Audi A7

Audi A7

With the classic swooping lines of a true grand tourer, the Audi A7 is available as a coupé-style five door ‘sportback’ or as an Avant (estate car / station wagon). Style and function combined in one prestige car.

The Exterior

The latest iteration of the A7 offers rakish lines, suggesting the ability to cover many miles in true Audi comfort. Conveniently, the saloon variant is a hatchback for ease of loading and the Avant is about as practical as an estate car can get.

This handsome car with its large smooth surfaces, faithfully follows the German brand’s current style language, featuring sharp edges and taut, athletic lines, suggesting speed. The front end can only be Audi and a new defining feature marking out this car is a flat light strip which creates a continuous light pattern across the rear: This same feature will start to appear on all models over time, displaying a light show when the car is locked or unlocked.

Essentially the A7 is a ‘sportback’ version of the A6 saloon and looks the better for it. An added advantage of this car is that it is laden with high-technology gleaned from the luxurious A8 model. Overall, the design strikes a balance between outright luxury and sensible practicality.

The Interior

Like the larger A8, the A7’s dashboard uses a blend of brushed metals and leather and features three screens which, combined, control all of the car’s major functions. Two are nestled into the centre console, angled for the driver and the third is, as always, Audi’s virtual cockpit, a digital display behind the multi-function steering wheel. The centre 10.1” touchscreen controls the media, navigation and the like, while the smaller screen is for climate control.

Haptic is a word that is featuring more and more in automotive language; it’s all about touch apparently and it is suggested that using these controls is like using a smartphone’s touch and swipe methods. The overall effect of the interior is clean and modern although there is not much scope for personalisation because pretty much everything needed by the modern driver is already on board.

This smart appearance, with either Alcantara or leather, extends to the cabin as a whole with minimalist, clean design. This is a spacious, airy car with plenty of leg and head room in the back, despite the coupé roofline. A three-seat rear bench is standard for the UK market, and passengers luggage is swallowed by a 535 litre boot (trunk) expanding to a generous 1,390 litres with the rear seats lowered.

Driving The Audi A7

This fine car is more about travel than it is performance. If more power is craved there is an S7 model available, but really the A7 is for luxurious progress. There’s a good choice of engines, all 3.0 litre; one petrol and two diesel, all of which are supported by mild-hybrid technology for stop/start and for recuperating energy from braking and coasting. Drive is through either a model dependent seven or eight speed automatic transmission.

Some variants are VAT qualifying vehicles meaning that buyers wishing to import from the UK to Kenya, New Zealand or elsewhere can save money on the purchase price; ask us here at MHH International about this scheme. There are no major reported issues with reliability so the A7 should deliver years of service.

On the road there’s tons of grip available and the car handles all surfaces well, from twisting lanes to motorways. The Audi A7’s handling prowess is truly effective but there’s nothing dramatic going on. The entry level model has standard suspension, maximising comfort while higher trim versions get slightly stiffened and lowered suspension. Optionally, adaptive suspension and even air suspension can be specified on new models to max out the comfort potential.

Should You Buy One?

The A7 is an intriguing car, offering all the attributes of a practical, regular saloon with a sporting body. It’s desirable too for drivers who like a limousine experience, backed up by strong engines and impressive levels of sophisticated technology. Get in touch for more information.