Eight reasons to buy Audi A7

Just spent a few days driving Audi's new A7 in the UK, and have come away very impressed. Here's a few quick reasons why:
Good point number 1: The driving position is very good: no longer do you feel the need to pull the steering wheel all the way out just to get comfortable (so often an Audi bugbear of mine). Plus the seats can be set at just the right height so you can feel snug and sporty, but still look out over the bonnet, place the car, and not feel like you’re sitting in a SUV
Good point number 2: The steering, which is a revelation for a mainstream Audi. There’s still no genuine feel, but what non-Porsche/Lotus/Caterham has feel these days? But it is sharp, direct and linear. I presumed this was because this particular car didn’t have the Drive Select system which constantly varies the set-up, without ever finding the perfect compromise. But despite a lack of dash-mounted button, a delve into the menu did discover that this car was Drive Select-equipped, and in Comfort, Auto or Dynamic the steering was never ultra-light, ultra-heavy, nor suddenly switching between the two mid-roundabout. Simply, it was just good. Not perfect, but a long stride in the right direction.
Good point number 3: The steering wheel, which had a thin rim and was small in diameter. With the small central boss it reminded me of the wheel in our long-term XJ, only this one was nicer to hold. Amazing how a small wheel can make a big car seem more agile and sporty.
Good point 4: The Audi A7's ride proved very supple, and only at low speeds did the air springs struggle to smoothe off small bumps. Another step forward for Audi.
Good point 5: The 3.0-litre supercharged engine, which while not exactly economical, snarls towards the redline and is as quick as you ever need. Surely this V6 has way more than the claimed 296bhp/325lb ft? This is a heavy car, after all...

Good point 6: The touchpad, which is intuitive, great for a left-hander like me, and finally adds six 'favourite' buttons for the radio, even if they are on the driver's side and awkward for the passenger to reach. The system pioneered on the A8 is already been fettled. That's progress for you.
Good point 7: The seat heater controls, which are now a button rather than a dial-button combo. You used you have to press a button, spin a dial, then press the dial. Now you press a button and they are on. My rump is roasted more easily.
Good point 8: There's finally a ‘sync’ button so the driver can control his/her temperature settings, and the those of the passenger.
Of course the Audi A7 isn't perfect. It lacks the stylistic grace of the A5 Coupe, has none of the impact of the first-generation Mercedes CLS (though nor does the new CLS Mk2), the air-con controls are still set too low while the never-used SIM/card reader panels takes up the majority of the dash, there seems to be no repeatable way to switch the gearbox between its Automatic and Sport modes. And while I'm in grumble mode, the pale boot covering reflects badly off the hatchback's glass panel.
But overall I came away mightily impressed by the new A7: the build quality and top-notch materials are ever-present, and now there's hope for the enthusiast driver too. Well done, Audi.

Audi's A7 Caught At German R&D Facility

It's game set and ‘hatch’ for Auto Express’s spy photographers.
They snapped these world exclusive images of the new Audi A7 as it was prepared for a first road test in Germany. Our pictures reveal the car’s sculpted headlamps, as well as the practical tailgate, which is open.

Underlining the A7’s driver appeal is an imposing radiator grille and at the rear, the hint of an aerodynamic spoiler. The completely undisguised machine has been spied nearly 12 months ahead of its launch at 2010’s Paris Motor Show.

Underlining the A7’s driver appeal is an imposing radiator grille and at the rear, the hint of an aerodynamic spoiler. The completely undisguised machine has been spied nearly 12 months ahead of its launch at 2010’s Paris Motor Show.

Audi A7 Four-door Coupe to debut by 2010

As Audi aims to fulfill its goal of expanding its fleet to a total of 40 units from the today’s 23 cars, new sedans, coups, and soft-roaders are being introduced to the market. Following the 2008 release of the A5 cabrio, the S5, and the Audi Q5 SUV in North America, Audi is planning to release the A7 coupe with four doors by late 2010.

The new A7 4-door coupe will be rolling of stores as a 2011 model. Audi is beefing up its Neckarsulm factoriy by spending millions of Euros to produce the A7. The production of the new member of the brood will start late next year, so American consumers will most likely enjoy the new car by 2011.

According to an insider, the A7 will get a variety of engines under its hood. There are buzzes that a V10 capable of producing about 600hp will be fitted in. Hybrid versions using the combo of diesel and electric engines are also said to be on the works.

The ordinary A7 is expected to have a V6 engine. The base model may get a 2.8L V6 engine capable of giving out 204hp. A notch higher will be a 3.0L powerplant that gives 300hp to the car. The S7 variant of the car will be equipped with V8 4.0L engine that adds another 94hp to the equation. The RS7 will be the ultimate setup with 600hp.

The high end models will have their engines coupled with a dual clutch system while the lower end models will be coupled with either an automatic eight speed or a six speed manual gearbox.

Audi A5 Sportback: Officially revealed

German-based auto maker Audi, has officially unveiled the Audi A5 Sportback 5-door coupe, which now joins the A5 range, that is also made up by the Coupe and Cabriolet versions. The A5 Sportback, which measures 4,711 mm long, 1,854 mm wide, 1,391 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,810 mm is offered with three engines from the diesel family and three more from the petrol range, although the auto maker also revealed that three more powerplants will be added by mid next year. The A5 Sportback can be seen in dealerships by September this year.

