Daily Slideshow: Style Meets Practicality with the New A7

A7 Sportback takes center stage

When Audi launched the A7 in 2011, the number one reason customers purchased the car was the exterior design of the car. Its sleek look with a sloping roofline and taut sculptured sides were both modern and minimalist. Sales have remained strong for the A7 in the seven years since its launch, but despite that, Audi went ahead and make some more design changes for the 2019 A7 Sportback, which made its public debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last month.

The all-new Audi A7 goes on sale in February in Germany and will reach North American showrooms by the end of 2018. Audi isn’t ready to talk U.S. pricing yet, but the new version should be close to the current model’s $70,675 starting point.

>>Join the conversation about the new 2019 Audi A7 Sportback right here in Audiforum.com.

Money talks but style doesn't have to

The new A7 has adopted Audi’s latest design styling, which features a wider, more hexagonal version of Audi’s shield grille. Shortened front and rear overhangs snip more than half an inch from the A7’s overall length, while flared fenders provide the low-slung four-door with a less slab-sided look compared with its predecessor. A prominent new taillight design sweeps across the width of the car below a retractable wing in the sloping hatchback. An optional S line body kit adds more aggressive front and rear fascias resculpted side sills and several minor trim changes.

>>Join the conversation about the new 2019 Audi A7 Sportback right here in Audiforum.com.

The interior is a bit touchy

But the most significant design changes Audi made to the A7 actually take place inside the car's cabin, where its previously successful dial-centric man-machine interface has been replaced with a smartphone-inspired touchscreen system with audible and haptic feedback. 

The new MMI actually consists of two screens; a main 8.6-inch display with haptic (touch) feedback that is used to control most functions and a second smaller console-mounted display below that functions as a control panel for the climate system and seats and as a pad for handwriting inputs, a feature that has existed in Audis for several years.

>>Join the conversation about the new 2019 Audi A7 Sportback right here in Audiforum.com.

And it's super smart too

You can handwrite the word "COFFEE” on the screen and names of nearby coffee shops pop up on the upper navigation display. Use of the screens, including a small panel at the left of the steering wheel to control lights, allowed Audi to eliminate 32 buttons. Audi made the switch because it believes the touchscreen will be more intuitive for its customers to use.

“You’re not learning a new methodology,” says Senior Product Manager Anthony Foulk, comparing the setup to a smartphone turned sideways. “This is the way people are used to it working. Other touchscreens have been out longer, but they’ve made you learn their (unique) functionality. You don’t have to learn how our MMI works.”

Up to seven driver profiles also can be saved with up to 400 different settings for such things as the driver-assistance systems, radio presets, seat positioning and cabin temperature.

>>Join the conversation about the new 2019 Audi A7 Sportback right here in Audiforum.com.

Leave your worries and your shoes at the door

The A7's interior continues to impress as you experience the different bells and whistles it offers. For example, when you unlock the car, LED lights are launched into a sequence of animations and puddle lights turn on. When the door opens, infotainment screens display personalized welcome messaging. Simultaneously, vents open, sound-system tweeters rise from within the dash, and ambient lighting is activated.

“The car is basically saying, ‛I’m ready for you,’” says Foulk. “There’s this whole sense of ceremony to give you this emotional attachment to your car and make it feel very luxurious and customized to the way you want it.”

>>Join the conversation about the new 2019 Audi A7 Sportback right here in Audiforum.com.

Backseat options

Comfort-oriented options include a perfume atomizer, massaging and ventilated front seats, and an air-spring suspension. The A7 can be fitted with either a three-person rear bench or two individual seats, and the half-inch-longer wheelbase provides rear-seat passengers with more knee and headroom.

>>Join the conversation about the new 2019 Audi A7 Sportback right here in Audiforum.com.

Self-driving features

And there's more. The A7 also carries advanced driver-assistance technology. "Maneuver assist" take over the steering and braking if the car senses you are about to hit something like another car or even a pole. You will also receive a warning if the car sense that you are about to scrape your tires on a curb during maneuvers like parallel parking. New radar equipment up front provides cross-traffic alerts and again will put the brakes on to avoid an accident. Regulatory issues have prevented Audi from adding Traffic Jam Pilot to the US version of the A7, but in other markets, the A7 comes with this Level 3 self-driving system that will allow for hands-free driving up to 35 mph. A Level 4 system will allow the car to "read" posted speed limit signs is due in 2020-2021.

“It’s really whether the legal framework is ready or not,” Foulk says of the hesitation to offer the technology in the U.S. “We’re evaluating it and as soon as we think it’s the right time, we’ll bring it. The car is engineered for it, but there are too many open questions about the environment of driving – laws in different states and everything. We developed the car, and a lot has changed in the past two years when it comes to that.”

>>Join the conversation about the new 2019 Audi A7 Sportback right here in Audiforum.com.

That Audi Engine-uity

The A7 comes with a 340-hp 3.0L V-6, 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and 48V mild-hybrid system, as well as standard all-wheel drive. Replacing the current eight-speed automatic transmission is a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Audi claims the combination can send the all-wheel-drive hatchback from zero to 62 mph in 5.3 seconds. Top speed is 155 mph.

Fuel-saving features includes a combo alternator and starter which can recuperate up to 12 kW of power back to the battery, an updated auto stop/start system that can use a feed from the A7’s standard front camera to restart the engine when traffic begins moving again, and a freewheeling mode that temporarily shuts off the engine when coasting at speeds between 34 mph and 100 mph.

>>Join the conversation about the new 2019 Audi A7 Sportback right here in Audiforum.com.

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