IF you've ever been intimidated by the sheer bulk of an Audi Q7 looming large in the rear view mirror, the all new version of this seven seat SUV will come as a welcome surprise.

For not only is it a bit shorter and narrower than before, its newly crafted contours make it look less threatening too.

There are practical improvements as well; more use of aluminium and high strength steel have helped the car shed 240kg.

It still tops two tonnes but has ditched the equivalent of two portly chaps, helping boost both performance and economy.

Also improved is space in rows two and three, with the rearmost seats big enough for a grown woman or shorter man to settle in some comfort and enough room behind for a decent quota of luggage.

The tape measure shows the new Q7 is 5,082mm long, down 37mm, while the width shrinks 25mm (or an inch) to a still muscular 1,968mm - wide enough to make narrow country lanes an exercise in caution.

It goes on sale here in August in two trim levels, both powered by the same heavily revised 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine, producing 268bhp and powering all four wheels all the time via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

A lower powered version (215bhp) arrives later this year and there is talk of a hybrid model with electric motor assist some time after that.

The SE quattro version of the new Q7 costs £50,340 and you need to find an extra £3,495 for the S line, which gains a more sporty look thanks to bigger alloy wheels and changes to the front bumper, along with side skirts and a roof spoiler.

Also included in the S line pack are more practical upgrades, like LED headlights, gearshift paddles behind the leather trimmed and multi-functional steering wheel, leather and alcantara sports seats and climate control front and rear.

That's not to say the cheaper SE is lacking standard equipment, although it wouldn't be an Audi without lots of tempting ways to bump up the bottom line with options galore.

As standard, the car comes with an excellent satellite navigation system, 19 inch alloys, power operated tailgate, powered third row seats (up and down at the press of a button), electrically adjustable front seats and an 180 watt sound system with 10 speakers.

Add in cruise control, hill descent control (braking for you off-road), leather upholstery and privacy glass

Audi is fighting hard to keep its interiors looking smarter than the opposition, and winning - although the new Volvo XC90 runs it close, with Swedish cool squaring up to German tech.

Audi is proud of the density of electronics available via its (here we go with the extras) £1,950 technology pack, which includes an instrument panel that's really a high definition screen that can show instruments or the navigation map in great clarity.

The pack also comes with an excellent head up display projected on to the screen, three year subscription to the internet for Google Earth and Street View and automatically dipping headlights.

All the cars sampled carried the dynamic pack (£2,800 for the SE, £2,655 on the S line) which includes adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition (with a forward pointing camera) and, most impressively, air suspension.

This electronically controlled system gives the Q7 a ride that surprises with its supple absorption of bumps, even on a car equipped with £1,100 of huge 21 inch alloy wheels. Without a cheaper steel sprung car to try it was impossible to judge the value of the upgrade, but I'd be surprised if the cheaper steel sprung Q7 was anywhere near as poised on our awful road surfaces.

The freshly fettled diesel engine and crisp changing auto box are well matched, launching this big machine towards a top speed of 145mph and passing 62mph in an impressive 6.5 seconds.

Both versions use the newly reduced emissions (CO2 153g/km) from their tailpipes to secure annual road tax of £180 and a BIK rate of 28 per cent.

As ever, the fuel consumption figures Audi, and all other car makers, has to quote are highly optimistic. On a merely brisk three hour drive over mainly non-urban roads the car showed 34mpg - a long way short of the claimed 47.9mpg.

The real world figure is actually not bad and compares well with rivals. It is most unlikely to deter potential buyers of a very much improved and highly capable new prestige SUV from Audi.

Performance figures for the 3.0-litre diesel quattro S line are 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds with a maximum of 145mph - rather brisk for a very large SUV.