PROS:

+ Fantastic engine

+ Surprising cornering ability

+ Great cabin

CONS:

- Thirsty for a modern V8

- There are better seven-seat SUVs

- BMW's infotainment still easier to use

Verdict: What the petrol V8 takes with its thirst, it gives with its superior noise and character. Otherwise, the SQ7 remains one of the most rounded performance SUVs you can buy today.

2021 Audi SQ7 review: the five-minute read

Imagine searching for a new house that has beach access, countryside views, city dining down the road and brilliant skiing in the winter months. Impossible, right? Well, the Audi SQ7 is that house in car form.

The SQ7 is a large, premium SUV, that can seat seven people and sprint to 62mph from a standstill quicker than most sports cars while not being embarrassed in the corners. Quite the CV.

It's not alone in trying to offer this, though. The Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5 M and Range Rover Sport SVR are all a similar package.

Large performance SUVs are all about an imposing look, which the Audi SQ7 does very well. Massive grille? Tick. Gaping air intakes? Tick. Piercing LED headlights. Oh yes. In fact, the SQ7 is perhaps more reserved than some others, but it's hardly a shrinking violet.

Audi makes some of the finest interiors across all its models, so it's no surprise this range-topping Q7 looks, feels and smells (yes, really) expensive everywhere. Nothing creaks, the chrome and leather all feels genuine and the overall design is angular but not to the detriment of usability.

That said, Audi's stacked infotainment touchscreens aren't as easy to use as BMW's Drive when driving, despite getting haptic feedback. At least the native menus are easy to follow, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and Audi's standard digital driver's dials are some of the best in the business.

And unlike the Porsche Cayenne, the SQ7 will seat seven people. Its rearmost pews aren't brilliant for adults, but are fine for short journies and clearly seat kids without issue. There's acres of space in the front two rows, sliding seats in the middle and a huge boot that'll swallow a family's luggage on a week away no problem.

The big news for 2021 is that the SQ7 has traded in its old 4.0-litre V8 diesel for the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine you'll find in cars like the Audi RS6. It produces 507hp here and via the SQ7's standard all-wheel-drive and eight-speed automatic gearbox fires it to 62mph from a standstill in just 4.1 seconds.

That's impressive given the SQ7's 2.2 tonnes, and so is the noise the V8 makes. Maybe more impressive, though, is the way the SQ7 goes around corners. Tech like rear-steering, active anti-roll bars, sports air suspension and clever all-wheel-drive all work together to help it turn into bends cleanly, prop it up through the corner and fire it out again efficiently.

Sure, it's no sports car in terms of driving fun, but you won't be left behind trying to chase one, either. Plus, the SQ7 is beautifully comfortable on all types of road in its more relaxed driving roads and whisper-quiet at high speeds on the motorway. A Cayenne is even sweeter to drive on a country road, but no other car of this type has the SQ7's mix abilities.

The SQ7's only real black mark is that we struggled to better 25mpg from that new petrol V8, which by modern standards, isn't great, and is much worse than the diesel it replaces. Still, starting at £80,000, its buyers are unlikely to care, and in every other respect, the SQ7 is staggeringly good.

For great Audi deals click here

Extended read…

2021 Audi SQ7 interior and infotainment

The SQ7 is a fairly reserved SUV as large SUVs go (honestly), and it's the same story inside. The overall design is angular, but clean and stays to a strict theme of dark colours and classy materials.

The colour of the trim inlays changes depending on which trim you go for, but otherwise, you get the same high dash line featuring leather, chrome and piano black plastics. Nothing squeaks and everything looks, feels and even smells expensive.

On the infotainment front, things aren't quite as convincing. Audi's stacked touchscreens aren't as easy to use as BMW's Drive when driving, despite getting haptic feedback. The larger top screen deals with the infotainment side of things, while the lower one does the climate control, both in both cases the small onscreen buttons can be quite hard to hit when concentrating on the road ahead.

At least the native menus are easy to follow, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and Audi's standard digital driver's dials are some of the best in the business.

A decent Audi sound system comes as standard, but range-topping Vorsprung models get a bigger and better Bang and Olufsen system that is well worth the upgrade if you like your music. Wireless charging for your smartphone comes on every SQ7.

Buy a used Audi

2021 Audi SQ7 practicality and boot space

If you want a healthy dose of space and practicality to go with your performance, the Audi SQ7 simply has to be on your list.

The front seats are comfortable and come with a wide range of electric adjustment, there's acres of head and legroom for adults in the middle row and the three seats in the middle slide and recline individually which is a nice touch. In fact, three adults sat across the middle row won't complain about the space.

The rearmost seats are as spacious as those in the largest SUVs, but they will take adults on short journies and, of course, cater for kids perfectly well.

The SQ7's boot with seven seats in place is as big as the one in most small cars, but at a press of a button, you can fold the rearmost row into the floor to open up a whopping 865 litres, which is bigger than a Cayenne's or Range Rover Sport's.

2021 Audi SQ7 engine

The big news for 2021 is that the SQ7 has traded in its old 4.0-litre V8 diesel for the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine you'll find in cars like the Audi RS6.

It produces 507hp here and via the SQ7's standard all-wheel-drive and eight-speed automatic gearbox fires it to 62mph from a standstill in just 4.1 seconds and on to a limited 155mph top speed.

That's impressive given the SQ7's 2.2 tonnes, and so is the noise the V8 makes when you're in the mood to get a shift on.

However, where 40mpg was possible in the diesel SQ7 if you were particularly careful at a cruise, we struggle to manage much more than 25mpg from this petrol V8. That isn't terrible given the SQ7's power, but it shows that without its clever 48-volt tech and cylinder deactivation you'd be looking at even shorter distances between very expensive fill-ups.

2021 Audi SQ7 driving

The SQ7 has a wide remit when it comes to how it needs to drive. It needs to be fast and fun, yet also comfy and quiet.

In town, it's a large car to manoeuvre about, but a host of standard sensors, cameras and the SQ7's standard rear-steering helps cut its turning circle down to family-hatch territory. Plus, its standard air suspension does a great job of smoothing over potholes and cracked Tarmac.

Outside town, on country roads, things get even more impressive. That rear-steering, active anti-roll bars that prop the SQ7 up in tight bends plus clever all-wheel-drive that can shuffle the majority of power backwards and forwards depending on the grip levels all work to make this a ridiculously agile SUV for its size and weight.

OK, so you won't be having as much fun as you would in a low-down sports car, but you won't be embarrassed by one on a winding road in the SQ7 either.

And when you flick back to its more comfortable driving modes, the SQ7 makes a simply superb long-distance motorway car. Its suspension becomes even comfier and barely any wind or road noise makes its way inside.

Interested in buying a Audi Q7?

Find used Audi Q7