Audi SQ7 vs Range Rover

What's the difference?

The Audi SQ7 TFSI is a delight to drive. You can’t fault its handling or power and drivers who want that sort of performance will not be disappointed. However, for the price point I was hoping for sweeter ongoing ownership costs and terms. It's missing a few family-orientated amenities, particularly in the middle row, but it’s big enough to accommodate a large family and all of its gear. So, I give this an 8.0/10.

My son thought the red paintwork and engine were pretty cool and he also gives it an 8.0/10. 

The Range Rover Autobiography long wheelbase is an outstanding SUV that is not just beautiful to drive but makes family practicality a priority, too, 

The price is reasonable relative to the competition, the features list is long and complementary servicing offers peace of mind.

If you don’t need the third row, I’d consider the standard wheelbase Autobiography even if it does reduce legroom, there’s still plenty of space.

My son stopped short of giving the Range Rover Autobiography full marks "because there are no massaging seats in the second row".     

The SQ7 has always had a certain understated glamour about it. It’s usual to see these cars in the monochromatic hues that European manufacturers seem to favour, so it can slip under the radar a little.

Not our example, in its Matador Red, a colour which accentuates the red calipers behind the 22-inch alloy wheels and makes the LED headlights pop.

The nose is pronounced with only a small ‘SQ7’ badge hinting at what’s beneath the long bonnet.

There’s quite a bit you can customise and one of the options is sporty black accents across the bodywork, as per our test car.

The interior hosts a plethora of soft touchpoints, leather trims and shiny black piano finishes to create a premium finish.

The panoramic sunroof and dark grey headliner (which is apart of that Sensory Package) further enhances the sense of luxury.

The sports seats are finished in a Valcona leather trim that’s diamond quilted but the headrests are fixed, which might not thrill taller occupants.

Overall, the SQ7 is a large SUV being 5067mm long, 1970mm wide and 1743mm high.

Those dimensions almost challenge the Kia Carnival, which is a people mover! Make sure it will fit in your garage before buying it. 

This fifth-generation Range Rover debuted in 2021 and despite its smooth, modern styling this SUV retains the familiar traditional Range Rover look with the short squared bonnet, flat roofline and tall windows.  

Let’s talk about the wheelbase, because it has a huge impact on passenger space.

We had the long wheelbase which is 3197mm between the front and rear wheels - that’s 200mm more than the standard wheelbase. 

Just look at those stretched rear doors in the photos - this is a go-anywhere limousine, or go-anywhere daycare centre in my case.

The overall length of the long wheelbase Range Rover is 5252mm. That’s big, but the design of this SUV doesn’t make it appear enormous.

What I don't like are the retractable door handles. They take a while to pop out and they look and feel cheap. Land Rover has used these on its other SUVs and if I had time I’d pen a letter asking the company to please stop. I’m sincerely hoping this review will do the same thing. I await your response JLR.

I think the tail-lights are pure genius. The pencil thin design is such a brave move away from the norm where brands are going over the top with LED lighting, and the simplicity is refreshing.

Inside, a traditional-looking Range Rover cabin awaits you with the flat dashboard, the low window sills contrasted by super modern touches like the displays and fully digital dials.

It’s sumptuous, luxurious, but not over the top. Again some people are looking for bling and gimmicks, but you won’t find them here - and I like that. This interior feels solid and substantial, but plush. 

It’s missing a few little family items found on other large SUVs but it’s still a fairly practical family car. The cabin is spacious but passenger comfort has been prioritised over storage options.

Front and middle row occupants enjoy most of the room but third rowers will be comfortable on short journeys.

I would be saving these seats for the kids on longer trips, unless you want to get dagger eyes from any adult passengers stuck back there as the amenities aren’t as extensive as you might like with only two cupholders, a reading light and air vents (which aren’t directional).

With the Sensory Package included, the inside is an example of luxury with its heated and ventilated front seats, as well as the heated outboard seats in the middle row.

I love the massage function up front and that it’s customisable for intensity and position. The heated steering wheel is also a nice feature on the chilly days we’ve been having lately.

The tech is quite good with dual 12.3-inch touchscreens stacked on the dash and centre console.

They have haptic feedback, which means they vibrate when you touch them, but curiously this feature disappears while you’re using the wireless Apple CarPlay.

It did take a little while to get used to the Audi system and the haptic feedback, but once you do it’s easy to handle. There’s Bluetooth, digital radio, wired Android Auto and built-in satellite navigation, too.

The head-up display is super clear and displays the sat nav guidance and speed. What I really love is the four-zone climate control – meaning the middle row can get some further adjustments for ultimate comfort.

Charging options are okay with the front enjoying a wireless charging pad, two USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket. Middle row passengers also get a couple of USB-C ports but third rowers miss out.

