1st Audi A7 Sportback THROUGH THE RANGE
Latest A7 trumps Mercedes rival in all areas apart from power and acceleration to take victory Which trim level suits you?
THIS new A7 is based on the Volkswagen Group’s MLB Evo platform, which means there’s plenty of advanced tech here. One such innovation is the engine. Despite the diesel-vs-petrol debate raging, a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel makes sense in a big car such as this, giving lots of torque for easy, unruffled performance.
In this case, that’s helped by Audi’s 48-volt system, which enables mild-hybrid tech with a belt starter/generator. The result is a combined 282bhp and 620Nm of torque, and this is sent via an eight-speed automatic gearbox to all four wheels through Audi’s quattro system.
At 1,880kg, the A7 isn’t exactly light. However, it still weighs 55kg less than the CLS, which helped the Audi during our performance tests. The 0-60mph sprint took 5.6 seconds, while the A7 was effortlessly smooth in gear, too.
Yet the gearbox could be a bit more responsive in its regular mode, because it sometimes takes more throttle than you’d expect for it to kick down, only for the box to drop two or three gears at a time, rear up and romp forward.
That trait just takes the edge off the serene nature the A7 conducts itself with, because on our test car’s £2,000 optional adaptive air suspension and 20-inch alloys in S line spec, the ride quality is good – better than the CLS’S on steel springs and adaptive dampers.
You can tell it rides on big wheels because a nicely attenuated but still noticeable quiver is sent through the suspension, but it deals with most bumps fairly well and rolling roads with a relaxed feel. Only potholes occasionally leave the air-sprung set-up looking for answers.
Audi’s usual Drive Select system lets you pick modes to firm the damping up to control roll and keep the car flatter through corners. It improves handling slightly, but disrupts the ride quality more, so you’re better leaving it in Comfort than using Dynamic. The steering is typically Audi, with a nice rate (the rear-axle steer on our model felt natural, too), a good weight and enough accuracy, but it doesn’t give the feedback of something like a Porsche Panamera.
That’s not what this car is about, though. It ticks the box for refinement, comfort and tech. The A7 S line gets matrix LED headlights, and ours had the £1,100 laser light upgrade. There are also heated electric leather seats, climate and cruise control and keyless go, plus a great level of connectivity and infotainment tech. The quality is incredible, too, and has the measure of the CLS.
THE 50 TDI comes only with quattro four-wheel drive and an eight-speed auto, but we wouldn’t want it any other way. You do get to choose the trim level; Sport is the basic option, while S line is the next step up.
Sport brings all the kit you’d realistically want, with S line only adding different interior finishers, sportier seats, larger 20-inch alloys and subtly different exterior styling.
With a £6,500 deposit on Audi’s finance, a 36-month deal limited to 10,000 miles a year comes to £688 per month for a Sport, because the firm is offering a £5,700 deposit contribution on this new model.
This manufacturer contribution remains the same for S line, so the monthly price only increases by £10 to £698. That’s an affordable premium to pay, but still works out at £360 over the contract. We’d save this by going for Sport trim and spend the extra on options.