With a more airy line, the new Audi A7 Sportback is a digest of technologies of last generation, which starts from 74 000 € … before adding options.
At Audi , the four-door coupe embodies avant-gardism in terms of design and technology. For the design, the German brand is rather noticeable by atavistic conservatism while being talented to refine its lines or accentuate its curves. This is the case with the new A7 Sportback subtly retouched, whose Cx increases from 0.29 to 0.27.
For the technology, a part is revealed by sliding behind the wheel with the horizontal lines of the dashboard having three large screens . The first, behind the wheel, configurable at will to focus on the tachometer and speed or mapping or engine performance. The other two, tactile, are positioned at the top of the console, to receive the new digital navigation system that replaces the knob and buttons and traditional controls of the previous model.
The infotainment system is controlled from the upper screen while the lower screen provides access to the climate control system, comfort functions and text input. A voice command makes things even easier. A head-up display that projects important information on the windshield is also proposed.
A 340 hp turbo petrol V6
Who says premium brand, says countless options and choices to customize your vehicle and make a unique model by the atmosphere, upholstery, rims, from 4 levels of finishing, the first posting a rate of basis at € 74,000, the last named Avus extented starting at € 94,500.
However, with the release of this 2nd generation A7 Sportback, Audi has made it simple motorization matters by not presenting a single. It’s a 340-hp 3-litre petrol turbo V6 with a 7-speed S tronic transmission in standard quattro transmission.
The 4-wheel steering is optional at € 2,200, except for the Avus extented version offered for testing, which also comes standard with the electronically controlled air suspension with adaptive damping.
In a few months , the catalog will be enriched by a Diesel engine , still popular with heavy riders. It will be a 3-litre V6 286 hp associated with a box tiptronic 8 reports, priced from 73 000 €.
Maximum driving serenity
The drive is made with confidence, provided by the comfort of the car, its power and the 39 driver assistance systems that ensure to mitigate an incident or distraction, facilitate a parking maneuver with the autonomous function or further simplify night travel with automatic code / headlight.
Despite its nearly 5 m long , it is even nimble in the series of turns of small Italian roads, around Lake Orta. The ride in the rain highlighted the advantage of four-wheel drive and steering.
As for consumption, it is dependent on the use of the 340 hp brought to move a vehicle of more than two tonnes empty.However, the A7 Sportback is equipped as standard with an alternator starter running on a lithium-ion battery. Between 55 and 160 km / h, the car can coast freely, the engine off, for a while.
