Audi A7 Sportback 3.0 TDI 2011 Review

Road Test

3.0 TDI
Price guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $142,750
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): 19-inch wheels $2400; Metallic paint $2300; Night vision assist with pedestrian detection $4890.
Crash rating (Euro NCAP): not tested
Fuel: Diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km):  6.0
CO2 emissions (g/km): 158
Also consider:  Mercedes-Benz CLS range, Jaguar XF

3.0 TFSI
Price guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $147,800
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): 20-inch wheels $2600; Metallic paint $2300; Night vision assist with pedestrian detection $4890.
Crash rating (Euro NCAP): not tested
Fuel: PULP 95 RON
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km):  8.2
CO2 emissions (g/km):  190
Also consider:Mercedes-Benz CLS range, Jaguar XF

About our ratings

The fact a car this big has just four seats should automatically categorise it as frivolous… A luxury… A toy… But in terms of style and comfort, toys don’t come a lot better polished or more comfortable than the big hatchback from Ingolstadt.

Approached with a fair dose of cynicism, I was almost convinced the A7 was a niche too far for Audi – especially in a market the size of Australia. But after a couple of weeks in two examples, the amount of (unsolicited) feedback from others suggests that Audi’s product teams know a thing or two about emerging tastes. In every case, the A7 received a thumbs-up when presented to friends and family during my ‘ownership’ stint.

Though yours truly thought the fastback lines a little clumsy at first flush, no such feedback was forthcoming from others. And with a hint of familiarity the styling starts to gel. It’s sculptured flanks are a winner – as is its low, flowing roof line. The sheer width of the car drew some comment – especially in view of its four-seater layout -- but overall the report cards were unerringly positive.

Dig a little deeper and there are a few hiccups though none that break the bank. Priced the wrong side of $150,000 with only a modest amount of optional equipment onboard, the A7 in either supercharged petrol (TFSI) or turbodiesel (TDI) is chasing premium pricing in anybody’s book. Thus it comes with plenty of leather, a beautifully crafted interior with a wonderful sweeping dash treatment that will surely become a trademark of the marque’s cabins before long but misses out on smaller luxuries that are must-haves at this pricetag. Witness no front seat heating or cooling (a minimum $920 option), no adaptive cruise control and a whopping $4770 for adjustable suspension.

On the plus side, the A8-derived MMI system is perhaps the best HMI (human machine interface) available on the market today. In addition to the normal rotary interface, a trackpad allows you to spell out addresses for the satnav or dial numbers on the phone. And even if you aren’t used to writing left-handed it works a treat.

The instrument panel is crystal clear with neat as a pin graphics and a large interactive section in the middle that presents variously the onboard computer functions and the (optional) night vision view. A gimmick for my money, the night vision’s pedestrian detection system is very effective but looks more like an add-on from Call of Duty III video game than any serious road safety device.

The turbodiesel model is the pick of the pair of A7s in this writer’s opinion. The supercharged petrol V6 version is quicker on paper (5.6sec 0-100km/h versus 6.5) but the difference on the road is negligible. Push the throttle down and the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel can summon 500Nm quick smart – midrange acceleration is rapid. What’s more, the turbodiesel’s no noisier in practice and returned fuel economy of under 10L/100km over the same mix of commuting and freeway work that saw the petrol struggle to better 16L/100km. It’s cheaper too, thanks to a part-break on LCT.

On only slightly taller profile rubber (19 vs 20-inch wheel tyre combo) the diesel also proved markedly quieter in terms of road noise. The only blot on its copybook was a touch more vibration on start up each time the auto stop-start did its thing in traffic.

While I’m a fan of this fuel-saving measure (especially on my commute that involves three of Melbourne’s slowest level crossings), the Audi set-up is not as good as it could be. New generation Audi’s have an excellent auto parking brake function that applies the brakes at each stop – allowing you to sit in traffic without needing to rest a foot on a pedal. This system does not ‘talk’ to the auto stop-start equipment, however – thus whenever you lift you foot from the brake once the auto brake function is engaged, the engine restarts. It would be more sensible to have the engine restart when the brake disengages as the accelerator is pushed.

When not caught in traffic, the A7 is a fuss-free drive. Very, very polished, it is not the most communicative of vehicles though. Audi seems to have decided that steering feel is a thing of the past -- almost without fail its mainstream cars are totally numb at the wheel and the steering significantly over-assisted. It’s simply too light at the hands for my tastes – even when customised with via the MMI set-up.

Much closer to the mark is the A7’s standard suspension tuning. Supplied sans the optional adjustable air-suspension, the test A7s struck a good balance of ride and body control. Not perfect though – both were still a touch harsh over speed humps and the like. Again at $150K I’d like some driver-initiated adjustment.

Lower sports suspension is an option but far from a must-have for most buyers, we’d suggest.

With seat belts for four only, the A7’s rear seat looks suspiciously ready for a centre occupant. This fact makes the four-place set-up even sillier. If you are going to limit the complement of passengers then at least give the rear row occupants some individual adjustability or the location benefits of proper buckets.

At least as supplied the split-fold set-up yields a very versatile luggage space. Already very long with the second row erect (almost long enough to take a golf bag longitudinally!), the luggage space becomes truly cavernous one you fold one or both of the seats.

The electric hatchback is a nice touch. And underneath the carpeted ‘floor’ there’s a space saver spare in place of the all too common bottle of goo. Just as well too, a large coach screw claimed one of the 20-inch rear tyres on our TFSI tester during its visit to carsales HQ. With tyre sealant we’d have been stranded.

The four-door coupe/hatchback concept seems to have struck a chord with buyers across the globe – at least those who want to blend the extra cachet of a sporty silhouette with the practicality of four doors. Benz’s CLS has been a substantial success for the marque and Jaguar’s XF is close in execution if not concept. Both are targets for the new Audi which arrives with a few months headstart on the second generation CLS.

The cooker-cutter styling of Audi’s sedans has its fans and detractors. When the new A6 executive saloon arrives later this year it’ll be even harder for casual observers to pick just how much you’ve anted up for your four-ringed four-door. The A7 is, however, different enough at a glance for people to know you’ve dug a little deeper and spent a fair swag more.

If that’s a consideration in your car selection criteria, the biggest Sportback might be worth more than a second look.

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