The Audi Q7 is a fabulously versatile luxury SUV, seating up to seven people in superb comfort yet also boasting the driving manners of a significantly smaller and lighter car. As if that weren’t enough, the Q7 makes for a solid tow car—and it can even handle a decent amount of offroading.

Since its launch the Q7 has been consistently lauded as one of the finest cars in its category, rubbing shoulders with such esteemed competitors as the Volvo XC90, BMW X5, BMW X7, Land Rover Defender and Land Rover Discovery.

Audi has given the Q7 all the regular petrol and diesel versions mild-hybrid assistance, enabling the engine to switch itself off during deceleration to save fuel. But if you prefer some serious acceleration over thrifty fuel economy, you might be interested in the sports SUV version, with its remarkable 500bhp petrol engine.

In fact, pretty much the only power source the Q7 can’t run on is electricity: Audi has never released a fully electric version of this 5m-long SUV, its biggest to date. And while there used to be a plugin hybrid version, the 55 TFSIe, Audi dropped it from its lineup a few years ago.

Equipment, options and extras

Every Q7 is so well equipped that even the entry-level Sport trim might have all you’ll ever need: 19in alloy wheels, keyless start, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, power-folding door mirrors, and part-leather seats heated in the front.

There’s a dramatic jump to the next trim, the S line, but it’s well worth the premium if you’d love 20in alloy wheels, tinted windows, and figure-hugging seats trimmed in real leather. In fact, we have to say it’s our pick of the bunch.

That being said, don’t automatically disregard the Black Edition. It brings a raft of luxuries, including 21in alloys and four-zone climate control, enabling rear passengers to enjoy a completely different temperature to those in the front. There’s also the range-topping Vorsprung to consider, with its enormous 22in alloys, keyless entry, soft-closing doors and heated rear seats.

Safety and security

Euro NCAP awarded the Q7 a full five stars for safety in 2019. It scored marginally better than its rival the BMW X5 for whiplash protection and adult occupant crash protection, and similarly to the Land Rover Discovery, but not quite as well for chest protection. The Q7 is slightly better for child occupant protection than the X5, and noticeably better than the Discovery.

All versions of the Q7 come with lots of active safety equipment to prevent a crash, including automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and a camera that reads speed limit signs and displays them on the dashboard. You might also wish to explore the optional City Assist pack (which comes as standard with the Vorsprung trim), which adds other active technologies including blind spot monitoring (which Audi calls side assist).

Reliability

All versions of the Q7 come with a 3-year, 60,000-mile warranty as standard, which for a premium you can extend for up to 5 years or 90,000 miles—but you need to buy this when you buy the car; it can’t be applied retrospectively. If you don’t order it but decide later you’d like the extension, you’ll get the less comprehensive used-car warranty as opposed to the extended manufacturer’s warranty.

The Car Planet verdict

The Audi Q7 offers an outstanding blend of plush comfort and peaceful cruising manners, yet at the same time is surprisingly agile for such a spacious seven-seat luxury SUV.

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