Size matters. Or at least that seemed to be Audis philosophy when it came to developing its first off-roader. The Q7 is massive: 250mm longer and 68mm wider than the Discovery with a wheelbase of more than three metres.
It only looks small when parked next to the Land Rover in our group shot because its comparatively low at 1,737mm.
Trouble is, unlike most other Audis, which tend to be neat and handsome, the Q7 isnt particularly well executed. The heavy flanks and tall nose make it look big, bulky and cumbersome, while its sheer size means the styling comes across as clumsy BMWs decision not to follow suit and build an equally large machine seems to be a clever move.
But can the Q7 win back points inside? Theres no denying its spacious not even the Land Rover could match the Audis 2,040mm maximum load length, while the X5 fell 155mm short. The one-piece tailgate makes the area more accessible, too were it not for the high load sill. Even with the air-suspension lowered, the boot floor is 830mm above the road, and when you combine this with the low roofline, the height of the cabin is limited. That hampers maximum load volume, and is also bad news for headroom.
The rearmost seats are standard in the Q7, and they undoubtedly offer more knee clearance than the X5s although adults will still be sitting with their legs splayed. Access is awkward, too, but more puzzlingly the middle row features a shorter, narrower and harder centre chair, which quickly becomes uncomfortable.
The front seats arent particularly well padded, either this S line model features sports chairs that increase support, but arent so cosseting. As with the X5, there are few reminders that youre sitting in an off-roader the layout is similar to the A6s yet Audi hasnt overlooked its legendary construction standards while building the cockpit.
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