The Audi Q7 was beginning to look rather dated compared to the more stylish Q8 swoopy SUV, but no more as the talented folks from Ingolstadt have applied a major mid-cycle refresh to their BMW X5 rival. Revealed at the end of June, Audi’s former flagship SUV has made the journey to Ireland where a nice example finished in Matador Red posed for the camera for Motor1.com long-time friend Auditography.

Even though Audi’s rather confusing nomenclature has been around globally for a couple of years, even longer in China and India, we still can’t get used to the idea of a Q7 55 TFSI like this one. We’re hoping Audi will revert to the old naming scheme one day, which was far more straightforward and easier to understand.

Gallery: 2020 Audi Q7 Matador Red in Ireland

Equipped with the optional S Line package, this particular example of the refreshed Q7 shows off the numerous changes Audi’s seven-seat SUV has gone through for the mid-cycle refresh. On the outside, the headlights and taillights are brand new, while both bumpers have gone through a nip and tuck. Being an S Line model, it has a blade in the front bumper while the underbody protection at the back looks slightly sportier than what you get on a normal Q7.

Even more modifications have occurred inside the cabin where an additional touchscreen mounted lower on the centre console has replaced the conventional buttons of the climate controls. It’s the same setup you’ll find in the Q8 as well as the A6 through A8 models, and it makes the Q7 look like an all-new model rather than only a facelift for the current generation.

Not that many people will care about 0 to 62 mph times, unless we’re talking about the SQ7, but we can see this Q7 55 TFSI needed only 5.9 seconds to complete the task, which isn’t half bad for such a large and heavy SUV. Speaking of the SQ7, we’re wondering whether Audi Sport has a fully fledged RS Q7 in the pipeline seeing as how the company formerly known as Quattro GmbH has made it crystal clear it wants to bolster its SUV portfolio.