SUV that compliments your self-image, the Q7 should be on top of your shopping list. Superior in most respects - from moving power and transmission to driving dynamics, its only letdowns are rear-seat comfort and rather dull dashboard design. Add to the fact that it's a much more engaging drive than the Mercedes-Benz ML350, and priced significantly cheaper than the BMW X5 3.0, the Q7 is making an interesting case by itself...

Technical Specification

Engine: 6-cylinder, V-petrol engine, direct fuel injection, 3,597cc
Power: 280bhp @ 6200rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 5000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed Automatic with Tiptronic
0 ? 100 km/h: 8.5 sec

Length / Width / Height: 5086 / 1983 / 1737 mm
Wheelbase: 3002 mm

Latest price with COE: $249,000

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