Audi has a completely new slant on the concept of the five-door coupé for the executive class – the first A7 Sportback in which the brand successfully combined the svelte lines of a classic grand tourer with the reality-ready attributes of Saloon and Avant models is about to give way to its successor.
Fluent in the new Audi design language, conversant with the brand’s latest technological advances and comfortable with articulating its most recent drivetrain developments, the 2018 A7 evolves and finesses every facet of the Sportback theme without losing sight of the hallmarks behind its original appeal.
The exterior design of the A7 Sportback is an expression of the new design language that Audi introduced with the prologue study and that made its production debut in the new Audi A8. With large surfaces, sharp edges and taut, athletic lines, the A7 conveys dynamism and progressiveness from every perspective.
Up front, the Singleframe grille – wider and lower than that of the Audi A8 – the narrow headlights, the boldly contoured air inlets and the flat front end signal intent. In some versions the light signature takes up the subject of digitalisation: 12 adjacent lighting segments separated by narrow intervening spaces evoke associations with the binary digits 0 and 1. The top lighting configuration is the HD Matrix LED headlight with Audi laser light.
With its long bonnet, long wheelbase and short overhangs the A7 Sportback looks lean and muscular yet also innately elegant. Its key dimensions give more than a clue to its character: It is 4,969 millimetres long, has a wheelbase of 2,926 millimetres and is 1,908 millimetres wide, but stands only 1,422 millimetres high. Pronounced contours emphasise the wheels, which measure up to 21 inches in diameter, and reference Audi’s quattro genes. These genes determine the proportions of the vehicle’s body. The silhouette is defined by the dynamic roofline, which drops sharply towards the rear.
As with the previous model, the tapered rear with its long luggage compartment lid terminates in a pronounced, curved lip from which an integrated spoiler extends automatically at 74mph and above. A flat light strip – a design feature common to all of Audi’s top models – joins the rear lights, whose tail lights are made up of 13 vertical segments. When the doors are unlocked and again when they are locked, fast-moving light animations play in the rear lights and in the headlights, highlighting the imposing coupé’s dynamics while standing still. The progressive exterior design of the new Audi A7 Sportback is largely devoid of embellishment, and is presented in a choice of 15 colours, eight of which are new. S line models further hone the look through modifications to the radiator grille and the front air inlets, the sills and the front and rear diffusers. They are trimmed in gloss black and more strongly sculpted.
The cabin fuses design and technology in a unique way. The interior of the new Audi A7 Sportback has been conceived according to a reduced, clean design language, with an emphasis on horizontal lines and a sleek instrument panel creating a feeling of airy spaciousness. The centre console is oriented toward the driver, underscoring the Grand Tourer’s stated aim of combining progressive design, intuitive functionality and sophistication with inherent driver appeal. All colours, upholstery materials and inlays reflect the new aesthetic.
The 10.1-inch upper display (in combination with MMI navigation plus) is tilted towards the driver, and with its black panel optics and graphite grey aluminium clasp, almost disappears into the dashboard when switched off. The body supporting the clasp is itself a geometric sculpture. The display’s user interface appears as soon as the car is opened. In keeping with the interior design, the look is reduced and succinct. All screen content can be quickly registered.
At a glance
– Five-door coupé embodies progressive design and technology
– UK ordering from early 2018, first deliveries in second quarter of 2018
– Initially available with 3.0 TFSI V6 petrol engine with 340PS and 500Nm priced from circa £56,000 OTR
– All-digital control system, comprehensive connectivity, mild hybrid technology
– Grand tourer with enhanced handling and improved long-distance comfort
