A couple of years ago, Audi in their exuberance to develop their brand further came up with a micro-niche segment which resulted in the Sportback range. Now after the launch of the A3 and A5 Sportbacks, the A7 Sportback arrives to round out the range.
With the Sportback, Audi is aiming for a class of sedan with the sporty athletic lines of the coupe and the cargo capacity and interior flexibility of a wagon that adds up to a muscular road stance.
The latest A7 Sportback presents itself as an upgrade from the A5 Sportback. Aimed at the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the A7 is designed with that in mind.
With the Sportback, Audi is aiming for a class of sedan with the sporty athletic lines of the coupe and the cargo capacity and interior flexibility of a wagon that adds up to a muscular road stance.
The latest A7 Sportback presents itself as an upgrade from the A5 Sportback. Aimed at the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the A7 is designed with that in mind.
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Exterior
Externally the A7 Sportback shares a similar side profile with its younger A5 siblings but seems to present a more graceful design than the A5. The A7 shares the unmistakable Audi profile of the smaller A5 with the sculpted flanks and a graceful snout.
In the rear, the quarter window gets an upward kink that Audi says pays quiet homage to the iconic 100S Coupe of the 70s. Further rear, the A7 shares the squat, flat rear of the A5 but doesn't seem to be executed as gracefully as the A5.
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There's no doubt that Audi has taken their design language into overdrive with the A7. From the front the large sedan sports a sleek and sinister stance that is accentuated further by the tornado line that emanates from inside the LED headlamps travels more than two thirds of the length of the Sportback.
The 3.0 TFSI model here is fitted with the S-line bodykit that creates a strong muscular stance of the A7 when viewed from the front quarter. Further underlining this sinister profile are the optional 20 inch five spoke design alloys that fill the flared wheel arches beautifully.
Interior
Audi has always been lauded for their award winning interiors and in the A7, they have taken that admirable standard to an even higher level of opulence and simplicity. The high centre console creates a cockpit-like feel with the instruments displayed in crisp clarity. The ability to spec the interior with exotic materials such as wood paneling and aluminium takes interior standards to a whole new level of luxury.
The driver's seat offers limitless adjustability for that perfect driving position. Once in, you have access to Audi's brilliant MMI touch navigation system that controls all of the car's functions through an easy to use interface. A touchpad just to the right of the gearlever allows drivers to input navigation and addresses by simply writing on it. Audi claims that the touchpad can even recognize the worst of handwritings including Chinese characters. A feature that Audi developed for their fast growing Chinese market.
The 3.0 TFSI model here is fitted with the S-line bodykit that creates a strong muscular stance of the A7 when viewed from the front quarter. Further underlining this sinister profile are the optional 20 inch five spoke design alloys that fill the flared wheel arches beautifully.
Interior
Audi has always been lauded for their award winning interiors and in the A7, they have taken that admirable standard to an even higher level of opulence and simplicity. The high centre console creates a cockpit-like feel with the instruments displayed in crisp clarity. The ability to spec the interior with exotic materials such as wood paneling and aluminium takes interior standards to a whole new level of luxury.
The driver's seat offers limitless adjustability for that perfect driving position. Once in, you have access to Audi's brilliant MMI touch navigation system that controls all of the car's functions through an easy to use interface. A touchpad just to the right of the gearlever allows drivers to input navigation and addresses by simply writing on it. Audi claims that the touchpad can even recognize the worst of handwritings including Chinese characters. A feature that Audi developed for their fast growing Chinese market.
Facing the driver is a exquisite instrument panel that is backlit in clear, bright white light that displays all essential information in crystal clarity in day or night conditions. Like so many cars in this segment, the Audi features a Head Up Display (HUD) for drivers to keep their eyes on the road.
What I loved most about the system is its ability to display instructions from the GPS right on the HUD which means the driver no longer needs to take his eyes off the road to receive directions from the GPS. The HUD even displays distance caret and arrows as well as road sections!
The rear cabin of the A7 offers incredibly comfortable legroom for even the tall passengers. The rear accommodates two full grown adults without any difficulties with plenty of headroom to spare. So spacious is the car that it should be possible to sit a third smaller adult without major issues though the A7 only provides two seatbelts for rear passengers.
