The new Audi A7 Sportback adapts the formula of the outgoing car to make a more resolved and desirable package. Not only is the design more cohesive and appealing, but it’s also lighter and better to drive. The interior also moves the game on in terms of design and technology, with a range of clever autonomous features and slick displays to justify the A7’s high-end market position.
The A7’s petrol and diesel engines are strong performers and, thanks to new mild hybrid tech, the official economy figures are impressive. The drive majors on maturity, refinement and composure, although that means it isn’t as engaging to drive as a Porsche Panamera. The ride on air suspension is a bit inconsistent, too – you’d have to test drive it both on springs and air to find your preference. But despite these foibles, there’s no doubting that the A7 is a more appealing prospect than the previous model.
Like most of Audi’s core range, the new A7 isn’t a radical redesign but an evolution of the shape of the previous car. However, the shortened overhangs and extended wheelbase give the sharp four-door coupe a more athletic profile than the rather lardy-looking old model.
A number of details also mark it out from the old car, including the extra-wide grille, sleek-looking headlights and prominent styling lines. But it’s the large and distinctive single-piece OLED rear light bar that really marks it out – for a company considered to be quite conservative it’s a pleasant surprise. The clever light ‘animations’ when you lock or unlock the car are either very cool or a bit showy depending on preference. The rear spoiler, which opens at speeds of over 75mph, remains intact.
Inside, Audi has adopted the same minimalist approach as the new A8, but there’s a bit more of a driver focus thanks to the angled dash and lower, sportier driving position. The button-heavy layout of the old car is replaced by a slick-looking dual-screen infotainment system controlling almost every aspect of the car’s comfort and infotainment functions. A new generation Virtual Cockpit also features, and is standard on every car.
The dual screen infotainment system itself is hugely clever, sharp to look at and instantly impressive. The touchscreen surfaces are haptic, delivering feedback to the touch when pressed. It means instead of tapping lightly as usual, you’ll have to actually press the screen to get going with the system, but once you’re used to it, it’s a fantastic setup to use. It’s probably still beaten for ease of operation on the move by a good old fashioned rotary switch though.
As you’d expect, the quality of materials and fit and finish is largely faultless. The quality really matches the flagship A8, though the layout and design is a bit sportier compared to that of the firm’s limo.
The old Audi A7 was a comfortable and capable cruiser, but didn’t feel particularly sporting or agile. Audi has tried to address that with the new car, introducing a new, lighter platform and fresh features such as four-wheel steering. It can turn the rear wheels up to five degrees in the opposite direction at low speeds to make it easier to manouvre, and two degrees in the same direction a higher speeds to make it feel more agile and stable.
A bewildering four different suspension setups will be offered on the A7. There’s standard steel springs, 10mm lower sport springs, springs with adaptive dampers and a full adaptive air suspension system. So far, we’ve sampled the sports set-up and the £2,000 air option with mixed results.
The A7 certainly feels sharper than an A8 from the off, with less body movement and more direct steering increasing the feeling of agility to an extent. Quattro all-wheel drive means it feels assured and planted whatever the weather, too. It’s confidence inspiring and easy to place on the road, but it never feels like a car you’d drive purely for the enjoyment of doing so. A Porsche Panamera is much more fun, but we’ve yet to try the A7 alongside a Mercedes CLS.
Of greater concern was the ride on our air-sprung car. It dealt with big bumps effectively and and settles into a relaxed gait on smooth surfaces, but still lets you know about scars in the road at low speeds, meaning the improvement over the sports suspension is marginal.
That’s a shame, because the small fidgets can spoil the A7’s otherwise impeccable refinement. The engines are hushed, while wind and road noise are well-isolated. As a motorway cruiser, then, the A7 really impresses. It’s a great car to dispatch miles in at speed.
Engines
There are just two engines available with the A7 at launch. Both of them are six cylinders, one is petrol and one is diesel. Both also make use of Audi’s 48v mild hybrid system, which uses a belt-driven alternator starter that recuperates energy under braking or when coasting and stores it in a lithium ion battery pack under the boot floor.
The system allows the engine to be shut down when coasting at speeds between 34mph and 99mph, and also means the stop/start system can activate while the car is still rolling to a stop. It has little impact on the overall driving experience, however.
Despite changes in public perception of diesel vehicles, the 3.0 TDI (badged 50 TDI) is set to make up over 80 per cent of UK sales. We can see why, as when combined with the smooth eight-speed automatic gearbox it’s a brilliantly flexible powertrain. A healthy 620Nm of torque ensures it pulls strongly but serenely in any gear, with only a cultured V6 hum to disturb the peace. 0-62mph is dealt with in 5.7 seconds, and it feels every bit as fast as that figure suggests.
