New Audi Q7, priced from £50,340, available to order from April

The all-new Audi Q7 will be available to order from April, priced from £50,340 in SE trim, rising to £53,835 for the S Line model. Deliveries are due in August.

The new Q7 will be available with one engine initially – a 272PS V6 TDI diesel quattro. This will be joined by a lower-powered 218PS version later in the year and, eventually, a diesel plug-in hybrid.

The 272PS diesel produces a massive 600Nm of torque and comes linked to an eight-speed automatic as standard. 0-62mph takes 6.5 seconds, yet emissions and economy are impressive for a heavy four-wheel drive SUV at 153g/km and 47.9mpg.

Entry-level SE models come with an 8.3-inch navigation and infotainment system, a three month Audi Connect smartphone connectivity trial, Audi Drive Select, keyless entry and start, a power tailgate and parking sensors.

Alloy wheels are 19-inch, but upgrading to S Line brings 20-inch wheels, plus LED highlights, sports body styling, pearl Nappa/Alcantara seat upholstery, tinted rear glass and four-zone climate control in place of the standard two-zone system.

Among the options is Audi Virtual Cockpit, first seen on the Audi TT. This replaces the instruments with a large TFT display, taking care of the usual speedometer and rev counter, plus navigation, audio and connectivity.

There are also various driver assistance systems including adaptive cruise control that can take over the steering in traffic jams below 37mph, provided it can see lane markings. Adaptive cruise control can also adjust the cars speed based on speed limits, plus it will freewheel when possible to reduce fuel consumption.