Before we go into the details of the engines, lets take a quick look at the exterior design the Sportback. At first glance, the A5 Sportback looks like a bigger A4 sedan, but with a coupeish roof line. The front and rear ends are definitely influenced by the outgoing A4 sedan, but the side profile is one of those aspects of the car that is very different in terms of the exterior styling. The side profile has more design lines, along with a slopping roof line. Daytime LED running lights are still evident up front, while the rear features LED taillights. The Sportback is also finished with 17 inch wheels, as standard while potential owners can upgrade up to 20 inch ones as well.

The interior is also Audi-standard, with the three-spoke leather steering wheel, two-gauge instrument panel with an LCD display nestled in between them, MMI display and more. Getting in and out of the car is easier with bigger doors that open wider. Both the front and rear seat are mounted low, while the trunk at the back can hold up to 480 liters of space, that can be increased to 980 liters, by folding down the rear back rests. The closing of the rear hatch is also made easy with an electrically actuated lock.

According to Audi, the A5 Sportback features a stiff chassis, fitted with a five-link axle suspension up front and a trapezoidal link suspension at the back. Most of the front and rear suspensions parts are made of aluminum, to help reduce weight. The Sportback comes with speed-sensitive Servotronic steering system (standard on the 211HP 2.0 liter TFSI and V6 models) and a braking system that is made up by 314 millimeter discs up front and 300 millimeter discs at the rear for the 2.0 liter TDI and the 2.0 liter TFSI (180HP) models, while the 211HP 2.0 liter TFSI and V6 models feature front discs measuring 320 millimeters in diameter, with lightweight brake calipers.

The A5 Sportback also uses shock absorbers with continuous damping control (CDC) and potential buyers can choose between three sports suspension setups, including a tauter setup with or without controlled dampers and an S line sports suspension that lowers the body by 10 millimeters. The 5-door Coupe also features Audi’s drive select dynamic control system that offers three driving modes: Comfort, Auto and Dynamic. For models with the MMI interface, a fourth mode is added. Called the Individual mode, it allows the driver to customize their own settings, based on a large number of parameters.

Three diesel or TDI engines include a 170HP 2.0 liter TDI with 350Nm of torque (5.2 liters of fuel per 100 km on average), a 190HP 2.7 liter V6 TDI with 400Nm of torque (6.0 liters of fuel per 100 km in the EU driving cycle) and a 240HP 3.0 liter V6 TDI with a massive 500Nm of torque (6.6 liters of fuel per 100 km on average), which allows to Sportback to sprint to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds, up to a top speed of 247 km/h. All of the diesel engines are mated to a manual cog box, except for the 3.0 liter V6 which is offered with the 7 speed dual clucth S tronic transmission.

Continue reading for the rest of the report and to view an image gallery.

By fall this year, the 2.0 liter TDI will get the quattro all wheel drive system, while the 2.7 liter TDI and the 3.0 liter V6 will get the multitronic and the manual transmissions, respectively. Ingolstadt will also offer a 143HP 2.0 liter TDI version with 320Nm of torque by fall as well.

Petrol wise, there is the 180HP 2.0 liter TFSI with 320Nm of torque, the 211HP 2.0 liter TFSI with 350Nm of torque (average fuel consumption figure of 7.4 liters of fuel per 100 km), and the 265HP 3.2-liter V6 FSI, that is also good for 330Nm of torque. The 180HP 2.0 TFSI comes with a multitronic transmission while a manual version will come next year. Both the 211HP 2.0 liter version and the top of the line model get the 7 speed S tronic transmission and the quattro permanent all wheel drive system.

The 265HP V6 consumes 9.3 liters of fuel for every 100 km, on average. 0 - 100 km/h takes 6.6 seconds, and will go on to deliver a top speed of 250 km/h. All models benefit from Audi’s s energy regeneration system that makes use of the kinetic energy during deceleration. The alternator will then convert the kinetic energy into electrical energy that is stored temporarily in the battery. The 2.0 liter versions fitted with the manual transmission feature the engine start-stop system, that can reduce fuel consumption by 0.2 liters per 100 km.

Audi has also made available two S Line packages for the A5 Sportback, including the S Line sport package and the S Line exterior package. The S Line sport package comes with a tauter suspension setup and lowered body with larger wheels while interior extras include sport seats covered in cloth and leather, a special leather sport steering wheel, a leather shift lever knob, inlays in brushed aluminum and color-coordinated floor mats. S line badges adorn the fenders, the door sill trims and many interior parts.

The S Line exterior package is made up by unique bumpers and distinctive features on the side air intakes, on the diffuser and on the tailpipes, side sill trims painted in the body color and S line badges on the door sill trims and the front fenders.

The following is the price list, for the German market:

2.0 TDI with 6-speed manual transmission: 36,050 euros
2.7 TDI with 6-speed manual transmission: 39,300 euros
3.0 TDI quattro with 7-speed S tronic: 47,950 euros
2.0 TFSI (132 kW / 180 hp) with 6-speed manual transmission: 33,650 euros
2.0 TFSI (155 kW / 211 hp) quattro with 7-speed S tronic: 42,150 euros
3.2 FSI quattro with S tronic: 47,000 euros