AUDI A7 Sportback Review

Audi's A7 Sportback is one of those cars that spoils you along the journey, with the vehicle using an entire deck of cards to win the comfort game.

The interior treats you in a way that gives you a good mood from the very beginning. The A7 comes with a modern design that generates attraction on the spot.

While the BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe offers an interior that seems to scream "I'm cool!", the Audi A7 Sportback has a more relaxed approach.

If you look at the A7 Sportback as a five-door coupe, you'll be pleased by the interior space. The front seat occupants are treated with plenty of room in all areas. If you want to seat in the back, you will have to watch your head during ingress, but once you're inside you won't have too many problems, as the space is decent.

The visibility is also better than what we expected judging the car from the outside, with this beginning some bonus points for the current chapter.

Another thing that impresses is the attention to detail. As always we'll start with the driver. There's one particular aspect that drew our attention as we were searching for the right driving position. The steering wheel column deserves an award for the extent to which it can be adjusted on both axles.

As for the rear passengers, these also receive special attention, in the form of an optional sun shade for the rear window. Unfortunately, this uses manual operation.

Audi engineers have probably lost quite a high number of nights working on reducing the noise, vibration and harshness level in the A7. Apart from the rear window, all the others can use heat/sound insulating glass.

The A7 also provides a vibration-free experience, thanks to the hydraulic dampers. These are spread throughout the vehicle, from the subframes and axles to the engine bearings. The combined effect of the aforementioned elements brings a refined ride.

Body and Chassis

The Audi A7 is underpinned by the Volkswagen Group's MLB platform (Modularer Langsbaukasten). However, we have to explain that this Modular Longitudinal Matrix is more than flexible. It should be viewed as a set of rules built around a few fixed values, rather than an architecture.

The MLB currently serves no less than six vehicles in the Audi line-up, ranging from the A4 to the A8. Like we said, the platform can vary in any size, with the only fixed elements being the following: front wheel mounts, firewall, pedal placement and windscreen position within the body.

Audi crafts the A7's body using 20 percent aluminum components. The lightweight metal is featured in the front sidewalls, hood, doors and rear hatch. Aluminum is also used for the front strut mounts, strut brace, bulkhead, luggage compartment reinforcement member, as well as for the reinforcement elements behind the bumpers.

Audi claims that this construction offers the A7 Sportback a 15 percent weight advantage over an all-steel setup. In its most basic version, the A7 tips the scales at 3,737 lbs (1,695 kg). Unfortunately, the real life conditions can see the Audi A7 climbing past 4,200 lbs (1,900 kg).

Powertrain

Our test car was powered by the 3.0 TFSI supercharged petrol V6. When it comes to the standard A7 (read: not the S7 or RS7), this is the only unit offered in the US and the most powerful petrol engine available in Europe.

The 2,995 cubic centimeters are assisted by a supercharger, developing 310 hp at 5,500 rpm and a peak torque of 325 lb-ft (441 Nm), which is delivered between 2,900 and 4,500 rpm.

Thanks to the use of FSI direct injection, the compressor is placed behind the throttle valve. We are talking about a Roots blower that features two counter-rotating four-vane rotary pistons. These can hit 23,000 rpm and are able to feed the V6 unit with up to 2,205 lbs (1,000 kg) of air per hour. This is rushed into the cylinders at a pressure of up to 0.8 bar. However, before the air enters the combustion chamber, it is cooled by a pair of water-to-air intercoolers.

In the US, the engine works with an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. As for the European version of the Audi A7 3.0 TFSI, this features a seven-speed dual clutch S tronic gearbox.

Usually, when you go past the flywheel, you expect to find the clutch, but in the Audi A7 the differential comes first. This scheme means that the front axle can be pushed further forward, which improves the weight distribution on the axles. In numbers, this means that the A7's front axle has to sustain 54 percent of the car's weight.

The Audi A7's quattro AWD system also includes a crown-gear center diff. The default torque split sits at 40:60 (front:rear). If this is required, the front axle can receive up to 70 percent of the torque, while the figure climbs to 85 percent when talking about the rear axle.

The quattro system uses a standard torque vectoring system, which works on both axles. If wheelspin tendencies are detected during a bend, the system applies braking pressure on the inner wheel(s).

Audi also offers an optional sport rear differential, which actively controls the power distribution to each of the wheels.

Road Connection

The Audi A7 features an aluminum suspension, being suspended on a five-link setup up front and on a track-controlled trapezoidal link at the rear.

The standard suspension uses steel springs, but the A7 features an optional air suspension with adaptive dampers. One of the benefits brought by this is the variable ride height. This is dictated by the vehicle speed and by the Audi Drive Select system, which offers multiple driving modes for the driver to select.

The default ground clearance sits at 4.7 inches (120 mm), while in the "Auto" mode the vehicle is brought 0.4 inches (10 mm) closer to the road when the car goes past 74.5 mph (120 km/h). Should you desire to keep the standard ride height value at any speed, you can select the "Comfort" mode.

The driver can also go for the "Dynamic" mode, which brings the default value to 3.9 inches (100 mm). In this mode, the Audi A7 is lowered by 0.4 inches (10 mm) when the speed exceeds 74.5 mph (120 km/h).

Audi has also prepared the A7 for rougher driving conditions, with the air suspension featuring a Lift mode. This can be engaged at speeds up to 50 mph (80 km/h) and takes the A7 Sportback to 5.7 inches (145 mm). When the car travels at more than 62 mph (100 km/h), the system brings the ride height to the previously selected value.

Stopping Power

The Audi A7 can be gifted with an optional carbon ceramic braking system. This features rotors that come in a 19-inch size.

