Seven's heaven (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Seven's heaven

4:24pm Friday 15th October 2010 in Motoring By Steve Teale

Could Audi ever be more efficient? I doubt it. In typical German fashion, this marque goes through the motor industry filling each niche with another stunning new car.

From city cars to 4x4s. Hatches to saloons. Convertibles to huge SUVs. Now the latest is here, the A7.

It is a cross between a spectacular saloon and a coupe which Audi has dubbed a Sportback. It’s similar to the A5 Sportback, of course, except it’s bigger and even more lavishly equipped.

It has just gone on sale costing from £42,000 with the first deliveries expected early in the New Year.

It’s a lot of money, of course, but the doesn’t seem to worry Audi, or its customers. Even in a recession there is no shortage of people doing well enough to feel they can justify what will, in most cases, amount to a 50 grand investment in a set of wheels.

Filling gaps might seem easy but a lot of time and effort goes into producing the right car at the right time.

Audi manages more often than not to create whole new segments where it is the only player.

This is something it has done before of course, with the similar A5 Sportback sitting somewhere between a four-door coupe and a hatchback. Even so, the A7 sits higher up the range and therefore requires a bigger financial commitment from those writing the cheques: missing the target could result in unhappy customers.

Right from the start though, the A7 Sportback is on a roll. As is increasingly the case with modern car designs, seeing one in photographs isn’t enough. You need to get up close and personal, walk around the car and drink in all the details.

It’s not an easy car to gauge in terms of size either: it’s a fraction bigger than the A6, but the lower roof and wider stance not only make it look sleeker but significantly more compact.

The low roof is also a key element to the strength of the design, giving it the coupe feel that sets it apart from a conventional car.

There are clear elements from elsewhere in the Audi range. The front says A8, the sides recall the A5 and the rear is more A4, but it’s no mishmash: this is a properly handsome machine, and before you even get to the bottom line it has the presence and style of an expensive car.

Where the A7 starts to really make sense is when you get out the tape measure. The lithe exterior lines suggest that it will have room for the vertically challenged and nothing else, but the reality is quite different. If you happen to be sitting up front, then a grand view out is on offer with all the head and legroom you could possible want.

Step into the back seats and the story is much the same, even though the roof begins its curve over your head there is head and legroom second only to the A8 luxury saloon. But the star turn is the boot space, which offers a very impressive 535 litres with the seats up and an estate-like 1,390 litres with all the seats folded flat. Accessing this space through a hatchback-like tailgate also makes loading a breeze. The combination of practicality and elegance isn’t usually that easy to find.

You might therefore assume that the driving experience must be lacking somehow: not a bit of it. Underneath the A7 lies a new platform and the suspension set-up, whether in sporty S-line guise, standard or comfort-oriented air suspension, delivers a confident mix of ride and handling.

Once again, like the A8 it surprises with the accuracy of the steering, which is very well-weighted and inspires confidence: a car with accurate steering is one that is easy to drive. It deals with bumps well too, inevitably the air-suspended car doing this best but all versions strike a good balance.

Should you choose to press on, the A7 shows itself to be a faithful and predictable companion, gripping strongly and making the most of the Quattro four-wheel drive system. In the dry it hangs on for ever, and in the wet it will keep going when others are in the weeds. As ever, the powerplant choice is comprehensive. The 3.0-litre TFSI is the driver’s choice for the moment, as the supercharged V6 has torque all the way around the rev range and punches this large car forward with real vigour.

If you have to wear a more sensible hat then the high-output 3.0-litre TDI offers almost as much punch. The same engine can be specified with the clever CVT gearbox to deliver over 53mpg and an amazingly-low 139g/km of C02.

Remember this is still an Audi too: the peerless interior is present and correct and in the A7 it inherits some of the top-line switchgear found in the A8 as well as some of the technology.

If you want it you can have a head-up display, parallel park assist, ventilated massage seats – the list is virtually endless.

So what of the bottom line? Inevitably, this is not a car for everyone. Prices start at £42,925 for the entry-level version, but when you consider that this essentially buys you a sporty coupe crossed with a practical hatchback and a comfortable luxury saloon, it begins to look like rather good value for money.

PRICE: £49,860.

ENGINE: 3.0-litre petrol producing 295bhp and 325lb.ft of torque via seven-speed dual clutch transmission driving all four wheels.

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 155mph, 0-62mph 5.4 seconds.

COSTS: 34mpg combined.

EMISSIONS: 190g/km.