Audi A7 Sportback Mild Hybrid 2.0 TFSI qu S tronic (A) Review

Looking away from mundane luxury sedan choices? Check this out. It is the Audi A7 Sportback, now with a smaller displacement of 2.0-litres.

It is a good $63,800 (as of 7 February 2020) off the 3.0-litre's price.

At $316,700, it is also off by some $32,188 from its closest four-door coupe competitor, the Mercedes-Benz CLS. Parting away with lesser money isn't a bad thing, but is it a lesser car?

Not in looks

While the CLS keeps the sensuous silhouette in check, the Audi A7 pulls off a stronger, muscular line across its sheet metal.

That look is still present in the 2.0-litre variant, with slight differences. The bumpers are less aggressive, with smaller air intakes up front.

While its design might bring feelings of masculinity to the driver, there's some flamboyance too.

The wraparound light strip at the rear is a visual delight at night. It performs a short animated light show whenever you lock and unlock the car.

But after running out of colleagues and friends to impress, the novelty soon wears off. Thankfully, things continue to be interesting inside.

A tech space

Despite sharing the same interior as the A6 and A8 sedans, there is nothing to complain. It is an interior that combines futuristic looks with high usability.

Set in the gloss black dash are two screens - a 10.1-inch Audi MMI infotainment display angled to the driver, and a 8.6-inch for air-conditioning and vehicle functions.

The two screens effectively remove most physical buttons and switches, and are highly customisable. Both compliment each other well, with virtual buttons that offer a satisfying 'click' in the form of haptic feedback.

For a car that costs over $300,000, the A7 is certainly rich in infotainment features. There's wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless charging, and connected services that offer weather and traffic updates.

The rest of your three occupants will not be missing out on the futuristic experience, with customisable ambient lighting keeping things swanky. We say three because the A7 is more effective as a four-seater.

Those above 1.8m will have to duck if relegated to the non-existent middle seat, no thanks to the sloping roofline.

That said, at least the A7 sports a practical boot that's long and wide, measuring 535 litres big.

More than enough oomph

This Audi A7 sports a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that makes 242bhp and 370Nm of torque to all four wheels.

It too is a mild hybrid like the 3.0-litre A7, with its 12V system working to improve fuel efficiency rather than offering an electric boost.

Despite weighing nearly 1.8 tonnes, the powerplant offers more than enough oomph, getting up to speed in a smooth and orderly fashion. It, thus, completes the century sprint in just 6.2 seconds.

There isn't much in the way of driver assistance features, and the A7 only comes with the base Audi Pre-Sense system, braking only when a collision is detected.

However, there are systems that work in the background that add to the driving experience, like the mild-hybrid system that allows the A7 to coast with the engine turned off and gearbox disengaged until it detects traffic ahead of it.

Only then will the car cancel coasting, allowing it to gracefully slow down via engine braking.

On the road the A7 is easy to place, thanks to its light steering and reasonably sized windows that are easy to look out of.

Parking is also rarely a challenge, thanks to the standard 360-degree camera, with a 3D overhead view. In fact, it took us less than 30 seconds to park the A7 in a parallel lot along Geylang Serai.

The four-door coupe to get?

The whole point of the four-door coupe is to impress, and the Mercedes-Benz CLS does it better - even if the cabin and infotainment displays aren't as intuitive or usable as the A7's.

But to fully experience the CLS's top traits, one must go for the range-topper CLS450. It is dressed to impress, with better interior trimmings and the AMG kit bringing out more of the car's sporty character.

In the case of the A7 that you see here, it isn't a lesser product of the 3.0-litre variant despite it being the base variant. It looks and feels just as complete - and when it comes down to your money, it's a better deal.