Life is full of surprises. You never know where and when, but there are endless surprises anywhere and everywhere, and they can be around any corner just waiting for you.

Turn that corner and you could meet a new friend or lover, in the bookstore, coffee shop, or even at the supermarket. Go around the next bend and there could be a new car waiting for you in the showroom.

In this instance, it could be the new Audi Q7.

The new Q7 is the first car in the Volkswagen Group to use the Modular Longitudinal Matrix Evo (MLB 2/MLBevo) platform, which is also set to underpin the next Porsche Cayenne, the Volkswagen Touareg and the eagerly awaited Bentley Bentayga as well as a whole new generation of Audi models, including the upcoming all new A4.


Exterior

The second generation Q7 showcases a whole new design direction for Ingolstadt's 'Q' family, so we can expect future replacements for the Q3 and Q5, as well as the new Q1 due next year, to follow suit.

Back to the Q7, there won't be any trouble distinguishing the flagship SUV. Key styling cues such as the bold Singleframe grille has been retained, although it is now larger and tauter than before, giving the car a more athletic look.

At the same time, a strong beltline running back from the Matrix LED head lights along the side of the car hint at the old Audi Quattro's boxy wheel arches and also give the impression the car sits closer to the ground, while the flowing roofline and roof bars enhance the car's modern look.


Up close, the new Q7 appears a tad smaller and generally less imposing than its predecessor. In fact, it looks almost like a high-riding stationwagon with oversized wheel arches.

These impressions are backed up by the car's dimensions - at 5,052mm in length, 1,968mm in width and 1,740mm in height, it is 37mm shorter, 15mm narrower and 3mm taller than the outgoing Q7.