Audi Q7 vs Lexus RX350L

What's the difference?

The updated Audi Q7 is a bit of a game of ‘spot the difference’ - but even though it’s far from a new generation, the update is more than just some shiny new bits.

While the brand’s first SUV is still in its second generation, a bit of modernised design and some tech tweaks are aimed at keeping it in line with rivals, even as it nears a decade on sale. 

As well as the new features, there’s also a new variant bound for Aussie showrooms. So, is it still up to the task?

It's just about so late to the seven-seat party that all that remains is a tired cleaner sweeping up confetti and cake crumbs, but Lexus has at last launched an SUV with a third row of seats. 

Well, technically it hasn’t so much launched a new model as it has extended its existing large SUV, adding a 110mm extension behind the rear wheels to squeeze in two extra seats and form the RX L 

Lexus shifted around 2000 units of its five-seat RX last year, and the brand’s local executives reckon 20 per cent of premium SUV shoppers are chasing a seven-seat car. If those numbers stack up, it could mean a 400-strong annual sales boost for the RX range.

A big deal for the Japanese premium brand, then. But what about the rest of us? Is bigger really better for the RX?