Do you want to be bold, to stand out from the crowd? Well, Audi is here to give you a helping hand in the shape of the new Q7.

The car has always majored on presence. Now, the latest iteration of the big SUV is more distinctive, boasting a new design with more defined lines and up-to-the-minute Audi Q model hallmarks.

It is also at the cutting edge, with 48-volt mild hybrid technology, touch-operating concept, and lighting featuring matrix LED and HD matrix LED with laser light.

And to make sure you are comfortable while you are cutting a dash, the car is more cosseting, now featuring seven seats and air suspension as standard.

First impressions are important, and the Q7 doesn’t disappoint, demonstrating the hallmark SUV elements of the range’s current design language. 

It adopts the large octagon-shaped single frame front grille with its six upright slats which creates an even more powerful impression from the outset.

Taut, flat surfaces and crisper detailing are employed to give a truly dynamic look and the car looks poised on 19in alloys for the Sport, 20in for the S line, 21in for the Black Edition and 22in for the Vorsprung. 

Audi says it has substantially enhanced the dynamic facets of the Q7. The latest car is manoeuvrable, precise and agile in urban traffic and on hairpin bends, particularly in Vorsprung specification which includes all-wheel-steering as standard.

It also makes for comfortable and poised touring with excellent ride on motorways, helped by the adaptive air suspension, which provides variable ground clearance and prepares the Q7 with its standard quattro drive for terrain off the beaten track.

All of the engines are coupled to an eight-speed auto gearbox and quattro permanent all wheel drive. A choice of two 3-litre diesel engines are available (228bhp and 282bhp), with a petrol unit, and a plug-in hybrid model to follow. Performance figures are, 228bhp: 0-62mph, 7.3 secs; 282bhp: 0-62mph, 6 secs. Top speeds are 142.3mph to 155.3 mph. (Maker’s figures). The 268bhp motor returns a claimed average of 40.9mpg to 41.5mpg with CO2 emissions of 178g/m to 180g/km, depending on specification.

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The mild hybrid technology plays a major part in the efficiency of the engines, and there is a plug-in hybrid version imminent.

Audi interiors have long been a byword for quality and attention to detail. Vorsprung versions take luxury and convenience to the next level. With their S line detailing and black styling pack, they show the remodelled body in its most impressive light, while powered soft-close doors set the tone for the comfort within.

Occupants are treated to front super-sport seats with diamond-stitched leather upholstery, climate control and massage function, plus a leather pack taking in the door pull handles, armrests and lower door trim, the front centre console trim and the underside of the instrument panel.

Seat heating is expanded to the second row, there is a soft-touch Alcantara headlining and 3D BOSE surround-sound.

The car has grown a touch with a greater interior length as well as more headroom and elbow room in the front and rear.

Wimbledon Times:

A host of storage compartments, a new compartment in the instrument panel as well as the high load capacity mean lots of practicality. Depending on the position of the rear seat backs the luggage compartment offers between 865 and 2,050 litres of capacity, the latter with a flat load area.

An electric tailgate is standard and versatility is further increased by a rear bench seat with individual fore/aft movement and backrest angle adjustment for all three seats.

A new, digital operating concept incorporates two large touchscreens which provide both haptic (the use of touch to communicate with users) and sound feedback when clicking on the touch controls.
Top-of-the-line connectivity incorporates LTE Advanced, a Wi-Fi hotspot, natural voice control and the extensive Audi connect portfolio, opening up everything from online traffic information and navigation with Google Earth to hybrid radio. And there is Amazon’s voice service Alexa, which is integrated into the operating system.

Vorsprung models are also fitted with convenience technology such as wireless mobile phone charging, a head-up display projecting vehicle speed and assistance system notifications onto the windscreen, and an extensive portfolio of automated driver assistance systems.

Prices: From £56,310.