Boot space here is voluminous as the powered boot lid opens to reveal an almost cavernous boot. With all seats up, the boot will swallow 535 litres of cargo. Most impressive is that with the seats folded, the boot space expands to a whopping 1390 litres.
What I loved most about the system is its ability to display instructions from the GPS right on the HUD which means the driver no longer needs to take his eyes off the road to receive directions from the GPS. The HUD even displays distance caret and arrows as well as road sections!
The rear cabin of the A7 offers incredibly comfortable legroom for even the tall passengers. The rear accommodates two full grown adults without any difficulties with plenty of headroom to spare. So spacious is the car that it should be possible to sit a third smaller adult without major issues though the A7 only provides two seatbelts for rear passengers.
Boot space here is voluminous as the powered boot lid opens to reveal an almost cavernous boot. With all seats up, the boot will swallow 535 litres of cargo. Most impressive is that with the seats folded, the boot space expands to a whopping 1390 litres.
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The Drive
The A7 we tested is the current flagship model. Powered by the S4 derived 3.0-litre TFSI supercharged V6, it provides plenty of grunt even for a large sedan such as this. In the A7, the engine provides 300bhp on tap while torque figure is at 440Nm.
On the road, the A7 proves eager with every prod of the throttle. Audi claims a century sprint of 5.6 secs but the A7 feels quicker than on paper. Gun the throttle and one is rewarded with the intoxicating whine of the supercharger and a guttural exhaust note of the V6.
Taking the Audi through a series of bends, the large sedan feels a lot more agile than its size lets on. Steering is accurate and full of feel as you feel the Audi string a series bends together with ease.
Despite rolling on large 20 inch wheels, the sedan maintains a decent ride even with the Audi Drive Select in 'Dynamic' mode. The sedan maintains a remarkable amount of body control even when the road gets rough.
The A7 we tested is the current flagship model. Powered by the S4 derived 3.0-litre TFSI supercharged V6, it provides plenty of grunt even for a large sedan such as this. In the A7, the engine provides 300bhp on tap while torque figure is at 440Nm.
On the road, the A7 proves eager with every prod of the throttle. Audi claims a century sprint of 5.6 secs but the A7 feels quicker than on paper. Gun the throttle and one is rewarded with the intoxicating whine of the supercharger and a guttural exhaust note of the V6.
Taking the Audi through a series of bends, the large sedan feels a lot more agile than its size lets on. Steering is accurate and full of feel as you feel the Audi string a series bends together with ease.
Despite rolling on large 20 inch wheels, the sedan maintains a decent ride even with the Audi Drive Select in 'Dynamic' mode. The sedan maintains a remarkable amount of body control even when the road gets rough.
The A7 comes into its own when cruising on the highways with the amount of comfort and refinement within the cabin. One hardly feels the kilometers as the excellent ride comfort melts always bumps and undulation without difficulty.
Conclusion
When parked next to its rivals, the Audi seems to trounce the competition with its understated but aggressive styling. Interior refinement is also another area its competition find hard to replicate.
Despite being around the same size as the competition, the A7's dynamic ability is hardly affected and changes direction almost as quickly as the much smaller S4.
In case you're wondering, the best A7 is yet to come. Audi is now working on the next S7 that will see a 4.0-litre V8 under the hood. This you can expect in early 2012 when the S7 arrives behind the next Audi S8.
What do you think? Jot down your opinions at the comment box below.
Conclusion
When parked next to its rivals, the Audi seems to trounce the competition with its understated but aggressive styling. Interior refinement is also another area its competition find hard to replicate.
Despite being around the same size as the competition, the A7's dynamic ability is hardly affected and changes direction almost as quickly as the much smaller S4.
In case you're wondering, the best A7 is yet to come. Audi is now working on the next S7 that will see a 4.0-litre V8 under the hood. This you can expect in early 2012 when the S7 arrives behind the next Audi S8.
What do you think? Jot down your opinions at the comment box below.
