Magnificent Seven for Audi
THE market for large, executive five-door coupés isn’t big but it is tough. That means that this second-generation Audi A7 will have to be clever if it is to retain its position as best seller in the class.
Fortunately Audi knows its buyers well. The typical A7 buyer hasn’t changed much over the years. They’re people who like technology and design. And with a starting price of £55,140 this means buyers are typically successful business people. Interestingly, when quizzed, Audi’s executives don’t mention A7 owners are looking for a car that’s fun to drive or sporty.
Half of A7 sales are expected to be to private buyers with the other half being run as company cars.
Due to the general uncertainty around diesel, Audi is less certain what the mix will be between petrol and diesel. Previously the vast majority of A7s were sold as diesels. However the fuel’s popularity is falling.
Audi maintains it has the flexibility in its production to cope with any shift to petrol. What’s changed little from the previous generation A7 is the look of the car.
Audi has stuck with the classy and sleek design that’s also used on the A5 Sportback but now it’s more up-to-date than before.
The lights, both front and rear, help the sleek design a great deal and pulse and flash when locking and unlocking.
Arguably the A7 still doesn’t quite carry off “elegant”. This is partly because of the car’s sheer size but also because of Audi’s dominant front grille which now looks messy thanks to two large sensors either side of the number plate. These sensors help with the clever cruise control and the A7’s safety systems. It’s just a shame they couldn’t be more hidden.
Audi has kept the frameless windows in the doors which are a nice touch and help to give it a classy feel but rather weirdly they don’t fully retract into the doors when lowered.
Power, at least initially, comes from a choice of two 3.0-litre engines. The diesel, using Audi’s new naming system, is badged 50 TDI and has 286bhp. While the petrol, badged 55 TFSI, has 340bhp. Both are amazingly refined when inside the car. Outside or with the windows open you can easily tell which is the diesel.
On paper the petrol is not only the more powerful but it’s also the quicker of the pair with a 0 to 60mph time of 5.3 seconds against the diesel’s 5.7-second equivalent.
Both are electronically limited to a 155mph top speed. But those on-paper times don’t tell the whole story. The diesel has much more grunt than the petrol which means
it feels just as fast. The extra shove means Audi has had to fit a stronger and smoother-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox, rather than the seven-speed auto that’s in the petrol.
BOTH versions put power through Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system ensuring high levels of grip even in wet and slippery conditions.
Audi has yet to reveal economy figures for the diesel but the petrol comes in at a very respectable and rival-beating 40.3mpg average.
The technology on board the new A7 helps in this regard. The car will now coast for longer on the motorway to save fuel and it will also turn off the engine at speeds of up to 13mph if you’re slowing to a stop.
The driving experience though is all about refinement. Around town and up to motorway speeds the A7 offers limousine levels of hushed relaxation. The new A7 offers that feeling of security and competence about the way it goes down almost any road that leaves the driver with a feeling of confidence.
Bumps and potholes of a wide range of severities are also either absorbed well or possibly just flattened into submission by the A7 in both the Sport and the slightly stiffer S-Line versions. The brakes also offer total reassurance that you will never find yourself without the required amount of stopping power.
What the A7 doesn’t offer, however, is any sense of fun with the driving experience. The car can be driven rapidly but that doesn’t make it particularly rewarding. This is unlikely to bother any A7 owner because that’s not what this car is about. What it is about though is the cabin.
The interior of the new A7 is not only a cut above when it comes to high-class materials and stunningly impressive build quality but it now features the double centre screens first used in the A8. The lower screen is used for the climate control and heated seats, the suspension settings and related items. The upper screen is used to operate in-car systems such as the sat nav, stereo, connected devices such as phones and also for connectivity such as in-car wifi.
Both screens are very clear but you do need to take your eyes off the road to adjust the air conditioning more than you would with a traditional dial or buttons.
The front and rear seats are comfortable and there’s plenty of legroom for adults in the back although the sloping rear roofline means taller passengers sitting in the back may be wanting more headroom. The rear seats also fold fully flat so that you can increase the boot space from 535 litres to 1,390 litres.
At this level the A7 is midway between its two rivals: the BMW 6-Series and the Mercedes CLS.
Boot space is the only thing that is “midway” about the new A7.
Overall the luxury five-door coupé not just meets the needs of its target market but hits their expectations for six. The A7 offers luxury motoring without having to look like you need a chauffeur.