Apart from the obvious advantage in deceleration capacity and fading resistance, the ceramic discs are also 50 percent lighter compared to normal steel rotors. Overall, this reduced the unsprung mass by about 44 lbs (20 kg).

The Audi A7 Sportback is the kind of car that places many eggs in the technology basket and there are a few optional features that have captured our attention.

One feature that would break your heart if it missed from your A7's configuration is the Bang & Olufsen audio system. This makes the also optional Bose hardware easy to forget. The thing we appreciate the most is the clarity, but the 1,200 Watts provided via the 15 speakers are not a thrill too. And the icing on this audiophile's cake are the two acoustic lens speakers that pop up from the dash.

And if comfort is what you seek most, make sure you won't miss the ventilation and massage functions for the front seats. Each occupant receives 10 individual cells to take care of his or her back.

When it comes to the rear passengers, you'll have to upgrade to the A8 if you truly want to show them respect. However, you can order a four-zone climate control system, so that each of them gets a red-and-blue knob to control the temperature.

Audi's A7 Sportback is also a collection of active safety technologies. We shall start with the night vision, which, like the competitor's systems. this offers a pedestrian recognition function. The feature relies on the display in the instrument cluster to show the outer world to the driver.

Nevertheless, when considering the value and everyday usability, the head-up display is a more reasonable option. The only drawback comes from its housing, which looks like a piece of plastic that was glued to the top of the dashboard after the car left the factory. In the end, this problem fades away if we think about the advantages brought by the system.

As far as practicality is concerned, we'll note that while the A7 can be fitted with a full-size spare wheel, Audi also offers runflat tires as an option.

From this point on, we were about to talk about features such as active cruise control and lane assist. However, we can't say that we're impressed by such options on a vehicle like the A7. The reason for this comes from within the Volkswagen Group, which has gifted the much humbler VW Golf 7 with similar goodies.

The Audi A7's driving dynamics are precisely what is required to gain points for this chapter. This is not a sporty vehicle by excellence, but it has the ability to wrap itself around the driver, listening closely to his commands.

Whenever you decide to make a move, the car complies with ease, making everything feel natural. First of all, this means that you can rely on its reaction in all sorts of situations.

In addition, Audi's A7 is easy to get accustomed to, mainly thanks to the predictable character of its dynamics. This not only brings you in a good driving state quickly, but also increases your confidence along the journey.

As far as official crash ratings are concerned, the A7 hasn't been tested, due to its limited production volume. Nevertheless, the Audi A6 is very close to it, so we can use its Euro NCAP results as valuable hints.

Audi's A6 comes with a 5-star rating, receiving a 91 percent score for adult occupant protection. This score sits at 83 percent when it comes to children and 41 percent for pedestrians. In addition, the A6 received an 86 percent score for the safety assist.

While the A6 faired well in the front impact test, things weren't the same when it came to the side impact one. The normal side impact saw the A6 behave well, but points were detracted due to the fact that the driver's door was unlatched after the impact. What's more, the Audi A6 only offered marginal protection for the driver's chest in the side pole impact test.

When it came to child occupant protection, the A6 provided plenty of it, scoring maximum points. However, it was affected by two logistics elements, if we can call them so. The first problem was that the passenger airbag can only be deactivated via an optional switch, albeit one that can be retrofitted. What's more, the labeling on this matter was not clear.

In terms of pedestrian care, the Audi A6's front bumper offered good protection for a leg impact. Unfortunately, the front edge of the bonnet, as well as its body, received a "poor" rating.

The Audi A7 offers a safe driving experience, also providing a high level of passive safety, albeit with an Achilles' Heel.

The Audi A7 Sportback came to the world in order to star in a segment that has gone from niche to a constantly increasing audience. A good way to see if the A7 makes sense is to pit it against its nonidentical twin, the A6, which has been serving Audi for nearly two decades now.

In the US, the Audi A7 has a starting price of $60,995, with the 3.0 TFSI being the entry-level model in the range. A similarly-giftedAudi A6 will set you back $51,295. On paper the financial difference between the two may seem bigger than what you get in return.

Nevertheless, in reality the A7's superior refinement and its ability to spoil are worth the money. This is what makes the difference between a good premium vehicle such as the A6 and a luxurious car that can truly conquer you.

In Europe, the Audi A7 Sportback's pricing starts at EUR49,750, but if you want the aforementioned engine, you'll have to pay at least EUR59,450.

It is the aforementioned charming presence of the A7 that makes up the best part of the car. And this is not just a pretty face. The A7 is a well-balanced proposition. Its comfort will keep you just as happy as you were when you saw its elegant lines in person for the first time.

Audi has built the A7 Sportback as a complete vehicle, one that can serve many purposes. Thus, apart from the aforementioned comfort, the A7 is also agile. The standard A7 is not what you'd call a performance vehicle, but it does know one or two dynamic tricks.

When compared to Mercedes' CLS and BMW's 6 Series Gran Coupe, the Audi A7 Sportback wins and this is mainly owed to this aforementioned balance. The A7's aura makes the BMW seem too mainstream and the Mercedes feel a bit outdated.

Alas, the Audi A7 does have a dark side. We can't put our finger on something that deserves the title of "the worst part of the car", but there are a few sides of the A7 which are competing for this.

The Audi A7 comes with a design that raises your expectations to a point that may or may not be realistic. For example, you'd want it to treat you with the same comfort you get from an A8. It comes pretty close, but it obviously can't match this.

And when it comes to the dynamic side of the deal, a little more involvement for the driver would be welcome.

However, the aforementioned downsides are easy to neglect. That's because the Audi A7 Sportback is brilliant in many ways, providing a bespoke overall experience.