The Headlining Hatchback

The evolution of the ‘4-door coupe’ pseudo segment continues in the house of Audi with A ‘Product Improvement’ version of the A7 Sportback.

The ‘4-door coupe’ is probably the newest of the segments and also known to be the most liberal in its classification. It can be anything from a svelte sedan, a sporting coupe, a multi-purpose station wagon or even a hatchback, although everybody hates the ‘H’ word on anything that costs above 100k. Yet, even with an identity crisis, these cars have been trending for the past couple of seasons.
Having tested Porsche’s Panamera, and with the promise of the new CLS test car from Mercedes-Benz, this week we pick on the other 4-door coupe, the bigger, classier and more expensive brother of the A5 Sportback — the A7. 
DESIGN & AESTHETICS
The Audi A7 was first seen in showrooms in 2011. It was designed to be the slinky sports coupe/sedan based on the A6, with the aspirational value of the A8. What we have today, though, is the PI or Product Improvement version — basically, the face-lifted variant of a car that has seemingly hit a mid-life crisis. PI or not, you’d be hard pressed to spot the differences between the old one and this, if you are not familiar with the car already.
The Audi-esque appeal is maintained up front — its Ingolstadt roots instantly recognisable  — and it oozes luxury from pretty much every angle. The headlights have lost the string of pearls LEDs for a more futuristic LED strip lighting (like that on the new Audi TT). The single-frame, multi-slatted grille is almost as large as that on the A8 and the S-line kit provides a deeper front apron with more aggressive air intakes.
The story of the A7 is actually told from the sides, where it shares a gently-raked roofline that seamlessly merges with the boot. Call it Sportback, fastback, or whatever you wish, but it makes the car look sleeker than the more traditional A6 and A8 sedans; plus, it benefits from improved aerodynamics and additional boot space. It sort of harks back to the 1971 Audi 100 Coupe S. Pure Genius. And at the tip of it all is a seamlessly integrated spoiler that lifts up above speeds of 120km/h. This A7 in S-line trim is as good as it can be, although the four exhaust tips on the S7 might stir some jealousy.
Our test car came splashed with paint called Dakota Grey which in any light looked brown to us. But black A7s are the best lookers, we think. The A7 manages to achieve that evocative coupe-like stance with the maturity of a sedan. There is a definitive balance in its design. We love it!
After we admired the exteriors, we were ready to assess the interiors; but we sort of knew what we were getting into, pun intended. Being an Audi, we expected a typical Germanic cabin — predominantly black, with high quality trims in natural and manmade materials, all in a cohesive design. But subtle differences sets it apart from its siblings, like the yacht-inspired wrap around lines that run continuously from door to dash to the door on the other side — a trend the Jaguar XJ started many years ago.
Audi has answered the growing demand for more authenticity and textured finishes by giving buyers choices of trims beyond the shiny lacquer wood inserts. Our vehicle had a beaufort walnut finish that complemented the aluminium inlays oh-so-beautifully, and an auto-flip open 8” screen and pop-up speakers from the dash (if you opt for the exclusive B&O audio system).
There isn’t a piece or surface that is out of place; everything looks so cohesive. The rest is pretty straightforward, like the 3-spoke steering wheel, which comes leather wrapped, along with the traditional shift lever and plenty of ergonomically designed buttons. The on-screen orbit of menus on the multi-media screen is easy to get around, even without the touch capability.
The A7, as with most 4-door coupes, is a 4-seater, but it can be optioned with a rear bench that seats three. Overall, it is not as accommodating as it looks, but space is sufficient, especially for a family of four. The seats are draped in Valcona leather in cedar brown with contrast stitching and the seats are power adjustable. We thought the front seats could be a bit wider. In comparison to the cathedral-styled Panamera GTS, the Audi A7 is contemporary, but there is a modest sense of what Buddhist monks call Zen when seated in the A7 — it is very relaxing.
POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE
Under the hood is a sandblast finished, 3L supercharged V6. And the blown effect gives it a serious bulge. At the crank, it will make 329bhp at 5,600rpm and 440Nm of torque between 4,900 – 5,300rpm. Power is up 20hp on the pre-facelift model. The engine is mated to a 7-speed S tronic transmission — completely unlike the clunky R tronic. This is a proper dual-clutch transmission, with paddles behind the wheel for manual shifting.
