Audi RS 7 Sportback 2013 Review - International

Audi RS 7 Sportback

Our second -- albeit very brief -- crack at the wheel of the RS 7 Sportback has served only to reiterate the positive impressions garnered during the international launch in July (2013).

Audi’s RS 7 Sportback is indeed a force to be reckoned with, and one that very nearly belies its sleek, seductive looks. The exhaust note from its twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 has to be heard to be believed; and with 412kW and 700Nm the performance is beyond impressive -- in fact, it’s supercar-quick.

Audi says the RS 7 Sportback will hit 100km/h in 3.9 seconds on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 306km/h, though given how relentless its acceleration is, you get the feeling there’d even be a little in reserve.

The RS 7 Sportback shares the majority of its underpinnings with the RS 6 Avant, which means it tips the scales at 1955kg. Considering the pace the car can carry, the performance numbers and the weight make this machine all the more impressive.

But the RS 7 Sportback is more than just numbers and speed, it’s also remarkably stable and impressively agile. Sure, the wide wheels tend to follow camber changes in the road, but that’s par for the course.

Otherwise, it’s impressive to note how well Audis’s adaptive air suspension manages to keep the swoopy five-door glued to the road, while still keeping its occupants comfortable. Further, quattro all-wheel drive and a sharp mechanical limited-slip diff put power to the road without wasteful wheelspin.

With this much grip on hand the RS 7 Sportback launches out of corners with the kind of ferocity you’d expect of a smaller German coupe or full-blown Italian sports machine, and not from a vehicle that comfortably carries four passengers in sumptuous luxury.

And what fine luxury it is, too. The cabin is finished with obsessive attention to detail, and the use of materials is first rate. From the fine leather and Alcantara fabric through to the sharp precision of the controls and switchgear, there is very little not to like. It’s comfortable, too, and even out back the accommodation is better than you’d expect from a ‘sedan’ with such a swoopy roof.

All of the big Audi’s equipment is top quality and operates with the kind of exactitude you’d expect at this end of the price range. Of course, not all of it is standard, and when you look through the options list there are some prices that seem arcane (try $25,800 for a dynamics package, $13,900 for an exclusive design package, $20,900 for ceramic brakes or $12,000 for a Bang & Olufsen audio upgrade!).

And what better place to enjoy the immense speeds the RS 7 Sportback can hit from inside such a gorgeous cabin. The acceleration here is first class; the handling flat, and secure. We noted that the car can feel a little out of place in tight and twisty roads where its long wheelbase serves to prove a hindrance, but when storming down A roads and through long, flowing bends the RS 7 Sportback just eats up tarmac.

The eight-speed auto slices through its ratios with near-seamless interlude and remains decisive, almost intuitive, when called to ‘hold’ gears between corners. There’s little call to shift for yourself, but should you choose to, it’s an equally sharp experience.

And just wait until you try the brakes! Hit the anchors with any aggression at all and the RS 7 Sportback claws itself to the road – and we drove the car with steel stoppers! The stopping power is immense, and you soon learn to leave your braking later, and later...

Even more impressive then is just how fine the level of modulation built into the pedal is. Soft stops are as easy to achieve as is any of Audi’s passenger car range.

If we had but one complaint for Audi’s flagship performance passenger model it would be that the steering feel is heavy when it should be light, and vice-versa. The trade-off here is that accuracy in bends suffers for the want of communication.

But if you learn to master it, the RS 7 Sportback rewards with all of the speed and luxury you could possibly want in a package that it has to be said is seductively attractive.

Audi Australia says the RS 7 Sportback will arrive in local showrooms from February 2014, priced from between $225,000 and $240,000.