Audi’s new S7 Sportback
Performance embodies presence and comfort
THE A7 Sportback range now includes a sporty performance model in the S7 Sportback. While still representing the new Audi design language to a great extent and delivering on progressive exterior looks and technology, the new S7 Sportback includes a sporty and luxurious driving experience like no other.
Presence: the design
The Audi S7 Sportback is characterized by its striking, distinctive design and sophistication – outside and inside alike. Embracing the new Audi design language further emphasizes its sporty look along with a dynamically styled front trim, wide sills and rear diffuser with four tailpipe trims. Distinctive S trim elements in dark chrome and aluminium on the radiator grille lamellas, the front blade, the side air inlet, the exterior mirrors and the rear diffuser proclaim the sporty coupé’s sporty characteristics at a glance. The characteristic HD Matrix LED headlights with animated rear lights which are connected by a flat light strip sharpen the sportier design even further. The standard 21” wheels in an S-specific wheel design, infuse the S model with on-road presence.
“Designer loft”
Inside, the Audi S7 Sportback, a sophisticated and modern look awaits the driver: black colour schemes, sophisticatedly sporty inlays and colour-contrasting stitching that ramp up the sporty driving experience even further. In keeping with the interior design of the A7 range, the look is reduced and succinct.
The Audi S7 Sportback comes with an extended range of standard equipment to enhance the interior comfort. This includes the Audi virtual cockpit with 12.3-inch display, MMI navigation plus, four-zone automatic air conditioning, HD touch displays with haptic feedback, contour ambient lighting with up to 30 colours, Audi phone box and smartphone interface, Bang and Olufsen premium sound system with 3D sound and a panoramic glass sunroof. The full suite of Audi connect technology around connected infotainment, remote services, safety and convenience features are a few of the key standard specification.
The upholstery on the seats also underlines the sporty overall impression of the vehicle. S sport seats with integrated head restraints, embossed S logo and rhombus pattern come standard. For additional comfort, Audi offers multi-adjustable customized contour seats optionally with ventilation and massage.
The standard seat upholstery, is available in Valcona leather with embossed S logo with the no cost option to choose a combination of leather and Alcantara or Valcona leather and Milano leather combination, perforated. Customers have a choice of the colours black, rotor grey and arras red. A variety of leather packages are available for customizing the interior further. Instead of the standard inlays in brushed aluminium, fine grain ash or carbon twill is available as an option.
Other S-specific equipment details include a dedicated graphic layout of the standard-fit Audi virtual cockpit with rev counter flashed up centrally. The steering wheel with flat-bottomed rim is offered as standard. The footrest and pedal caps are in stainless steel, and when the driver climbs in they are greeted by illuminated aluminium sill trims with S logo.
Perfectly equipped
With the sporty four- door Coupé, comprehensive comfort and driver assistance equipment is available. As such, the driving experience expertly blends sportiness with long- distance capability. Specification options available include 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, night vision assistant, lane change warning and quattro with sports differential to name a few.
The new Audi S7 Sportback is an excellent car for long-distance driving – among other reasons thanks to its rigid body structure which largely suppresses noise interference, its advanced aerodynamics and aeroacoustics, as well as its spacious interior and luggage compartment with a capacity of up to 1,390 litres.
“Clean power” – coasting for up to 40 seconds: the 48-volt mild-hybrid system
The mild-hybrid system (MHEV) on the new Audi S7 Sportback helps to improve
fuel efficiency. The 48-volt MHEV system comprises a belt alternator starter (BAS) and a lithiumion battery with a capacity of 10 Ah housed in the vehicle floor beneath the luggage compartment. The BAS is connected to the crankshaft. During deceleration it can recover up to 8 kW of power, which it then stores in the lithium-ion battery. When the driver accelerates again, the BAS reacts instantly by restarting the engine.
MHEV technology allows for start/stop operation from a speed as low as 22 km/h. Thanks in part to the integration of the mildhybrid system and the vehicle sensors, the S models realize a fuel saving of up to 0.4 litres in real driving conditions and can coast for up to 40 seconds with the combustion engine deactivated. On that basis, the S7 Sportback delivers impressive driving dynamics with high efficiency, low fuel consumption and low emissions.
Concentrated high tech
The 3.0 TFSI engine is notable for its power delivery and efficiency. It produces 331 kW of power and its specific torque is 600 Nm. Transmission is controlled via a tiptronic gearbox. Top speed is governed at 250 km/h and acceleration is stated at 4.6 seconds.
Dynamic cornering
As on every S model from Audi, quattro permanent all-wheel drive comes as standard on the Audi S7 Sportback. In normal driving conditions, its self-locking centre differential distributes torque between the front and rear axle in a 40:60 ratio. If one wheel encounters slip, most of the drive torque goes to the axle with the better traction. In the extreme, 70 percent can flow to the front wheels and 85 percent to the rear wheels. For sports driving, wheel-selective torque control enhances sporty handling: It brakes the two wheels with reduced load on the inside of a bend slightly before they lose grip.
The standard-fit progressive steering already comes with sports ratios in its basic configuration; the greater the steering lock, the more direct the steering is. Its S-specific electro-mechanical servo assistance filters out disagreeable bumps but communicates useful information to the driver.
As an option, dynamic all-wheel steering is available – this combines dynamic steering with a variable ratio of 9.5:1 and 16.5:1 at the front axle with separate rear-axle steering that is operated by spindle drive and track rods. At speeds up to 60 km/h, the rear wheels turn as much as five degrees in the opposite direction to the front wheels. This reduces the turning circle by up to 1.1 metres. At medium and high speeds above 60 km/h, they are turned by as much as two degrees in the same direction as the front wheels. This makes the S7 Sportback much more manoeuvrable and agile at low speeds, and provides more directional stability at high speeds and when changing lanes.
The S sport suspension on the Audi S7 Sportback comes with damping control as standard, again highlighting the vehicle’s sporty character. It lowers the body of the vehicle by 10 millimetres. Adaptive air suspension – the air suspension version with adjustable damping – makes its appearance on the vehicle as an explicitly comfort-oriented alternative. It can be set to three modes and includes a “lift” position for poor roads and automatic levelling. In the “auto” mode the body is lowered by a further 10 millimetres (at speeds of 120 km/h) upwards, and in the “dynamic” mode the vehicle remains always at this low ride height.
For even sportier road behaviour, quattro drive can be supplemented with the sport differential on the rear axle. On bends taken dynamically, the sport differential veritably pushes the car into the bend, producing a high level of agility. The driver can adapt the sport differential’s control strategy via Audi drive select. The sporty road behaviour is also aided by the five-link-design axles, which are made largely from aluminium. Two subframes connect the links with the vehicle body – the elastokinematics are firmly tuned.
The driver can also configure the Audi drive select system to suit their driving preference. The system comes with an S-specific setup and offers the diverse modes “comfort”, “auto”, “dynamic”, “efficiency” and “individual.”