I was surprised by the lack of storage throughout and this leads me to think this would suit older families best. For example, the middle console is large enough to only fit a phone. Still, each row gets two cupholders and a drink bottle holder in each door.

The boot is an acceptable size with all seats in use at 295L but with the third row stored, it jumps up to a more respectable 770L. There are stacks of different storage accessories available to purchase, if you need extra space.

The third row is a 50/50 split and the middle row has a very practical 35/30/35 split, which opens up the storage options.

The level load space is handy for the grocery run. But there’s no underfloor storage, and you don’t get a spare tyre, just a puncture repair kit.

A powered tailgate is handy, although this one's a bit faster than others I’ve sampled.

Range Rovers have been a family favourite for decades and they’ve been doing school runs and trips away long before other brands even thought about producing SUVs for families.

So what you’re buying is Land Rover’s decades of knowing how to make a family SUV and you can tell by little things such as, how wide the doors open, how easy it is to get in and out of (even for little kids), the flat floor, the good visibility (thanks to low window sills), and then there’s the space and cabin storage. Stuff other brands seem to be still working out.

The second row seats in the Autobiography have electric sun shades, dual-zone climate control and the window seats are power adjustable and heated.

My eight-year old couldn’t resist playing with his electric sunshade and the seat adjustment, but fortunately the driver has an override switch which let me turn off his 'seat privileges’ as he called it. 

Being the long wheelbase means the rear doors are long and heavy. So while the eight-year old could open them, he had trouble closing them. 

The long wheelbase offers unrivalled legroom in the back and that meant my wife and I could put our own seats back further for our own comfort -even with a baby seat behind us.

Enormous door pockets, a giant centre console storage area, cupholders in all three rows, USB ports, wireless phone charging and in our case an optional domestic power outlet ($130) made this a comfortable, roomy, well equipped cabin.

Sure, the third row isn’t exactly spacious, but I’ve never met one that is. 

The intelligent seat folding system is remarkable. From the boot or side doors you can electronically adjust the second and third rows - either to raise them or lower them so they are flat for storage.

With all seats in place there is 229 litres of cargo space still left in the boot, but with those back seats folded flat you have 713 litres of capacity - and that’s just up to the cargo cover. 

The Range Rover Autobiography has air suspension and this means the SUV can lower itself to an 'Access' height to make it even easier to get in and out.

The Autobiography sits high in the Range Rover line-up and only the SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) models command higher prices.

Our Range Rover Autobiography was the long-wheelbase with the twin-turbo petrol V8 engine and has a list price of $312,193.

The standard features include retractable door handles with a proximity key, the LED headlights and tail-lights, a power tailgate and the panoramic sunroof.

Inside, 'Caraway' perforated semi-aniline leather seats are standard, too. So is a 13.1-inch screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus sat nav. There’s a fully digital driver display, a head-up display, wireless phone charging, and a Meridian 'Signature' sound system.

Four-zone climate control is standard and will keep the kids comfortable in the back, while the sun shades will project them from that giant fireball in the sky. 

Up front there are heated and cooled seats which also massage, while the outboard rear seats are heated and power adjustable.

Our Autobiography was the seven-seater and it’s only about $1600 more than the five-seat version.

Ours had a few options fitted - there are the 23-inch wheels, the standard alloys are 22-inch, there’s also the black contrasting roof and the privacy glass which is so dark it’s almost impossible to look in. 

All up the total list price for ours came to $318,603.

The new TFSI engine in the SQ7 is monstrous. It’s a 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 with maximum outputs of 373kW/770Nm.

To say it’s powerful is an understatement. This would be at home on the autobahn and my son cheered whenever I had to get up to speed.

It, of course, replaces the SQ7’s iconic diesel V8. The old TDI unit had 53kW less power but 130Nm more torque. However, the new engine delivers on power with aplomb.

The eight-speed auto transmission glides effortlessly through its changes and the all-wheel drive drivetrain is responsive.

The 4.4-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 is a perfect match for the Range Rover Autobiography.

There’s enormous power at 390kW and a colossal 750Nm of torque, but it’s delivered so smoothly and without sounding like Armageddon is beginning.

You might here the engine referred to as the P530. That signifies it’s petrol and makes about 530 horsepower. 

All that grunt means that despite weighing more than 2.7 tonnes, this SUV can hurl itself from a stand still to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds. 

An eight-speed automatic sends the drive to all four wheels. And making this SUV incredibly capable off-road is an excellent four-wheel drive system with a low range gear, plus a maximum ground clearance (thanks to the adjustable air suspension) of 283mm and a wading depth of up to 900mm.

There is a six-cylinder diesel, but if you decide on that instead of the V8 then it's all over between you and me. That’s how good this V8 is.

