The authentic Audi A7 was an enormous success. Great to drive and even higher to have a look at, the A7 impressed with its very good model and wealth of luxurious and tech. That’s a tricky act to comply with; the 2019 Audi A7 has so much driving on its shoulders. And whereas its design may not be as immediately lovable as its forebear, Audi’s put a ton of labor into making its new hatchback not only a higher A7, however one of many most interesting luxurious automobiles out there at present, full cease. A brand new tackle a standout design There’s no denying the truth that the first-generation Audi A7 is a fully lovely automobile; I significantly just like the face-lifted 2016-2018 fashions. With its lengthy, low stance and rakish roofline, the older A7 strikes a sublime pose that I even favor to many more moderen fashions.

The 2019 A7’s design has been a sizzling subject within the Roadshow group’s Slack chat rooms, and we appear to be cut up on whether or not or not we predict it is an enchancment. Some angles, just like the entrance three-quarter and aspect profile, supply a drop-dead beautiful visage. Personally, I am not as offered on the brand new automobile’s rear — significantly with these large taillights. What’s extra, Audi’s new design language dictates extra creases and onerous traces within the sheet steel, which appears to be at odds with this in any other case fluid form.

Make no mistake, the automobile remains to be a looker. I really like the way it seems with the 20-inch wheels pictured right here, and the futuristic music and dance the headlights and taillights do if you lock and unlock the automobile is de facto one thing. (Your pals will say “Oooh.”) Even for those who, like me, suppose its predecessor has the higher hand on look, there is no doubt this new A7 remains to be a standout. With LED lighting and these 20-inch wheels, the brand new A7 is sharp and complex.
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Premium all through Inside, Audi makes a way more apparent step ahead. The cabin is as luxurious as it’s visually interesting. Screens abound, and the A7’s inside seems like what we have been lengthy promised from decades-old ideas previewing The Car Of The Future. Open-pore wooden, actual steel inlays and tender leather-based surfaces all assist the A7 ooze luxurious, and whereas the seats look a bit staid on this in any other case fashion-forward cockpit, they supply a number of consolation and help. Fans of ambient lighting will recognize the myriad shade choices, although on the brightest setting, I discover the glow a bit distracting at night time. The A7’s sloping roofline does impede rear headroom a bit in contrast with extra historically formed sedans, however its hatchback design is surprisingly useful. With the again seats upright, you will discover 24.9 cubic ft of usable house within the trunk, which is about the identical as Audi’s bigger Q5 SUV. Plus, you possibly can fold the seat backs for much more hauling capability. That’s kind and performance. Natural wooden inlays and tender leather-based surfaces spotlight this tech-forward cabin.
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So. Much. Tech. Of course, the centerpiece of the A7’s cabin is its spectacular array of onboard tech. Like different new Audis, the A7 makes use of the corporate’s MMI Touch Response infotainment system — an interface our group likes a lot, we gave it a 2019 Shift Award. I am going to admit, I discovered this onslaught of tech a bit overwhelming at first blush, but it surely’s truly intuitive and simple to make use of whereas driving.

I extremely suggest letting evaluations editor Jake Holmes stroll you thru the A7’s infotainment system within the Tech Check video beneath, because it’s a lot simpler to see the system’s ease of use when it is, um, truly getting used. (Also, for those who weren’t hungry for Mexican meals earlier than watching this video, you may be after.) To begin, like all new Audis, it has a 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit show positioned in entrance of the motive force, with very important automobile data, in addition to house screens for navigation, media and telephone. The Virtual Cockpit is gorgeous — reconfigurable, too. You can select between large or small gauges relying in your desire, and I nonetheless suppose the full-width Google Maps navigation show is without doubt one of the finest bits of in-car tech out there wherever.

Moving to the middle stack, a 10.1-inch touchscreen acts as the principle MMI management interface, with onerous buttons for various system capabilities and haptic suggestions for strong engagement. Swiping and scrolling is completely smooth, with no delay in system response. The graphics set can be fairly fetching, with an array of accent colours round completely different buttons. It’s good to see an automaker embracing a full shade palette — what number of different infotainment screens depend on solely a small handful of hues? Below the 10.1-inch display screen sits an 8.6-inch show, which predominantly homes the A7’s local weather controls, in addition to just a few shortcuts for the automobile’s stop-start system, lane-keep help, rear spoiler and different capabilities. You can program shortcut buttons right here, too, for issues like your favourite radio stations or telephone contacts you ring most steadily. When you are inputting navigation information, this decrease display screen turns into a keyboard, or an enormous writing pad — the latter is especially fascinating, because it lets you write out entire phrases, slightly than some older methods the place you enter one letter at a time. This is a large quantity of tech, to make sure, and that is earlier than we get to the A7’s driver help suite — one other Roadshow Shift Award winner. In addition to class-standard options like blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise management, the A7 can steer you in your lane when the ACC is working, and presents a lot of security options that not solely aid you keep away from a crash, however preserve you safer ought to a collision be imminent. This is, with out query, the best-two display screen interface out there wherever.
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Smooth operator The A7 is a luxurious and tech celebrity, but it surely’s actually fairly good to drive, too. This Audi strikes down the highway with pure grace — it is involving, however not attempting to be overly sporty. The controls are all properly weighted, with easy but responsive steering, and a properly damped experience. Whether you are driving brief distances in a metropolis or consuming up miles on the freeway, the A7 is an extremely nice cruiser. Power comes from a 3.0-liter, turbocharged V6 engine, with 335 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The engine makes use of a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, too, which permits for extra liberal use of the smooth-acting stop-start system (which may even flip the engine off earlier than you’ve got come to a whole cease) with a purpose to enhance effectivity. EPA gasoline financial system scores of 22 miles per gallon metropolis, 29 mpg freeway and 25 mpg mixed are acceptable for a automobile of this energy and measurement, and that is with customary Quattro all-wheel drive alongside for the experience, too. The 3.0-liter V6 is a strong engine, but it surely would not brag about its capabilities. Hitting 60 miles per hour takes a scant 5.2 seconds, but it surely would not contain an entire lot of drama. The A7 scoots ahead with elegant poise, and with hardly any noise from the engine or exhaust. Midrange torque is ample for passing, although the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission usually wants a second to get up earlier than dispatching fast shifts. The 2019 Audi A7 is the form of luxurious automobile I might need to drive all day, in all seasons. It can climate a nasty Detroit snowstorm with aplomb, providing cool and assured functionality for winter’s worst. But on dry roads underneath sunny skies, the A7 is nothing wanting luxurious and smooth. If you are keen on a sportier expertise, maintain out for the upcoming S7 and RS7 fashions, which is able to probably arrive later this yr. With its hatchback design, the A7 is definitely fairly useful.
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As fascinating as ever Overall, the Audi A7 is an extremely well-rounded luxurious automobile. It presents best-in-class tech in a cushty and quiet setting, and is actually satisfying to drive day-to-day. Its $68,000 beginning value undercuts conventional opponents just like the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLS, although fashions loaded up with all of the bells and whistles will put on value tags nearer to the roughly $83,000 of the automobile you see right here. Eighty grand is not an insignificant sum of money, but it surely would not really feel like an enormous demand for a automobile of this caliber. Indeed, with its spectacular array of expertise, strong driving manners, usable utility and complex model, the A7 continues to be one of the vital fascinating premium automobiles on sale at present.

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