Cabin and practicality

Sporty. It's a word Audi people use a lot in relation to the Q5, and the car does a great deal to support the opinion.

It has a more sleek profile than its most obvious competitor, the BMW X3, but this is not at the expense of space: you can get four adults in with ease and still pack in 540 litres of luggage.

The driving position gives you the lookout-post view essential to a 4x4 without making you feel like you're perching on the car rather than sitting in it.

We only hope it won't have the offset pedals you find in the A4 once it's been converted to right-hand-drive.

The three-spoke steering wheel and the paddle-shifters that operate the S-tronic gearbox are things normally found in sporty cars, too.

There are sliding and folding rear seats and a folding front passenger seat to help the Q5 perform its family duties, while 200mm of ground clearance and the capacity to tow a 2.4-tonne braked trailer support its credentials as a 4x4.