With great power comes… okay fuel efficiency. Actually, better than okay considering the twin-turbo V8 engine. The official combined cycle fuel figure is 11.9L/100km and real-world testing saw my figure at 13.2L.

Considering how hard I drove this and the type of driving I did this week, which was a combo of open-road and urban, this is very respectable. Expect it to be much higher in the city, though.

The SQ7 has a large 85-litre fuel tank and based on the official combined figure, you should be able to get around 714km of driving range. That isn’t as great as more fuel-efficient options but still good for those who like their road trips.

Audi recommends a minimum of 95 RON premium fuel with a preference for 98 RON for ultimate efficiency.

Now, you’re going to use a lot of fuel. But that’s okay because this will probably be your last petrol car and the next one will be electric so let’s go out with a bang - last drinks at the petrol bar! Land Rover says you’ll use 11.8L/100km.

After a week of punishing my Range Rover with school drop offs, shopping centre car parks, hilly suburbs, motorways and rural roads the petrol pump told me we’d used 19.8L/100km.

I’m not shocked by that consumption. This is a 2.7 tonne all-wheel drive twin-turbo V8 SUV that was almost always ferrying around four people with a pram, garden supplies and shopping in bumper to bumper traffic. A real world fuel test. 

There is that six-cylinder diesel and a hybrid version of the Range Rover, but this V8 engine suits the character of the SUV perfectly - anything else and it’s like eating reduced fat ice cream.

The performance is awesome and I made excuses all week to hop in and drive it. It doesn’t hurt that when you press the push-button start, the engine rumbles and growls. There’s even a ‘spitting’ sound as the turbo fires up. It all promises fun.

While the power feels immense, you do have to get used to how to handle it. For example, when you first shift into gear and pull your foot off the brake, the car lurches forward as if it’s rearing to go. It took me a couple of days to get used to the little quirks of it. 

The steering is controlled and responsive, adapting to the conditions and speed at which you’re driving. If you’re accelerating hard, the steering turns a little stiff and the seat belt tucks you into your seat, reaffirming the addition of that S in the model name.

The cabin is very quiet and there’s no shuddering or vibration to be felt through the steering or seat.

The SQ7 features sports adaptive air suspension and it's dependant on how you drive and what drive mode you’re in. It makes for an extremely comfortable journey and not just for those in the front. The rear passengers are nicely cushioned, too.

This is a big car but you don’t feel those dimensions when you park it. Even with its 12.4m turning circle, it’s not cumbersome with the adaptive steering.

The dynamic 360-degree view camera is super clear but the parking sensors are too sensitive for my liking. It might just have been an oddity on the particular model I drove but the emergency braking did pop on a few times (scaring the hell out of me every time!).

Driving the V8-powered, long-wheelbase, 2.7-tonne, Range Rover Autobiography is a lot easier than it sounds. Really, it’s the Range Rover’s height above sea level which will strike you first.

You’ll lord it over other cars. The length doesn’t come into it - even for parking because the visibility is so good, the steering is so light and the engine is civilised and smooth.  

This is truly an easy and enjoyable SUV to drive, with power and performance whenever you need it. 

There are several drive modes from a 'Dynamic' sporty one, which makes the engine more responsive and suspension firmer, to off-road settings.

Most of the time I left the Range Rover in 'Comfort' mode for the softest ride, but with 530 horsepower lurking in the background ready to jump out and eat up hills and overtaking.

The front seats are wide, comfortable and supportive even after hours of driving. 

The Range Rover was given the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2022.

For second-row child occupant protection the Range Rover scored a high 86 per cent in frontal and side impacts.

Standard safety tech includes AEB (junction and forward) with cyclists and pedestrian detection, there’s blind-spot warning, lane keeping assistance and rear cross-traffic alert, but no rear AEB.

For child seats there are ISOFIX mounts in the second row, and top tether anchor points in the second row and third rows.

Along with an entire suite of airbags it’s good to see a centre airbag up front and also head-covering curtain airbags all three rows.

If I was spending my hard-earned cash on a vehicle like this, I would want to be treated like a queen when it comes to servicing.

Manufacturers should sweeten the pot when it comes to on-going servicing and ownership terms when you’re at this level but the SQ7 just comes with a pretty standard five-year/unlimited km warranty.

You can pre-purchase a five-year/75,000km servicing plan and it will set you back a total of $4100 (or an average of $810 per service), which is expensive but not outrageous for a performance vehicle.

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, which is good.

The warranty is good with five-years and unlimited kilometre coverage.

There’s also five years roadside assistance and a complimentary five-year/130,000km service plan.

Yep, that's complimentary, as in free servicing for five years. I didn’t believe it myself and called Land Rover to check and was told that it does indeed mean free-of-charge.