Audi A7 Gives You a Unique Feeling

With new-model offerings in the four-door coupe segment from nearly every luxury automaker this year, this relatively new automotive market share appears to be bursting at the seams. Now Audi has decided to throw its hat into the ring with the all-new A7. Although it is a little late to the party, the Audi A7 really shows other manufacturers how a car like this should be done.

The A7 is 4.97m long and 1.91m wide, which is 17cm shorter and 4cm narrower than the A8. But it sits 4cm lower than Audi’s luxury saloon, at 1.42m. At 2.91 metres, the wheelbase is around 8cm shorter than the regular A8’s, but longer than the current A6’s by a similar amount. It’s likely that the next generation of A6 will sit on the same platform.

The A7 was previewed by a concept at the Detroit show last year, and the production car sticks closely to the show model’s appearance. Its looks are dominated by a deep front grille, a low nose, narrow headlights, a sharp crease that runs along its flanks from nose to tail, and a bootline that tails off quickly, minimising the rear overhang. That last element, and a distinctive lip on the third side window, reference Audi’s 100 Coupé from the 1970s.

All four engines use thermal engine management, which stops coolant from circulating until the engines and transmissions are at the right temperature, start-stop technology, regenerative braking and Audi’s new electro-mechanical power steering system, which it insists is good for a slight fuel savings.

The front-drive 3.0-litre TDI, with a combination of aluminum and steel body construction, weighs just 3,737 lbs - a comparative featherweight for a car this size.

The interior, too, is spacious and flexible, with more than 18.9 cubic feet of luggage space that can increase to 49 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded flat.

In the U.S., count on the supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 making 300 horsepower to serve as the main engine. Accelerating from 0-to-62 mph will take 5.6 seconds, Audi says. On the more fuel-efficient side, some markets will get a 3.0-liter diesel that will achieve the U.S. equivalent of about 44 mpg by European standards. All A7s get a stop-start system to save fuel. The body is composed of a steel and aluminum mix, and the car is about 15 percent lighter than it would have been were the A7 made completely from steel, according to Audi.

Efficiency, of course, isn't the A7's raison d'etre. The A7 starts with the A8's large six-corner grille and (optional) LED headlights, making the strongest impression from the side view. Xenon headlights are standard, and the slim row of LEDs integrated into the side mirrors is a nice touch.

The side view shows off the A7's style to the greatest effect, with the C-pillar rising to the roof in what the automaker calls a "dynamic wave." The strong character line running atop the door handles and below the frameless windows gives the A7 strong shoulders in back, where a spoiler automatically lifts at about 81 mph, retracting at about 50 mph. Again, the A5 Sportback has similar lines, but the A7's extended length sets it apart, though the 18- and 20-inch wheels help too.