The new Audi A7 Sportback enters the four-door coupe arena with a beautiful design and lots of impressive technologies.
Sure, it might not break the mold that much, but you can’t deny that the new Audi A7 is certainly among the most well-balanced four-door coupes in the market. Its spot-on proportions combined with the dynamic shoulders and the sloping roofline give the new A7 Sportback undeniable presence on the road but this sense of well-being goes much deeper.
In total Audi will offer no less than 39 driver assistance systems with the A7 Sportback, which are divided in three packages: Park Assist, City Assist and the Tour Assist. When armed with the full range of systems, the new Audi A7 Sportback features five radar sensors, a laser scanner, a front camera, four 360-degree cameras and no less than 12 ultrasonic sensors.
Audi will offer the new A7 Sportback with two powertrains during launch: a 3.0-liter V6 TFSI petrol in the 55 TFSI model and a 3.0-liter V6 TDI diesel in the 50 TDI model, just in case you forgot the Germans’ confusing new naming strategy. Both powertrains are paired to the Quattro all-wheel drive and are essentially mild-hybrids as they’re based on the latest 48-volt architecture and feature a belt alternator starter that generates up to 12kW of recuperation power.
The petrol 55 TFSI model has an output of 340hp and 368lb-ft (500Nm) of torque, sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission. 0-62mph (100km/h) comes in 5.3 seconds while combined fuel economy is an NEDC-rated 6.8lt/100km (34.6 mpg US).
The diesel 50 TDI model offers 286hp and 457lb-ft (620Nm) of peak torque and is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. 0-62mph (100km/h) is dealt in 5.7 seconds while the combined fuel economy according to the NEDC is 5.5lt/100km (42.8 mpg US) in the base version.
The highlight of the interior is of course the dual-touchscreen display concept, with the always connected MMI infotainment system on top of the climate control. Audi claims that their latest system is as intuitive to use as a smartphone while the voice control system is always connected to the cloud, constantly learning in order to better process your inputs.
The first examples of the 2018 Audi A7 Sportback will be delivered in early March in Germany, with prices starting from 67,800 euros for the petrol 55 TFSI model and 66,300 euros for the diesel 50 TDI model.