Audi has been working on facelifts for both the A6 and A7 ranges for a while now and it seems the five-door coupe is the first to reveal its game-changing secrets which will trickle down to the rest of the German company's models. That's right, the 2014 A7 Sportback has been officially revealed today.
We'll start with the engines, since this is the part that first managed to impress us. Five V6 and V8 engines will be available, two TFSI gasoline burners and three TDI diesels. All of them can be considered carryovers from before the facelift, but power and efficiency have improved across the range and all now meet the Euro 6 emissions standard that's soon coming into effect.
Starting with the diesels, the base model is now fitted with "ultra" fuel saving technology which allows for fuel consumption of just 4.7 liters per 100 kilometers (50 US mpg), corresponding to CO2 emissions of 122 grams per kilometer. To put that into perspective, a Volkswagen Polo with a 1.2-liter TSI engine puts out about the same amount of CO2 with less than half the output. Power is also up from 204 hp to 218 hp.
Moving on to the regular 3.0 TDI that's fitted with quattro, this has been boosted from 245 hp to 275 hp while emissions have been brought in line with EU6 regulations. As for the range-topping 3.0 TDI biturbo clean diesel, this has received a more modest power increase, to 320 hp from 313 hp. Still it's slightly more than rivals like the BMW 640d offer.
Petrol TFSIs also get output boosts. the 3-liter supercharged engine in the regular A7 has been improved from 310 hp to 333 hp – as in the same output as an S5. The more performance-oriented S7 continues to have a 4-liter twin-turbo V8, but now this delivers 450 hp instead of 420 hp. We'll talk more about that car in a separate article.
As we predicted, three major elements define the facelift of the A7: headlights, taillights and the infotainment. At the front, new LED technology is used in combination with a fresh design first seen on the A8 facelift last year. Two lines split the headlight unit down the middle, making the nose of the car look even sharper. Xenons have been cut completely from the range which means LEDs are standard.
As an option, the A7 can be fitted with Matrix LED technology. The system dims specific beams to ensure no the headlights aren't causing glare for other road users. As an added bonus, dynamic turn signals are also installed at the front if you add the Matrix system.
The same two horizontal lines we see at the front are also used to split the taillight units. Other cosmetic touches have also been made to the car and include a new singleframe grille, bumpers, tailpipes that are integrated into the diffuser.
Stepping inside the new A7 Sportback, a new top-spec system is immediately obvious. MMI Navigation plus with MMI touch is powered by brand new and powered by a Nvidia processor. The system has touchpad controls which allow you to zoom in and out by using two fingers, while Audi connect keeps you connected to the internet.
Sales of this new A7 model will begin this summer. Prices in Germany will start from €51,300 for the base model with front-wheel drive and a 218 hp TDI V6.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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