DRIVING a full size SUV in the current atrocious weather conditions gives you a lovely sense of security.

The new Audi Q7 I have been sampling may be 325kg lighter than its predecessor but it is still a huge vehicle with considerable presence.

When it first arrived back in 2005 the Q7 was designed to challenge the Land Rover Discovery, Volvo XC90 and BMW's X5 as well as the mighty Range Rover.

It has been a success for the company and as a result they went on to produce smaller Q5 and Q3 models with a Q1 to arrive next year.

The second generation Q7 arrived in the summer and is built on a new platform that is being shared with a number of the company's other products.

The new Q7 is the most technologically advanced Audi ever produced and boasts features that we could only have imagined a few years ago.

It might be crammed with tech but the Q7 still ticks all the boxes that owners want from a large SUV.

There is stacks of room inside with seating for seven and space for luggage on top of that.

The third row of seats rise and fall at the touch of a button and the tailgate is also electrically operated.

The new Q7 also competes with the rest in the luxury stakes and the cabin features top quality materials and is superbly constructed.

Design of the new model is dominated by a huge three-dimensional grille flanked by LED lights which are standard on most models, along with very large alloy wheels.

In profile the Q7 is more handsome than stunning while the rear has big tail-lamps that copy the shape of the headlights. Twin tailpipes are integrated into the rear bumper and help to give this giant a sporting look.

If you specify the £2,000 optional air-suspension you also get a button to raise and lower the vehicle - a bonus if you are loading heavy luggage.

As you would expect the Q7 boasts a huge amount of kit with LED lights, cruise control, four-zone climate control, heated electric sports seats, keyless entry, sat-nav and much more all coming as standard.

There is an 8.3-inch fold-down colour display system with high-resolution graphics and an Audi Drive Select to switch between the various driving modes, as well as an excellent audio system which relates to all modern devices. For an extra £600 you can add Audi's fantastic 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit which adds an extra screen in front of the driver.

This car was fitted with the smooth and powerful 268bhp 3.0-litre TDI unit which emits 153g/km of CO2. A lower powered 215bhp version is also available and costs around £2,500 less.

It takes just 6.5 seconds for the larger unit to reach 62mph and it is also good for 145mph if you can find anywhere to stretch its legs legally. The claimed combined figure is 47.9mpg but in real life driving you will not get near that figure.

For such a large vehicle the Q7 handles surprisingly well and despite its bulk is quite agile.

Road, engine and wind noise is kept to an absolute minimum thanks to the car's efficient insulation and all occupants can travel in real comfort.

Luggage capacity depends on the seating configuration, but ranges from 770 litres to a massive 1,955 litres.

The Q7 comes packed with a whole host of safety features including its standard quattro all-wheel-drive and there are add-on packs that can introduce additional systems - at extra cost.

The SE verison tested with tiptronic costs £49,475 but if you get too heavy with the options list you can easily add another ten grand to the asking price.