On the move, throttle response is delayed, but once you get going, you are flying down the lanes. It certainly has a more relaxed and refined approach to being fashionably fast. The A7 notches the 100km/h mark in 5.3 seconds with launch control, which is quick by any measure, and it will continue to accelerate until it hits the gentleman’s agreement of 250km/h.
Changing direction is easy, with the wheels glued to the pavement, thanks to the haldex-based Quattro all-wheel drive system, but the soft sprung suspension means there is plenty of body roll if pushed too far in corners. This is more a GT car than an outright sports car, but the average drive can be plenty of fun, even in the rain. That said, the A7 seems to float about like it’s on a cloud. The air suspension keeps ride quality like a puff of feathers — goose feathers, maybe — yet there is a great amount of composure in the suspension. You don’t feel like you’re being bounced about.
The drive selector helps you choose between driving modes like Auto and Dynamic — the latter immediately musters up increased steering and pedal feel. Then there’s ECO pro mode, where you run on the highest gears with dulled throttle response and comes in particularly handy when you are miles away from the next petrol station. It also comes with an ‘Individual’ mode with which you can customise the suspension, throttle response and steering feel to suit your style.
On the sustainability front, the A7 has a highly efficient supercharged engine that sips petrol at the rate of 7.6L/100km on average, which is rather incredible. The stop/start function does so much magic it’s a wonder how this hasn’t been made standard on all cars! Plus, the huge 75L tank means transcontinental travel is so much easier, or at least fewer stops at the pump. It’s not just the economy, it’s the CO2 emissions too, which at 176g/km really means they care about the environment, at least on paper. The acoustically insulated windshield and overall sound deadening ensures a quiet cabin, meaning engine noise and wind noise are subdued.
FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY
Audi, along with Mercedes-Benz and BMW, may be the second tier of luxury carmakers, but their toys and conveniences are first class. Sure, 300k sounds like a lot of money, but trust us, it could get a whole lot more expensive.
And it begins with navigation with Google maps as base. How cool is that? Then, for menus you have Audi’s MMI controller and another a gizmo — basically a touch panel with radio presets for up to six stations, which turns into a pad that recognises handwriting in navigation mode, so you can search through your phone book or do navigational searches by swiping. Also, the navigation works three steps ahead, so you are well informed and there are no surprises on the road.
With the Bose surround sound, tuning into the radio wasn’t a big deal, but when we were streaming songs from the phone on Bluetooth it was a revelation. The notes were crisp, the booms were good and it can be as loud as you want it to be. Best part is, Audi are finally hearing out customers who have been crying for better connectivity, and now we have two USB ports in the centre console.
The comfort of the 4-zone climate control system is augmented by heated/cooled seats in the front. The fastback profile gives you 535L boot space and dropping the seats down will give you an almost SUV-like 1390L. Do keep in mind that the tailgate opens up really high, meaning if you have a low garage, you might cause some damage to both.
There is cruise control, but no adaptive feature, which baffles me, especially considering this car is a notch above premium.  Maybe it is an option? Safety, as you may have guessed, is paramount in an Audi. After all, they were the first manufacturer to introduce crash testing. You get ISOFIX mounts for child seats, parking sensors and rear camera, and a bird’s eye view. You also have auto park for the lazy bunch, lane departure and blind spot warning — but everything adds to the cost.
VERDICT
With a starting price of Dh279,000, the 2015 Audi A7 PI 3.0T represents a high-calibre of road going elegance furnished with super-luxury comfort and convenience. The concept of the 4-door coupe may still be hard to grasp, but the additional boot space and aerodynamic benefits make this a mould for the car of the future. 

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GOOD
Elegant exteriors; smooth effortless power; plush ride; surprising boot space
BAD
Not as spacious as it looks; not meant for the circuits
EDITOR’S
RATING
8/10
 

• On The Road

George Kuruvilla

• george@khaleejtimes.com