Audi A7 | Video Review | CarsIreland.ie

Published on 7 September, 2018

New Audi A7 combines style with real substance and one of the best interiors we’ve ever seen

Overview

Overview

The looks speak for themselves. Anyone with a pair of eyes can tell you that the new Audi A7 is a handsome thing. But its true beauty lies beneath those sweeping lines and refreshingly understated styling in one of the finest and most technologically advanced cabins to ever hit the market.

It has the massively practical advantage of a hatchback boot opening, so you can throw your golfclubs, pushchairs or flatpacks in the back and the 535 litre boot will swallow them up without any problems. It's all very nicely finished too with some thoughtful added touches like nets and hooks, and an electric tailgate, naturally.

The back seats offer a luxurious amount of legroom, even for a six footer. The sloping roofline makes headroom feel a little bit cosier than the A8 but it's highly unlikely anyone is going to be wanting for room back there. An optional comfort pack offers four zone climate control, meaning each back seat passenger can pick their own individual temperature. Well, everyone but the poor shmuck in the middle who also loses out on legroom to a large transmission tunnel. Like most in this class, it's definitely better suited to two, but what a happy two they will be.

Standard features on the SE model are generous but we still think it would be a shame not to upgrade to the S-Line. In for a penny and all that. Doing so will get you 20 inch wheels, upgraded exterior styling and LED Matrix headlights as standard. It also adds four way adjustable lumbar support, electric seat adjustment, full leather, and SatNav.

Unfortunately, some of the essential stuff – the virtual cockpit for example, are still optional extras. You'll have to fork out more for that as part of a Tech pack which will also upgrade the SatNav, add wireless phone charging and a reversing camera, and give you that awesome google maps virtual reality view right behind the steering wheel. It's a €2,900 premium but it needs to be done.

The A7 we drove was the 3.0l Diesel Quattro with an 8 speed tiptronic gearbox, pushing out 286bhp. 620 Nm of torque gives it plenty of gutsy low down power, not to mention a nice bit of grunt from that V6 engine, and Audi's quattro system means that power is sent to all four wheels. This gives it  excellent grip going into corners and bends and makes it a car that you can drive with spirit when you want to.

On the other hand, it also feels perfectly suited (maybe even more so) to cruising down the motorway. It’s quiet, sharp and beautifully refined in a way that makes you look forward to a long journey. The drive mode select allows you to tailor the feel of different elements for those different situations.

The S-Line gets sports suspension as standard, and so sits a bit lower to the ground. Damper control will help prevent this feeling too harsh but it is another optional extra.

Then there’s this mild hybrid system which is impressive in theory but hard to get too excited over in real life. Basically there’s a battery strapped to the engine somewhere which can claw back energy from the brakes and allow the car to shut off completely when you’re coasting at certain speeds, in certain conditions and save some fuel as a result. However, it’s still a three litre diesel powering a large car with four wheel drive, so fuel economy is still going to reflect that somewhat. The claimed figure is 5.4 l/100km but it returned a more realistic but still respectable 6.5l/100km over a mixed week of driving.

The new A7 is the lottery car for people with a bit of class. You do pay for the premium build quality but the upshot is that it will hold on to its value well on the used market, and timeless Audi design means they tend to age well and not go out of fashion. When kept well, the number plate is often the only indicator of age. The engines and components are well tested across the Volkswagen Group range and there's a three year manufacturers warranty as standard.

Facts & Figures

Sinead McCann

Sinéad is our resident car tester who has the unenviable (-ok, slightly enviable) task of reviewing all the latest new cars to hit the market. You can follow her on Twitter @smcani and on Instagram @whatshedrives