Audi A7 Sportback Unveiled

Yesterday at the art museum “Pinakothek der Moderne”, Audi unveiled the new Audi A7 Sportback.

Designed to compete against the likes of the, Mercedes CLS, BMW 5 Series GT, Porsche and Panamera, this 5-door has 18.89 cubic feet of cargo room in the trunk, with a total of 49.09 cu.-ft. when the rear seats are folded flat.
And without the similarly styled A5 Sportback in the way at U.S. dealerships, the A7 actually has a chance to succeed.

view Audi A7 Photo Gallery (64 hi-res images)

Four V6 engines will be offered internationally, including the 3.0 TDI motor and the 3.0T (supercharged) engine. As the name suggests us, the 3.0-liters TDI quattro comes in addition with four-wheel drive,the maximum power of this version is 241 HP/4000 rpm and the torque is 369 lb-ft/1400-3250 rpm.
The petrol fans will have at the base of A7 Sportback a V6 FSI unit of 2.8-liter with 201 HP and 207 lb-ft, which is also coupled to a S-Tronic gear, box and, with quattro system, manages to sprint from 0-60 mph in 8.3 seconds and reach 146 mph. The announced consumption is 29.4 mi/gal.

It’s unclear whether one or two diesels will be offered in North America but we can look forward to Audi’s famous Quattro all-wheel drive option. Joining the Audi Quattro drive system on the A7 Sportback will be an S-tronic 7-speed gearbox.

At the design chapter new Audi A7 stays true to the Sportback concept shown at Detroit Motor Show in 2009. But the production version is slightly larger than the prototype, with a length of 193 inches, width 75 inches and a height of 56 inches. 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.

The Audi A7 price starts at 51,650 EUR including VAT and goes up to 58,600 EUR for the top of the line model. For the petrol powered model range, the Audi A7 2.8 FSI price starts at 51,650 EUR including VAT and the for the top of the line model, the Audi A7 3.0 TFSI price starts at 58,600 EUR. The diesel model range, which includes the 245 hp and 500 Nm of torque engine only, the Audi A7 3.0 TDI price starts at 58,100 EUR, also including the VAT.

view Audi A7 Photo Gallery (64 hi-res images)

The Audi A7 – elegance and efficiency

INGOLSTADT, Germany, Jul 26, 2010 – Summary

Aesthetic and athletic –
the Audi A7 Sportback

Emotion-packed design, sporty character and innovative technology: Audi is targeting a new market segment with the A7 Sportback. The large five-door model with the dynamically accentuated rear end brings together the best of three worlds: the sporty elegance of a coupe, the comfort of a sedan and the practicality of a station wagon.

The A7 Sportback is pure high-tech. Its body is very lightweight thanks to numerous aluminum components. The elegant interior shows a craftsman’s level of workmanship. The four V6 engines combine refined power with groundbreaking efficiency. The 3.0 TDI with 150 kW (204 hp) and multitronic has CO2 emissions of just 139 grams per kilometer (223.70 g/mile). The sporty chassis comes with new solutions, such as electromechanical power steering. When it comes to assistance and infotainment systems, the luxury-class coupe exhibits all of the innovative power expected of Audi.

The five-door coupe from Audi combines supreme, long-distance comfort with a sporty character. The interior noise level is very low even at fast highway speeds, with the V6 engines providing refined acoustic feedback as their power unfolds.

The excellent vibrational comfort likewise contributes to the atmosphere of cultured tranquility on board. This is the result of painstakingly tuning all components, systematic hydraulic damping in the axle and drivetrain bearings and the extremely stiff body. The body is comprised primarily of aluminum and high-tech steels, making it extremely lightweight and safe. The large rear hatch opens wide to reveal a large, extremely usable luggage compartment that is very easy to load. Its 535-liter (18.89 cu ft) capacity swells to a volume of 1,390 liters (49.09 cu ft) with the rear seat backrests folded down.

With the A7 Sportback, which will be rolling into dealerships in the fall at a base price of €51,600, Audi is taking up a new design line representing elegance on a grand scale. The five-door coupe is 4.97 meters (16.31 ft) long and 1.91 meters (6.27 ft) wide, but only 1.42 meters (4.66 ft) high. Its long hood, the short front overhang, the long wheelbase, the sportily flowing C-pillars and the sharply dropping rear create a dynamic overall impression. The five-door coupe is an aesthetic athlete with a wide, powerful road stance.

