For limo-like luxury with lashings of distinctive style, you’ll be looking at the Audi A7 and its rivals. But does a high-quality, high-tech interior help make the A7 the pick of the bunch? Find out in our review.
If you want all the opulence of an audi a6 or mercedes e-class coupe a but with more distinctive styling the audi a7 could be worth considering it’s a low-slung rakish 4-door coupe a that also rivals the bmw 6 series gt and mercedes cls offering a combination of generous space for passengers and luggage and a wealth of high-tech equipment the a7 is a more premium
Offering than the previous model with an interior that’s almost as sumptuous as the larger a 8 in also has the same mild hybrid engine technology which aids fuel economy and enhances performance let’s see how it stacks up against the mercedes cls and bmw 6 series gt for practicality driving and value for money and if you’re interested in buying one at the end
Of watching this review remember you can go to what car comm and head to a new car deal section where we can help save you thousands first let’s see what they say 7 is like to drive you can have your a several the choice of either three diesel or one petrol engine and it’s the most powerful 50 tdi diesel that we’re testing today it’s a 3 liter v6 has plenty of
Pulling power at low revs and can briskly get up to motorway speeds without breaking a sweat this engine will match the bmw 630 d4 acceleration but it won’t keep up with the mercedes cls of 400 d and although the a7 is refined overall there is a little bit more engine vibration coming into the cabin compared to the mercedes if it’s refinement you’re after the 55
Tfsi petrol is a much smooth operator although being a petrol it does mean that you have to explore higher revs to get the best out of its performance both engines share one annoying floor this 8-speed automatic gearbox is slow to kick down when you want to overtake put your foot down and there is a bit of a delay so to overcome this you can just use the manual
Shifter one piece of kit that works well on all a7 engines is audi’s 48 volt and wild hybrid system it enables the car to coast for extended periods with the engine off at speeds from 34 miles per hour to 99 not that you’ll be travelling at 99 miles per hour in the uk and thus helping save fuel there’s not all good news though because the a7 does not have the
Sporty handling that it’s felt image might suggest granted you can hustle along these country lanes with gusto thanks to the precise steering and quattro four-wheel drive system which comes a standard but it really just does the job it’s not really engaging to drive the a7 s ride is also pretty firm on the standard sport suspension but this can be improved by
Adding the optional air suspension this treats you to a waft e high-speed ride that makes the a7 one of the most relaxing long-distance cruisers it’s not as adept at low speeds though over potholes it can be more jarring than you might but it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position in the a7 because there’s plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering
Well from reach and rake and four-way adjustable lumbar support to help you stay comfortable now in terms of visibility it’s great out in the front a little bit hindered out the back but not to worry because you get a reversing parking camera to avoid those parking prangs on all models then when it comes to interior quality well the a7 is almost as premium as
The a8 luxury saloon there’s soft touch materials slick switches and chrome surrounds that give it that populum feel the a7 borrows its infotainment system from the a8 which means you get two screens the top one for the radio and sat-nav and the bottom one for climate control on the downside there’s two screens to learn but on the upside the climate control is
Separate and therefore easier to access as touch screens go they’re good with sharp graphics and responsive icons although some of the icons are small making them a little difficult to hit accurately while on the move and when the screens are turned off you can see finger marks where they’ve been used it is not a premium touch so although the system is good a
Rotary dial controlled systems such as bmws idrive would be much easier to use on the move and therefore less distracting howdy’s virtual cockpit digital dash is brilliant you get a really sharp set of instrument and you can customize it to show the most useful information to you in spite of its sloping roofline the audi a7 has ample space up front even for very
Tall adults and there’s also plenty of storage we’ve got decent sized orban little cubby there and two cupholders and a decent sized glovebox although there’s plenty of leg room in the back headroom if you’re over 6 foot tall you will find that you are brushing your head against the roof lining i’m not entirely sure what that feels like but feel quite great for
The leg don’t a benefit of being only 5 foot 4 and a half now if you are tall and you will be traveling with five people regularly and you want a five-door coop a your best bet is to go for the six series gt and of course the elephant in the room if you are traveling three in the back is this huge transmission tunnel which will not be very comfortable for the
Middle passenger there’s plenty of boot space though in fact we managed to get eight carry-on suitcases which was more than the cls but guess what the bmw is still better but let’s not beat this audi up though because you get an electronic tailgate a standard a really wide usable opening and the seats fold down to create even more space although prices vary
Depending on what engine you choose generally speaking the a7 undercuts a bmw 6 series gt on price and is about the same as the mercedes cls if you’re a company car driver the cheapest option for tax is the petrol however if you’re covering a lot of miles you will probably prefer the diesel if you want to keep co2 emissions down go for the entry-level sport trim
With the smallest wheels available sport trim provides most of the kitchen likely to need including a reversing camera electric leather seats apple carplay and android auto smartphone mirroring the most important thing we’d add to this is air suspension to improve the a sevens high-speed ride although the a7 comes as some safety equipment is standard for example
Automatic emergency braking we recommend adding lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring to sum up the a7 is a beautifully made high-speed cruiser but it’s not the most fun car to drive and that entertainment system is a little tricky to use on the move for plenty more on the audi a7 including our full online review and that of its rivals head to watcard
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2020 Audi A7 review – The ultimate high-tech luxury coupe? | What Car? By What Car?
