Audi Q7 (2005) review

Successfully blending sports saloon handling with off-road ability, the first-ever mud-plugging Audi is an impressive all-rounder. We're not sure how the styling will be received in this image-obsessed class, but all is forgiven once behind the wheel. The petrol engine is a joy, and the driving experience is difficult to fault. There's no doubt the Q7 has the measure of executive SUV rivals.

Diversity was never an Audi strength. Its saloons, estates and conventional sports cars have always been strong, but the second the company's design team strays from the winning formulae with niche models such as the A2 city runabout or the A6 Allroad, customers turn away.

One sector of the new car market where the firm has been notable by its absence is the SUV class. With the 4x4 boom showing few signs of slowing, bosses have finally decided that now is the time to take the plunge. The Q7 has been a long time coming - but we were first and exclusively behind the wheel to deliver our verdict.

In the metal, the new Audi has the appearance of a jacked-up A6 Avant - it's not exactly pretty, but it is certainly imposing. Yet whatever your view of the bodywork, few will be disappointed by the interior. The driver sits high in a supremely comfortable cabin behind an A6-style dash. Our first impression was that space is a little limited, but once on the move the ergonomics prove to be spot-on up front, while there is masses of luggage room in the boot.

Rear passengers are equally well catered for. Enormous sunroofs let in plenty of light, and neither head nor legroom is in short supply. Comfort is on a par with luxury models, and only those in the rearmost sixth and seventh seats will be cramped.

But there's just the one place we would want to sit in the Q7 - and that's behind the wheel. Despite measuring more than five metres long, it feels nearly as nimble and agile as a sports saloon. What's more, unlike some Audis, the big off-roader managed to smooth out virtually every bump and pothole we could find with ease.

The steel spring set-up fitted as standard passes only the slightest of jolts through the cabin. Choose your Q7 with optional air-suspension and the ride quality becomes class-leading. Venture into challenging terrain and the redeveloped quattro transmission will stop you getting stuck, too.

At launch, customers will have the choice of a gutsy 4.2-litre petrol V8 or a more frugal 3.0-litre diesel. Smaller-capacity petrol engines are expected to be added to the line-up later, while a hybrid Q7 will appear in 2008.

One look at the Audi's specification sheet and it's clear that the company has set its sights firmly on luxury car buyers. If you've got the budget, you can quite literally have everything. As with the recently launched Mercedes S-Class, the Audi is available with adaptive cruise control which can bring you to a standstill in stop-start traffic. Clev-erly, LEDs in the wing mirrors also flash if sensors detect that there is a vehicle in the driver's blind spot.

Given the Q7's size, its radar-based Parking System Advance is also a must. It features a colour screen on the dash-board linked to a camera at the rear. Audi's MMI cabin control system is another welcome addition inside.

While exact specifications and prices for right-hand-drive UK variants won't be confirmed until closer to the newcomer's launch in July next year, costs are expected to be similar to those of the new Mercedes M-Class. It might not be too adventurous, but the Q7 looks set to be a valuable, capable and long-lived addition to the Audi line-up.