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Audi SQ7 – design

It isn’t pretty and it isn’t subtle, but the SQ7 is big, imposing and makes an impact on the road

Evo rating
RRP
from £95,730
  • Refinement, comfort and flexible V8 make for an effortless family car
  • Cabin feels clinical; it’s a heavy beast

If you’re wanting to slip down the private school car park without anyone noticing, the SQ7 probably isn’t for you. Then again, it is less brash than the likes of the BMW X7 and Mercedes GLS, and arguably one of the least offensive SUVs of this type in design terms. 

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The latest facelift brings new elements such as a redesigned front apron, a new honeycomb front grille and fresh LED light units, but the SQ7’s basic proportions remain. The body is vast, and the proportions are almost like those of a sleek minivan – well, a minivan with 22-inch wheels and quad-exhausts. 

Despite these elements, you could argue the SQ7 doesn’t look like the Cayman-eating SUV it actually is. The tell-tale silver accents that featured on S models of old have been replaced by gloss black elements, and the S-specific bumpers don’t do a whole lot to differentiate it from the standard Q7. That might not appeal to those who want their performance SUV to draw eyeballs – we’d point them towards the X7 M60i – but as a more discreet alternative, the SQ7 fits the bill nicely. 

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