The New Audi A7 Review

When Audi released the sport back A7 I didn’t like it. Jaguar handled this a fair few years back and called it the ‘Shooting Brake’ or sports brake as it soon became. I like the saloon shape, more so than the estate or ‘Avant’. The A7 didn’t have the elegance of the Jaguar and so I ignored it and kept to my insistence that the designer fell asleep and his pen rounded off the back end and here we have the A7.

Mid-sized to big executive cars that double as family cars on the weekend should have a boot a midsection and a bonnet. This is the way the world is and change is not always for the best.

More often than not we judge the range of manufactures cars by the top performance model, in this case, Audi has over the years a bit of hit and miss. Most recently hits, the RS3 hit, the RS4 hit, The RS5, miss the R8 hit and so on. This is where the A7 taught me a lesson.

By all accounts the A7 from the outside is not a drastic departure look a little closer though and it is, the bonnet has extra style lines and in general looks sharper. However, more details emerge the longer you look at the car, it becomes more and more attractive to the point I don’t see the ‘sloping back’ to be an issue. Its bigger, wider and but yet leaner. Once inside the new spaceship dashboard and jet fighter cockpit digital display screen made me feel instantly more executive, like a promotion to a CEO… and here is your A7 waiting for you outside sir..

The power delivered from the twin turbo V6 is immensely enjoyable, this is the same engine as the Q8 but with much less weight to move around. Topping out at ‘only’ 350hp may not sound a lot for this sized car but it has 500nm of torque and that’s quite a shove and with a big smile but without the license losing speeds that the S & RS models so easily lure you into

The first turn in and I start to grin, it corners brilliantly for a large car and the feedback from the steering wheel is like having a conversation with someone intelligent and engaging, you want to keep talking with them, the same with the brakes and the seat. Sitting at the first set of lights I take in the interior its executive; comfortable and stylish it reminds me I have been promoted so should act so but touch the throttle and its fun all the way home.

After nearly a week in the new A7 and 300 or more so kilometers for work and pleasure including a long day in Abu Dhabi it just kept getting better. Technological advancements in cars have seen the character and drivability diminish. Audi has been the top of the list of ironing out the fun for technology as many a fan will tell you, however, this A7 is the sweet spot between technological advancement and driving pleasure.

So here we have a car with enough computing power to run a small countries entire defense system, it’s luxurious but not overly pompous if anything slightly restrained, the ride is soothing but rewarding the handling is fun because you can push it and it will push back all within friendly road going speeds.

At the end of a long week, I am very tired but not from driving as I should be but, from work in general. As it turns out friends are heading over in a taxi for dinner. I tell them to stay put and I will pick them up, I explain I am reviewing the car and would like to hear passenger feedback when they get in. I nod half appreciative with what they say, the reality is I just wanted to keep driving the A7 and if I had to play taxi that was fine by me.

Pick your options wisely (rear wheel steering is a must) and you will find the new A7 is fantastic, so much so I even like the back of it now.