Audi has joined the likes of Mercedes Benz, BMW and possibly even Porsche by introducing a niche segment competitor in the form of the A7 Sportback, meant to compete with the CLS, the 5 GT, and the Panamera.
According to Audi the five-door newcomer, launched in South Africa last week, is meant to combine the elegance of a coupé, the comfort of a luxury sedan, and the practicality of an estate. And boy does it look the part. Think new A6 front with Sportback bum (and cool boot spoiler that raises at 120km/h), and some sleek design lines thrown in for good measure.
Dimension-wise the A7 is long (4.97 metres) and wide (1.91 metres), with a low roofline translating into just 1.42 metres of height. It has a low-slung and athletic stance with a longer bonnet line, short front overhangs, a long wheelbase, curvy C-pillars, and a shortish rear. At the launch the lines were even compared to an Audi Coupé S from the early seventies.
But it's strictly a four-seater affair, and that sloping rear roofline means rear headroom is sacrificed somewhat. Boot space looked good though, buyers can expect 535 litres with rear seats up, 1390 with seats down. And that long tailgate opens and closes at the push of a button. To ensure road presence the Germans have made Bi-xenon headlights (LEDs are optional) and LED tail lights standard; headlights also get an all-weather lighting function which according to Audi eliminates the need for fog lamps.
The inside seems to have taken a step forward, and I understand this is what we can expect in the upcoming new A6. Fit and finish gives new definition to precision, with every corner and every single trim line meeting perfectly. I'd go so far as to say it's better than the A8 luxury sedan's. Seats are extra comfy, dials are new, the centre monitor quite sexy in the way it dips forward before folding away, and the frameless doors the cherry on the designer icing. There's also quite a stylish raised section on the end of dashboard that runs the length of the windscreen, as seen in the Jag XJ.
Standard fare includes niceties like dual-zone climate control, four-spoke leather wheel with multifunction controls, keyless entry, and park distance with rear view cameras. And there's a fancy lighting package that allows you to fine tune lighting in areas like door pockets and foot wells. The MMI operating system, from the A8, is sharp and easy to use, while for the first time in any Audi in SA the A7 gets an optional heads up display.
Other cool options include the MMI touchpad for inputting instructions, night vision, and the 1300 watt, 15 speaker Band & Olufsen sound system. There's also quite a cool new standard safety feature called active counter-steering assistance, which provides additional steering input in an emergency collision avoidance situation. Safety options include nets like Audi pre sense safety, active lane assist and park assist.
At launch buyers have the option of two V6s, a supercharged petrol or a turbodiesel (a more powerful Bi TDi is due for November launch). A seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch 'box is standard in either (with no plans for a manual 'box), as is latest-generation quattro all-wheel drive (with new crown-gear centre differential and torque vectoring technologies). Both engines get Audi's new thermal management system, an energy recuperation system, and stop/start for greener consumption and emissions.
The ride and drive through the mountain passes of the Cape presented a seriously dynamic and capable coupé. The A7 runs on the new A6's platform, features numerous aluminium components for a lighter body, and gets a new power steering system (with an electromechanical drive) for efficiency. The Audi drive select dynamic system is standard, with adaptive air suspension optional. Exceptional build quality becomes apparent, with just about zero road and wind noise, and a comfortable and smooth drive. Being quattro and low slung, handling is on rails - we battled to get near its traction boundaries.
The 3-litre TDI is the clear winner in the range, making 180kW and a very torquey 500Nm. Audi claims 6l/100km for this model, carbon emissions of 158g/km, 6.5 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint, and a top end of 250km/h. Mating that seven-speed dual clutch box to 500Nm gets the A7 singing of the Rammstein song sheet, with solid in-gear grunt optimised by quick and silky smooth gear changes.
The 3-litre TFSI, pushing 220kW/440Nm, felt short-breathed in comparison, especially in terms of in-gear acceleration climbing through twisty passes. Audi promises 8.2l/100km, 190g/km, 5.6 seconds 0-100km/h, and a 250km/h top end for the petrol. We also picked up an engine management issue with the supercharged V6, the same issue we picked up on the S4 launch - which runs the same engine.
To make the options list easier to deal with Audi SA has introduced three spec levels: Sophisticated at R43 400, Progressive at R51 500, and the performance-orientated Sport at R50 500. Options aside though, the diesel at R717 000 is actually eleven grand cheaper than the petrol, making it the obvious choice.
And yes, there will be an S7, and possibly even an RS7 down the line. -Mercury Motoring