Optional LED headlights reinforce the unmistakable expression of the A7 Sportback and provide all light functions with light-emitting diodes while minimizing energy consumption. Bi-xenon headlights and LED tail lights come standard. The innovative all-weather light function has also been integrated into the headlights, replacing the classic fog lights.

The sinewy sportiness of the exterior carries over into the interior of the A7 Sportback, where Audi again demonstrates its leading role in automotive design. The salient element is the “wrap-around,” a horizontal line that encircles the driver and front-seat passenger in the interior to provide a feeling of safety and security. The wave-shaped application strip with its integrative dynamics is the salient element of the dashboard.

The utmost care has been devoted to every last detail in the interior. Workmanship is at a craftsman’s level. Optional climate-control and massage functions are available for the front seats covered in high-grade Audi leathers. The optional ambient lighting fills the entire interior with atmosphere.

Like Audi’s A8 flagship, the A7 Sportback also combines a new level of technical intelligence with logical, intuitive ergonomics and self-explanatory operation. The advanced MMI operating system with central menu button and reduced number of buttons comes standard, while one of the options is a new head-up display that projects the most important information on the windshield. The MMI touch system combines a hard drive navigation system with the convenience of touchpad input.

The driver can use the touchpad to perform numerous functions, such as using his or her finger to write the letters of the destination or the digits of the telephone number.

The online services work together with Google to connect the five-door Audi coupe to the Internet via the Bluetooth car phone. A UMTS module delivers images and information from Google Earth to the monitor and combines them with the navigation route. A WLAN hotspot is used to connect mobile devices. Further to the Bose sound system, the top-of-the-line option is the Advanced Sound System from Bang & Olufsen featuring 1,300 watts of power and
15 speakers.

The top navigation system works closely together with the many optional driver assistance and safety systems in the A7 Sportback. It forwards the route data to the control units for the headlights, the automatic transmission and the adaptive cruise control with stop & go function, enabling these systems to recognize complex scenarios. In many cases, the Audi pre sense safety system can reduce the severity of accidents and their consequences. The new Audi active lane assist helps the driver to keep the A7 Sportback firmly on course, and the new park assist system relieves the driver of the chore of steering when parallel parking.

Audi will initially offer the A7 Sportback with a choice of four powerful and cultivated V6 engines: two gasoline and two TDI units. Their power output ranges from 150 kW (204 hp) to 220 kW (300 hp), and their efficiency sets impressive new standards in the vehicle class. The new 3.0 TDI with 150 kW (204 hp) and multitronic consumes on average just 5.3 liters of fuel per 100 km
(44.38 US mpg), corresponding to CO2 emissions of just 139 g per km (223.70 g/mile). All engines use Audi’s innovative thermal management system, a recuperation system and a start-stop system.

The standard automatic transmissions also play a role in the high efficiency of the Audi A7 Sportback. Audi offers two different transmissions depending on the engines: The continuous multitronic sends the power to the front wheels, while the sporty seven-speed S tronic works together with quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The latest evolutionary stage of quattro features a crown-gear center differential and torque vectoring.

The drive system is particularly flexible and dynamic. The optional sport differential actively distributes the power between the rear wheels.

The chassis also combines sporty precision with luxurious comfort. The Audi
A7 Sportback rolls on large wheels measuring from 18 to 20 inches in diameter. The chassis features aluminum control arms and a newly developed power steering system with an electromechanical drive for high efficiency. The Audi drive select dynamics system is standard and can be supplemented by the optional adaptive air suspension with controlled damping.

• World premiere of Audi A7 Sportback: Monday, July 26, 8.30 p.m
• Audi A7 may Debut in Paris with some possible factors on track [new photos]
• Audi A7 first videos
• 2011 Audi A7 to debut next August at 2010 Moscow Auto Show
• U.S. Audi A7 will start at $59,250
• Porsche Panamera Diesel going to L.A. Auto Show
• North American “Car of the Year” and “Truck of the Year” list announced

• World premiere of Audi A7 Sportback: Monday, July 26, 8.30 p.m
• Audi A7 may Debut in Paris with some possible factors on track [new photos]
• Audi A7 first videos
• 2011 Audi A7 to debut next August at 2010 Moscow Auto Show
• U.S. Audi A7 will start at $59,250
• Porsche Panamera Diesel going to L.A. Auto Show
• North American “Car of the Year” and “Truck of the Year” list announced