When we met Audi Q7 in a snowy Ingolstadt two years back, its designers told us that its brutal, almost butch styling was intended that way. Research suggested prospective owners expected Range Rover or Land Cruiser large attitude — even if Q7 was to be considerably softer than those.

Seems to have worked — Q7 is a most popular choice and owners I’ve chatted to agree — they prefer it more imposing than a conventional, dainty Audi, say TT.

Anyway, if anything the big new turbodiesel V8 Q7 positively lives up to that monster promise — it’s actually quite a dramatic ride up here on the Reef. It’s a bit numb off the line but gets away well enough — well it should with 760Nm on tap.

Then all of a sudden it gets angry and whooshey as it spools up and sets forth in all fury, making one think oh ‘my gosh; this is quite mad!’ It dispatches 100km/h in just 8.5 seconds in spite of that pause and kills off the quarter in 16.4 seconds at 148km/h.

Which is all good and well, but being so elevated, you feel all at sea up there as it initially thrusts you back in acceleration and lurches forward again as you lift. Never mind that side-to-side moment as you turn.

That’s is a bit of a poser for me — I expect this sort of car to be more genteel and serene, but it isn’t. It’s brutal, fast and impressive when pressed, which may be a bit much for some. Of course if you drive smoothly none of the above applies, but then why bother getting the V8 if the V6 is just as good there.

No, there’s nothing really wrong with that giant thrust — in fact I quite like it, but there’s another downside that kind of makes the whole exercise fall a bit flat — it sucks diesel at almost the same rate as a petrol V8 does and that flies in the face of why to go TDI. It should be much more frugal, which clearly this V8 diesel is not.

We wait with interest to see how this car's chief rival pans out in the X5 Sd, which uses a 3.0-litre diesel six with twin turbos to deliver compatible punch but with more frugal consumption.

If you want a hot new SUV that goes as majestically as Q7 looks meanwhile, then this V8 has to be a significant option. Trouble is it can be a little overpowering too and it falls a bit short on real world economy gains you'd possibly expect from a TDI…