Making an impression is a vital aspect of modern car design, as long as the manufacturer believes fervently that its products can make a discernible difference in the hum-drum matter of daily driving. Most high-volume motorcars, however dependable, however capable they may be, tend to rely on not ruffling the feathers of potential owners by concentrating on evolution, rather than revolution, with successive models. Audi knows its place. It is neither ruffler, nor is it lacking in design forbearance.
In case nobody had noticed, those Four Rings of ‘union’ are among the tightest-knit of any vehicle logo-style. While much of their historical relevance may have been lost over the years, the company’s stance is anything but tenuous. Of course, Audi is a major volume carmaker and some of its models (A3 and A4) verge on compliance with mainstream ideology. However, subtlety is also a potent quality belonging to a brand that has worked feverishly on maintaining its market position and the latest, four model A7 Sportback line-up, priced in the UK from £54,940, belongs in the upper echelons of elegant motoring choices.
Introducing a lighting signature that is to be carried across all of its top models and has already featured on the luxurious A8 range aids the formulation of opinion. At the rear of the A7 is a lighting strip that runs a continuous illumination pattern that not only emphasises the width of the low, sleek machine. It is also intended as a measure of high-quality. As soon as any of the doors is opened, the front LED headlamps also play speedily and animatedly with the rears to draw attention to the Sportback’s dynamic form.
While looking familiar to the previous version, there is almost zero carryover from one line-up to the other in terms of exterior panel design, or the cleverly redesigned interior. The A7 remains a low-line expression of engineering excellence that remains appealing to those buyers of cars, who do not desire either high sides, or high rides. Judicious planning of the interior space has released more leg and headroom and three-abreast seating in the rear of the cabin is now a standard feature of UK-spec models. Yet, practicality is seldom out of the frame and the capacious boot of 535-litres can be expanded to an excellent 1,350-litres, when the rear seats backs are folded forward.
The comprehensively redesigned dashboard is produced from high-quality materials and the detail finish, which uses lots of horizontal elements, is exemplary. Apart from the anticipated clarity of the main instruments display, the most note-worthy change is a removal of the former MMI (man-machine-interface) turn-dial, replaced by a haptic finger-pad that can be adjusted through several settings (400 parameters for up to seven users’ individual requirements) to react to the driver’s swipe of a digit across its surface. It is matched by a 10.1-inch upper and 8.6-inch lower pair of touchscreens in the centre stack possessing high-definition resolution and near-invisibility, when the car’s ignition is switched off. It is a most elegant solution.
Of course, its connectivity is also ‘swarm-ready’, for a time when car-to-car links will be feasible and allowable, in anticipation of the impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) that will take future precedence. Driver assistance programs are abundant, as you might expect, and autonomous parking (via smartphone), city and tour assist supplement a total of 39 driver-focused systems on-board. There is even an ‘efficiency assistant’ that helps the driver to maintain a style more conducive to reducing running costs.
Naturally, as an up-market Audi, performance statistics are intrinsic to its on-road presence and (with diesel figures in brackets) the 3.0-litre displacement V6 offers 336bhp (283bhp), 369lbs ft of torque (457lbs ft) and 0-60mph in 5.0s (5.4s), allied to a top speed of 155mph (155mph). A modest 40.4mpg (50.4mpg) is possible on the Official Combined fuel cycle, while emitting 158g/km (147g/km) of CO2. Under the new model naming policy adopted by Audi, which we may get our heads around eventually, the petrol versions are referred to as ‘55’, while the diesels are ‘50’.
Both fuel types drive through automated transmissions, an 8-speed fully-automatic for the petrols and a 7-speed twin-clutch, automated-manual type for the diesels. Audi’s latest version of the quattro four-wheel-drive transmission directs power to the road, although it is instantly variable in its torque distribution to either front or rear of the drivetrain. It is worth noting that the engine ‘stop:start’ function now operates from 13mph and, using a front-mounted camera, the engine is restarted predictively, as soon as the vehicle ahead moves off.
Integral to the mild hybrid elements of the drivetrain that now operate via 48-volt electrics is the ‘engine off’ status that can operate between 34 and 99mph, the A7 continuing in ‘freewheel’ mode to save both fuel consumption and emissions. A silent belt-alternator starter fires-up imperceptibly after coasting and the regenerative braking system feeds back power to the Lithium-ion battery to maintain its maximum charge efficacy.
Among the four suspension options is air, although steel springs are standard, lowered by 10mm in S-Line guise. The ride quality of the A7 is sublime, with well-controlled body-roll, and progressive electronic power steering ensures that changes of direction are to the driver’s precisely dialled-in requirements. The driver can also select different electronic profiles according to mood and need. Unsurprisingly, comfort is central to the A7’s remit and occupants are held into their luxuriously bolstered seats, no matter how energetically the car is being driven.
