The New Audi A7 Sportback Is A Tech Fest 'Coupe' With A Big Mouth
Audi’s mission to supersize the front grilles of its cars shows no sign of abating. Following on from the big-mouthed A8, we have the all-new A7 Sportback, sporting an incredible set of front teeth.
It’s just as much of a tech fest as the recently revealed A8, too. There’s the usual Virtual Cockpit system that replaces the car’s dials with a 12.3-inch screen, but - like the A8 - the A7 does away with all the usual buttons and dials found on the centre console, replacing them with a pair of touchscreen displays. There’s an optional HUD just in case you want to up the display count even further.
There are some 39 driver assistance features on offer including an ‘efficiency assistant’, the ‘adaptive driving assistant’ system that works with the adaptive cruise control (it provides “helpful steering interventions,” apparently) and from 2018, an AI parking system.
The A7 also lets you store up to seven driver profiles, with 400 aspects of the car that can be personalised. Finding your ideal settings might take a while…
On the chassis front, the A7 gets an updated version of Audi’s air suspension system, and if you want to sharpen things up further, all-wheel steering plus a sportier rear differential are both available as options.
From launch there’ll be just one engine available - a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6, although an RS version will almost certainly make its shouty way into the fold at some point. The six banger is good for 335bhp and a curiously specific 368.8lb ft of torque, and is hooked up to a 48-volt mild hybrid system that lets the start-stop system kick in at 13mph, helping the A7 on the way to a wallet-friendly 41.5mpg figure.
0-62mph happens in a brisk 5.3 seconds, and at the top end its electronic limiter will hold you back at the familiar 155mph mark.
Want one? It goes on sale in the UK early next year, and will be yours from around £56,000 on the road.
Comments
P1eased0nteatme
Saw this on my Twitter feed, almost missed because I just thought it was a post about a used 1st A7 or something
At this rate the entire front end of all the cars in Audi’s lineup one day will consist of just one massive grill. And nothing else.
Oh noooo
TheMindGarage had a meme to sum that up perfectly
The “Evolution” of the german grille.
I absolutely loved the design of both the old A5 and A7, but the new ones both look way worse.
Ikr the RS5 changed from sharp assassin to preying mantis…
Walter da Silva did a brilliant job and I guess it’s damn hard for the other designers to “improve” or “renew” his design. Nearly impossible, if you ask me.
Anyway a lot of people share your opinion. I thought about the latest A5 that it didn’t look as good, or let’s say it this way: When the A5 was new, it was simply one of the most beautiful cars out there. Audi finally had a luxury coupe and the styling was mega.
So if you have the same expectation for the latest version, you’re perhaps going to be a bit disappointed.
As I already mentioned, it must be a pain in the ass to make such gorgeous looking cars even more gorgeous.
Anyway the latest Audi models are still good loking to me and the new A5 grew on me pretty good. I bet the same will happen with the A7.
Agreed. The original designer had tears in his eyes when he saw the A5. The new A5 and A7 will make him cry for a whole other reason.
What did they do to the rear of the A7? The old one was sooo pretty!
RS7?
Does this mean the RS variant will be faster than the E63S and M5? Will the new RS6 be similar too? Oh please Audi!
There are rumours that next generation RS6 and RS7 will have two versions, one with just petrol engine and 650 hp and other one will be a hybrid, using similar setup as Panamera Turbo S E hybrid, with 700 hp.
They trying to make it look like a Panamera on a diet or somethin’? Does not look as good as it’s predecessor…
Howz da rear?More headroom?More legroom?
I like the old one alot more
You really need to show the tailights light up on that thing.