By comparison, the V6 petrol isn’t quite as complete as an all-rounder. It sounds a bit nicer, is faster outright, and the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox it comes with instead of the diesel’s torque converter gives faster shifts. But it needs to be worked harder to get the best out of it, and you often find it hunting for gears where the diesel just holds on to a high cog and rides the wave of torque. Still, it’s by no means a bad offering for those averse to diesel.
Like the A8 and forthcoming A6, the A7 sits on an all-new platform with technology and mechanical components not used in Audis of old. This means that long-term reliability is very difficult to comment on at this stage.
The 48v mild-hybrid system adds an extra degree of mechanical complexity to the already hi-tech model, but its been around for a while. Audi’s reputation for reliability on its older models isn’t perfect, with the brand finishing in 17th place in our 2017 Driver Power survey in that category. Lets hope these new generation models improve things.
As with the A8, Audi plans to roll out the full suite of autonomous safety systems gradually as the tech is thoroughly tested. Until then, features such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist and park assist ensure that the car’s features can take over when the driver’s skill or attention let them down.
The A7 may not ever be tested by Euro NCAP, but given lesser Audi saloons have emerged with a five-star rating, we’d expect no less in terms of safety here.
Warranty
The A7 is covered by Audi’s standard three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, which can be extended to four years or 75,000 miles for around £1,000, or five years and 90,000 miles for around £2,500. Those figures are based on the warranty of the larger A8, so the A7 might be fractionally cheaper. Still, given the cost of the car and any potential repairs, it seems like an acceptable amount to pay.
Servicing
Audi offers the choice of a fixed inspection or flexible servicing schedule depending on your intended mileage. Fixed inspection is aimed at those doing under 10,000 miles a year and it includes an oil change service every year or 9,000 miles and a full inspection service every 19,000 miles or two years.
If your mileage is likely to be higher than that you can select the flexible schedule, with the car’s computer deciding when it needs to be serviced based on usage and other parameters. The variable intervals are up to a maximum of 19,000 miles or two years.
By their very nature, big four-door coupes are less practical than the saloon models on which they are based. But the A7 is better than you might expect, with plenty of space for four adults to get comfortable (and five to squeeze in for short journeys).
Visibility is a little compromised thanks to thick pillars and that sloping roof, but it’s no worse than in the Porsche Panamera. The multitude of cameras and sensors make parking easier than it looks, while the self-parking function due later in 2018 will make the process a doddle.
Size
The A7 Sportback is 4,969mm long, 1,908mm wide and 1,422mm tall. It’s actually ever so slightly shorter than the old model, but it’s fractionally wider and taller. Despite the shorter length Audi has added 10mm to the wheelbase, and increased the overall cabin length by 21mm, improving pasenger space. The A8 is a good 200mm longer still, however.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
Don’t expect the A7 to be a luxury limousine and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the space on offer. Front seat passengers get loads of head and leg space, with supportive and endlessly adjustable seats. Legroom is improved for rear seat passengers over the old car, and while six footers will find their heads brushing against that sloping roofline, it’s not too bad overall.
Boot
One practicality benefit the A7 has over its saloon siblings is its hatchback-style tailgate. It makes accessing what space there is significantly easier for those with awkwardly-shaped loads. The 535-litre boot is identical in capacity to the previous generation A7 but that’s still better than a Porsche Panamera.
Given the huge song and dance Audi makes about its 48v mild hybrid system, the 10 per cent economy improvement claimed doesn’t seem that impressive. Nevertheless, both engines are competitive on paper when it comes to fuel economy.
The petrol A7 claims an impressive 39.8mpg and emits 161g/km. Those figures beat the equivalent Porsche Panamera by a significant margin, while also trumping the (admittedly older) BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe in 640i form. We’ve yet to see figures for the new Mercedes CLS, however, which has the potential to usurp the A7.
It’s the diesel that’ll hold more appeal for those concerned about running costs, and will be the best offering for company car buyers until the plug-in hybrid option arrives. On 19-inch wheels the 50 TDI cracks 50.4mpg combined, but it dips to 48.7mpg on larger 20-inch wheels, which are standard fit on S line cars.
Insurance
The A7s initial insurance groups look competitive next to its rivals. The diesel sits in group 45E, with the petrol in group 44. While the difference between the two won’t be significant, that’s considerably better than any variants of the Porsche Panamera (Group 50). Even the older BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe can’t match the Audi’s figures. It still won’t be particularly cheap, however.
Depreciation
The A7 is a large car, but its competitive price tag means there’s less initial outlay to lose than in many rivals. Trade guide CAP Gold Book predicts best in class residual values, with the 55 TFSI petrol predicted to retain 40 per cent of its value over 3 years/60,000 miles. Be careful with the options list, however, as its easy to add thousands to the car’s list price that you won’t recoup come resale time.
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