I have to be frank and say that I'm not in the market for a large, luxury 4x4. If I was however, this one would be well up on my list, Audi's Q7. The weather was foul - very wet and windy - during the time of my test, but that's just what you need with a car like this. The solid feel, the high driving position and the reassurance of four wheel drive all contribute to a welcome feeling on invulnerability. All of this allied to Audi build quality is a recipe that I could see myself finding it hard to resist.

Being head, shoulders and torso above the rest of the traffic made me feel confident behind the wheel of such a heavy vehicle. It weighs about the same as a baby elephant, so you feel confident that whatever you hit, it will come off worse. Well bolstered high-set seats ensure comfort on a longer journey and a great view of the road. Seven seats is the standard interior configuration for the Q7. Set-up in this way, the seating provides copious amounts of space for the front and middle row occupants but the rear seating is suitable only for small children or adults on short journeys. There's 330 litres of luggage space when the rearmost seats are folded into the floor and if they're likely to spend all their time in this position, you might like to consider the 5-seat version. Here the third row is deleted which means the load floor is lower and there's 775 litres of luggage space. It's also possible to specify a middle row of two 'comfort' seats comprised of a pair of separate chairs with an armrest come storage box in between. This in conjunction with the 3rd row delete option, opens up the possibility of four or five-seater versions of the Q7 With a length of 5,086mm and a wheelbase of 3,002mm, the Q7 isn't the most nimble rock hopper, but it does feature variable ground clearance (from 180 to 240mm), hill descent assist and an off-road mode whereby the ESP stability control system backs off to allow for loose surfaces. There's also a trailer stabilisation system which reduces the risk of fishtailing via targeted brake intervention.

Driving through the ford we ventured into during my test was, of course, a piece of cake. While saloon cars hesitated at the 2-foot 'river' looking for a dinghy, we ploughed through, leaving a wake any Riva sports boat would be proud of. Four engines are available. The entry-level petrol unit is the six cylinder 3.6 FSI, developing 280bhp. This sits below a powerful 4.2-litre V8 petrol unit also featuring FSI direct injection which cranks out a healthy 350bhp with a peak torque figure pitched at 440Nm. Of perhaps greater relevance to the UK market are the 3.0 and 4.2-litre TDI diesels. Floor it, and the TDI engine, along with its 6-speed tiptronic gearbox, will contrive to get you to 60mph in 9.1s. If conditions allow, there's also a 134mph top speed to be explored. The engine is noticeably noisier than the V8 petrol model but it's still very refined in the grand scheme of things. At 70mph it's the rustling of the wind around the Q7's A-pillars that provides the acoustic accompaniment but it's at a muted level that means the Q7 is virtually as refined as an A6 executive saloon. The Q7 handles very well on the tarmac with the weighty steering doing much to inspire confidence and no small amount of composure in corners considering the vehicle's formidable bulk. In fact, it's easy to forget you're piloting something quite so large until you glance in the rear view mirror and see the expanse of seating stretching out behind you. This car is of course equipped as standard with quattro permanent four-wheel drive. Its Torsen centre differential directs power to all four wheels, on-road and off-road, which means fast-reacting power to whichever wheel can best deploy it and excellent lateral stability - the prerequisites for optimum driving dynamics and safety. The driver benefits - also thanks to virtually balanced axle load distribution - from even better agility and steering precision that remains practically free of torque steer. That's that horrible feeling you get in some cars when the steering wheel writhes in your hands under heavy acceleration.

So could I live with one? One thing's for sure, everyone gets out of your way when you're in a Q7. To have exclusive use of the roads is certainly a prospect I could live with. To have a vehicle fit for the jungle isn't especially necessary for a city dweller like me though. That said, this Audi in its own way offers an exciting driving experience that I became quite attached to as my test drew to a close.