Q7 beats the best in rugged market

RoadTest: Audi Q7:For all the hot air being expended by the anti-SUV lobby, it seems consumer demand remains unabated. One of the last executive models to abstain from the social-Siberia of SUV ownership has finally yielded to demand.

For years Audi held out on producing its own version, despite its expertise in four-wheel-drive. It preferred to put its faith in the butch All-Road A6 estate.

As sales proved, that simply wasn't macho enough for today's rugged - if urbanite - motorist, so it was back to the drawing board. The end result is the new Q7, big, brash and bold enough to scare many other SUV owners off the road.

The most striking feature is the mammoth front grille, even more imposing in appearance by being set against two diminutive light clusters. This tall front sets off the long sweeping body, all creating a look about as subtle as Mel Gibson at a boozy bar mitzvah.

Yet subtlety is not what SUV owners are about. For all the comments about the feeling of safety and great views of the road ahead, their average owners want to make a big statement with the car they drive and the Q7 does just that.

Whatever your views on the looks - and for every detractor we came across there were several others who swooned at its stature - the Q7 propels Audi to the forefront of the executive SUV segment. Nothing is done in half-measures.

While the marque might have been late to the party, it does offer seven seats as standard, something only Volvo offered in this executive class up until now. BMW released details of its new X5 model last week, with the option of seven-seats, but for now Audi has the jump on its fellow German.

The good news for Irish motorists is that while the Q7 is offered for now in only two engine versions - a 233bhp 3-litre TDI diesel and 350bhp 4.2-litre petrol - the TDI diesel that powered our test car is more than capable of the task at hand.

With six adults and a fully-laden boot, we cruised along at motorway speeds with ease and on frequent overtaking manoeuvres the slightest touch of throttle had us whizzing past with ease. In truth, given the speed limits and state of our roads, there is no need to consider the petrol variant for Ireland.

Mated to a standard six-speed tiptronic automatic gearbox, our diesel Q7 proved an excellent cruiser and during our 800km drive last week it managed a credible average of 9.5L/100km (30mpg). That may not seem like something to boast about, but we did push the car relatively hard and it was fully laden with six adults and their requisite luggage the entire time.

Given Audi's four-wheel-drive "Quattro" reputation it hardly comes as a surprise to learn that it's one of the best around; always rewarding and sure-footed on even loose surfaces. Unlike most of the executive SUVs, the Q7's quattro drive favours the rear wheels when it comes to the torque split. The end result is on-road handling that tops its competitors.

Our Q7 came with Audi's air suspension system (€4,078) that can be adjusted to five different settings - from off-road to dynamic - but we found the automatic setting served us best, with the comfort setting a little too soft for a fully-loaded car, particularly for the passengers in the back.

While the Audi does boast seven seats, the two seats at the very back are quite awkward to access and the legroom is token - though the middle-row occupants can slide their seats forward.

Due to the fact that the seats fold neatly into the floor, the seat cushion is so close to the floor that occupants take more of a crouching position rather than a sitting one, their knees ending up at chest height. It's fine for children, but anyone over 5' 8" will not fancy sitting there for any length of time. The beauty is that, when viewed as a five-seater with two additional "just-in-case" seats, the Q7 works very nicely.

It also offers very respectable bootspace, even with all seven seats in use - more than the average people carrier in such instances. Of course it's best if the luggage is soft, but there is enough room for three or four sports bags and there's also some under floor storage for briefcases.

The middle row can easily accommodate three adults. However, be warned: the middle seat in this row is quite firm, lacking the cushioning of the other two seats. It also houses an armrest and when folded up there's not enough padding to make it comfortable for the middle passenger on long journeys.

The test car came with the panoramic glass roof that extends to all three rows (€2,998) and if potential buyers take our advice and opt for the diesel rather than the petrol - thereby saving some €26,500 - then they can spend some of this saving on the lengthy options list.

In terms of controls, the Q7 comes with Audi's turn-and-click control system, the MMI (Multi-Media Interface).

It combines a central knob and collection of buttons that is more intuitive than BMW's iDrive, but we would still prefer if the Germans followed Jaguar's lead with a touchscreen system. For example, the air-conditioning system is overcomplicated, with controls through the MMI screen and separate dials.

Overall, the Q7 pits Audi right at the forefront of the SUV ranks. Admittedly it's competing in a crowded market, with plenty of strong contenders. Our favourites until now have been the X5, the Range Rover Sport and Volvo XC90 with a strong challenge from the new Mercedes ML.

Yet with its potent 3-litre diesel engine and those extra seats the Q7 is up with the best of these, in spite of its looks.