The Audi A7 Sportback, whether you would like to call it a sportback or a four-door coupe, has always been a beautiful car. And this week, the 2019 model year will be debuting in Germany with an even more striking appearance since we first saw it seven years ago.
Beginning with numbers, it is a bit shorter than its predecessor at 195.6 inches long, and is now only 55.9 tall, so it appears to sit closer to the ground. Unlike the A8, it has a wider face and a lower grille, giving it a sportier appearance. The hood now has lines that lead to the broader front fenders. Like its predecessor, it has got a sleek roof that seamlessly plunges toward a pop-up spoiler. As for the trunk capacity, there is 18.9 cubic feet of storage that can be maximized to 49.1 cubic feet when the seats are folded down. The rear end gets one full-width tail light that stretches from one end to another, and is made up of 13 individual LED strips that varies in height across the width of the trunklid. Customers will be able to get wheels as large as 21 inches in diameter.
With a stylish exterior comes with a stylish cabin as well. It is light and airy with plenty of horizontal lines up the dashboard and door panels. In fact, the 2019 A7’s interior resembles that of the new A8. Despite its shorter length, passengers get an increase in headroom as well as rear knee space, thanks to the extra 0.8 inch interior length. A7 buyers will be able to choose from a five-place or a 2+2 seating option.
Audi’s executive sedan passes on its infotainment technology to the new A7. It gets the 12.3 inch Virtual Cockpit instrument that we see in a lot of Ingolstadt’s models. This is paired with the 10.1 inch MMI Touch response, which serves as the vehicle’s main controller. This features everything from navigation, to music and vehicle settings. Furthermore, there is another 8.6-inch touchscreen that controls the cabin’s temperature, which can also be switched so it acts like a keyboard or a writing pad when you need to input information. Just like the A8, we expect the system to respond quickly and to be easy to use.
Safety features come standard too, from a sensor list that includes five radars, five cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors and even a laser scanner. This helps with certain functions like adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist. It might also have the Traffic Jam Pilot system but that has not been confirmed yet.
Under the hood is a turbocharged 3.0 liter gasoline engine, producing 340 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, that works together with a 48-volt lithium ion battery with mild-hybrid capabilities.
Expect to see the new A7 in Germany next February, while it will be available in the US market towards the end of the year or sometime in 2019.