Audi SQ7 vs Volkswagen Transporter

What's the difference?

The Audi Q7 has come in for its second facelift as it enters its ninth year of production while the younger Q8 is in for its first refresh.

But these two aren't like the Mitsubishi ASX and Eclipse Cross pair; Audi's MLB underpinnings were cutting edge at their launch 2015 and remain stand-out in the class with advanced suspension and chassis tech, connectivity and refinement.

A host of small visual and performance tweaks aim to make the range-topping SQ7 we're driving even better. But should you make the sensible seven-seat decision or go a little rogue and choose the sloping-roofed SQ8?

The Volkswagen Transporter has a long bloodline which can be traced to 1950 when the first split-windscreen Type 2 (aka Kombi) van was launched sharing mechanical components with its equally iconic T1 ‘Beetle’ sedan sibling.

Since then, the Transporter has evolved through seven generations, with the latest being the result of a global alliance with Ford in which the automotive giants share vehicle underpinnings and other technologies. This is designed to streamline new model development and amortise costs, as demonstrated by VW’s current Amarok ute based on the Ford Ranger.

The latest Transporter shares a similar relationship with Ford’s mid-size Transit Custom range, including the full-electric e-Transporter variant based on the E-Transit Custom. We recently spent a working week aboard this electrified model to see how it measures up from a tradie’s perspective.