2011 Audi A7 Sportback Review

2011 Audi A7 Sportback; 3.0-litre, V6, supercharged, seven-speed dual clutch.

Purporting to be a sporting, four-door coupe with a hatchback rear, it certainly makes a strong visual statement. It’s a big, bold car that cannot fail to grab your attention. Audi is at pains to point out the ‘passion’ in the A7’s design and proudly states that its huge radiator grille is unique to the model.

Ignore the marketing waffle – for ‘Sportback’ read ‘Hatchback’. Obviously trying to distance the A7 from its more normal brethren in name, what this car offers is a remarkably practical, electrically operated rear tailgate. Behind it is an impressive load space of 535-litre load space that more than doubles to 1390 with the rear seats folded down.

Aesthetic and athletic, emotion-packed design, sporty character and innovative technology: Audi is entering a new market segment with the Audi A7 Sportback

The "Audi A7 Sportback features" the entire, wide-ranging technological expertise of the Audi brand. Its body is very lightweight thanks to numerous aluminum components.

In early 2009, Audi gave a preview of the “Audi A7 Sportback” at the North American International Automobile Show in Detroit with the Audi Sportback concept show car. Audi frequently has show cars go into production nearly unchanged. The Audi A7 Sportback is a moving sculpture - a large, five-door coupe with a sporty body and harmonious proportions, a long engine hood, a long wheelbase and short overhangs. The latest large Audi model is 4.97 meters (16.31 ft) long and has a wheelbase of 2.91 meters (9.55 ft). The rear doors are subtly integrated into the silhouette. The athletic play of the surfaces and lines characterizes the side view of the "Audi A7 Sportback". The tornado line starts at the headlights and extends along the fenders, the doors and the rear side walls as it gently slopes toward the tail lights. The elegant line ends in a sharply dropping rear end that forms a distinctive spoiler lip - another sports car feature.

This solution also underscores the width of the Audi A7 Sportback.

Audi offers a choice of eleven paint finishes for the A7 Sportback.
According to Stefan Sielaff, Head of Design at AUDI AG: "Audi design is the harmony of form and function. The headlights of the Audi A7 Sportback are small, technical works of art presenting the lead that the brand enjoys in lighting technology on a brightly lit stage. The Audi A7 Sportback comes standard with Audi's xenon plus technology with the new all-weather light. Available as an option is the adaptive light system, which always provides the appropriate lighting, whether driving in the city, when turning, on inter-urban roads or on the highway.

The system adapts the vehicle's own lights by swiveling the modules with soft transitions.

The Audi A7 Sportback is also available with optional LED headlights - another groundbreaking innovation from Audi.
The turning light, the all-weather light and the highway light round out the system.

The integrated high-beam assistant switches between the low and high beams.

The five-door coupe from Audi combines supreme, long-distance comfort with a sporty character. The body of the Audi A7 Sportback is light, safe and strong thanks to the intelligent lightweight construction technology from Audi, which combines various materials.

The large rear hatch is lined with high-quality carpeting, is easy to load and offers excellent functionality.

The arc extends from the driver's side across the instrument panel to the passenger's door. Audi offers a wide range of upholsteries, including a leather package, to upgrade the entire interior. The front seats of the Audi A7 Sportback are mounted sportily low.

The driver information system, located on the display between the large dial instruments, is controlled via the multifunction steering wheel. Audi will initially offer the A7 Sportback with a choice of four powerful and cultivated V6 engines: two gasoline and two TDI units. All engines use Audi's innovative thermal management system, a recuperation system and a start-stop system.

2.8 FSI quattro with 150 kW (280 hp)
3.0 TFSI quattro with 220 kW (290 hp)
3.0 TDI quattro with 180 kW (240 hp)
3.0 TDI with 150 kW (170 hp)

The standard automatic transmissions also play a large role in the high efficiency of the Audi A7 Sportback. Audi offers two different types depending on the engines: the comfortable, continuously variable multitronic delivers the engine's power to the front wheels. The transmissions are integrated into the engine's thermal management system and can access the predictive route data from the navigation system. Audi offers the sport differential, which actively distributes the power between the rear wheels, as the perfect complement to quattro drive.

The Audi A7 Sportback rolls on large wheels measuring from 18 to 20 inches in diameter shod with tires that have been optimized for low rolling resistance. Powerful brakes sit behind the wheels.
The steering works closely together with the optional Audi active lane assist system.

The Audi A7 Sportback comes standard with a comfortable steel-spring suspension, with two sport suspensions available as options. Audi also offers an optional air suspension with four electronically controlled shock absorbers. The standard version incorporates the automatic transmission, the electromechanical power steering and the engine control unit. Additional modules can also be integrated, including the adaptive air suspension, quattro with sport differential and adaptive light. The Audi A7 Sportback offers a wide range of innovative assistance, safety and infotainment systems. Audi has partnered with the online services provider Google. In addition to the standard MMI radio, Audi offers three optional systems: MMI radio plus, MMI navigation and MMI navigation plus. MMI navigation plus works closely together with the optional driver assistance and safety systems in the A7 Sportback. The driver assistance systems in the "Audi A7 Sportback" are tightly networked via an advanced and fast data bus system. The new Audi active lane assist helps the driver to keep the Audi A7 Sportback firmly on course. The system uses a camera that detects the lines on the road. The adaptive cruise control with stop & go function (ACC) is the latest embodiment of a radar-based distance control system that accelerates and slows the Audi A7 Sportback automatically within certain limits. Audi is launching the Audi A7 Sportback with an opulent array of standard features. A selection includes the highly efficient deluxe air conditioning system, the engine start-stop button, the xenon plus headlights, the LED tail lights, the MMI radio with the 6.5-inch monitor, the electromechanical parking brake, the power rear hatch, the 18-inch alloy wheels and an acoustic windshield.

The safety package leaves nothing to be desired, with two front, side and head airbags, four belt tensioners and the integral Audi head restraint system.

In addition to the features and systems mentioned above, there is also a four-zone automatic air conditioning system, an auxiliary heating system, insulating/acoustic glazing, a heated steering wheel rim, a power-adjustable steering column, sunblinds for the rear window, two ambient lighting packages, power-assisted closing for the doors and the convenience key for keyless vehicle access.

It is combined with a taut sport suspension, 19-inch wheels, sport seats and a special leather steering wheel. A complementary S line exterior package is available as an option.
Also available is the MMI (Multimedia Interface) entertainment and navigation system that features a high-res pop-up 6.5-inch screen. At launch in Europe two petrol engines will be offered, a 150kW/280Nm 2.8-litre V6 and a 220kW/440Nm 3-litre supercharged V6, with fuel economy rated at 8 and 8.2L/100km respectively. Power is delivered to either the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission, or all four wheels via seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.