Time to go off-road

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At first sight the redesign does not seem to have markedly altered the three-tonne behemoth. It carries slightly more chrome than before, with 20 inch chromium-aluminium wheels as standard and new front and rear fascias, but it is on the inside that the boffins have been at work.

The interior is now packed with goodies to make the drive more enjoyable. There is a keyless start, the seat moves forward as the steering wheel lowers once the engine is switched on, the seats are fully automated with position memory for him and her and the third row seats and boot are electrically controlled. Front and middle (captain) seats have independent air-conditioning and heating.

The steering column has buttons galore for the various windows and settings and the rear passengers have access to the DVD/CD settings which play over a 12-speaker Bose system. So far so good and plenty to keep everyone busy on long road trips. And that is where this SUV is at its happiest.

Although it carries slightly less cargo space than some of its rivals, it's definitely a vehicle for the open road rather than the city.

The machine's sheer size is breath-taking, at 5.255m long it comes in a shade longer than Nissan's Armada - although that could be chrome-blindness - and from the driver's seat you can easily look down on all fellow motorists.

People and cars will make way as you indicate to switch lanes, which makes a nice change. But you will run into problems when parking as most spaces are just too narrow.

The rear-facing camera to help reverse is a nice touch but won't warn you if cars are coming from either side.

Once on the road, however, the drive is a total pleasure. The engine has absolutely no problems with kicking in to overtake and powers the car along.

It is so silent that you can easily forget how fast you are actually going and the five-speed automatic gearbox shifts smoothly up and down.

The automatic four-wheel drive kicks in seamlessly when necessary and this adds to the pleasure because taking the QX off-road is worth savouring. The car grips the terrain incredibly well for its size and the independent front and back double-wishbone suspension keeps the bumps to a minimum while preserving the thrill.

Verdict: you really have to already be on the look-out for a large SUV or people carrier to get the most out of the QX but in that field it really stands out. The engine carries the car effortlessly and taking it off-road alone is worth the test drive.

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