Audi A7 - TopCarNews

Audi A7 Sportback (2018 – present) | Expert Rating [hide]

Summary

The Audi A7 Sportback aims to fill the needs of those who want sleek looks in their car but also want to carry adults in the rear seats, and it meets the brief very well.

With its swooping rear this is one of the most visually attractive cars in the Audi range yet it is also practical – behind the plentiful rear-seat space there is a tailgate on a car whose silhouette suggests a boot lid. The A7 is based on the Audi A6 saloon, so it’s definitely a large car that runs to almost five metres length.

The Audi A7 Sportback comes with a choice of petrol and diesel engines. Depending on which you go for, the power will go to either the front or all four wheels. Common to all are mild hybrid systems that allow the car to coast at above 35mph, improving fuel economy. Or you can go the full hog with the TSFI e plug-in hybrid.

Top of the regular Audi A7 range is the S7, which is powered by a 344hp diesel engine. There is also seriously high-performance RS 7 model, but that is not covered on this page. We’re building a separate analysis for that model, so check back soon.

As of January 2022, the Audi A7 Sportback range holds an Expert Rating of 69% based on 27 different reviews. That puts it two points ahead of its nearest direct rival, the Mercedes-Benz CLS, but five points the mechanically identical Audi A6.

Reviewers like the refinement of the A7, especially under electric power, but less so its ride quality, which with the big wheels most suited to the looks makes for rather firm progress. The car is marked down for feeling less connected behind the wheel compared to rivals such as the Porsche Panamera.

When the current Audi A7 arrived in 2018, it brought with it significant technology. Niceties such as the digital touchscreens earn praise, as does the fit and finish of the interior, dubbed luxurious by many testers.

However, making full use of the tech means much dipping into the options list and the car quickly becomes very expensive – especially as Audi’s equivalent saloon, the A6, offers much of what the A7 does with more practicality and for nearly £10K less money.

Audi A7 highlights

Sleeker and more attractive than the A6 saloon
Rear-seat space belies its looks
High-tech specification
Refined petrol engine

Audi A7 lowlights

Expensive, especially once options are added
Firm ride, especially on largest available wheels
Handling prowess can’t match rivals
Touchscreens not easy to operate on the move

Key specifications

Body style: Large five-door liftbackEngines: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid
Price: From £48,775 on-road

Launched: Spring 2018Last updated: Spring 2020
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Audi A7

Audi S7

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Audi A7 Sportback blends style with substance, and takes a big leap forward in terms of technology.”
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Model reviewed: S7Score: 6 / 10“Performance is strong, it corners well, and it’s exceptionally capable on a long-distance run.”
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Auto Trader

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Audi A7 Sportback is a very well-made, comfortable and technology-festooned car that has plenty of appeal thanks to its sharp-but-understated looks. It’s a very attractive luxury machine.”
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Autocar

Model reviewed: 55 TFSIe quattroScore: 7 / 10“The plug-in hybrid powertrain delivers what you’d expect and hope: pleasant electric-only cruising, increased range, reduced emissions and added practicality.”
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Model reviewed: S7Score: 8 / 10“Latest warmed five-door fastback ditches petrol for Audi’s surprisingly sporty hybrid diesel power.”
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Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“With its svelte lines and a cabin teeming with digital interfaces, the new Audi A7 might seem an irresistible technological status symbol. However, it possesses neither the ability to engage the driver beyond a basic level nor the calibre of ride quality we’d expect from a long-legged four-door coupé.”
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Business Car

Model reviewed: 3.0-litre diesel automatic 50 TDI S lineScore: 8 / 10“The second-generation executive coupe is a sleek and refined cruising machine.”
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Car Keys

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“With the vast majority of buyers expected to opt for diesel it’s perhaps a shame the 3.0-litre unit doesn’t feel quite as refined as you might hope, but it’s by no means a deal-breaker – and the lower running costs should offset any qualms about the gruff noise. The petrol feels like the true A7 Sportback experience, though.”
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Carbuyer

Model reviewed: S& Sportback hatchbackScore: 7 / 10“The Audi S7 Sportback offers huge performance in a practical hatchback package, but the cheaper S6 is just as good.”
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Carwow

Model reviewed: S7Score: 8 / 10“The Audi S7 Sportback is a premium four-door coupe with the performance to match its slick looks but alternatives are more fun to drive and come with more exciting petrol engines.”
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Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“The Audi A7 Sportback trades some practicality for good looks. It’s a great car for long distances with a choice of powerful engines including a frugal diesel.”
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Company Car Today

Model reviewed: 3.0-litre diesel automatic 50 TDI S line quattroScore: 7.9 / 10“It’s an imposing car, and comfort and refinement are the Audi A7 Sportback’s strongest suits. However, residual values in this sector aren’t the strongest, and it’s not cheap.”
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Daily Mirror

Model reviewed: 3.0-litre diesel automatic 50 TDI S line“The Audi A7 Sportback takes the old school approach of a sporty luxury grand tourer but with razor-sharp tech and performance for the 21st century.”
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Eurekar

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid 55 TFSI e quattro Competition“The Audi A7 Sportback is an absolute dream to drive as it glides through long sweeping bends with as much power as you dare make use of. The road-holding is confident and assured with accurate steering that offers plenty of feedback. Then on motorways, it cruises effortlessly at the national speed limit.”
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Model reviewed: 3.0-litre diesel automatic 50 TDI S line“Sleek, roomy enough for five and designed with a sporting edge, the Audi A7 has engaged with families, business people and outdoor types alike – all won over by the versatility and blend of luxury with a sort of everyday practicality.”
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic 45 TFSI S line“The 2.0-litre turbocharged unit fitted to this model proved a most able performer and at the same time will deliver the sort of economy that won’t leave you wishing you’s plumped for diesel instead. For a large car it handles sublimely, the whole process aided by the four-wheel-drive system. It makes for a vehicle that is composed, assured and genuinely fun to drive.”
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Evo

Model reviewed: S7 TDIScore: 8 / 10“S7 is the best new A7 yet – potent, refined and good to drive.”
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Fleetworld

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid 55 TFSI e S lineScore: 8 / 10“You know you’re in a plug-in hybrid Audi when you set off. Instead of the muted 2.0-litre petrol tones, this A7 starts almost silently. Progress from the electric motor is so energetic, this Audi confuses you into you thinking you’re still petrol-powered.”
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Model reviewed: 3.0-litre diesel automatic 50 TDI S line“The impressive A7 ticks a lot of boxes for the high-mileage executive driver – but the optional air suspension is a must-have for best-selling S line versions.”
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Heycar

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“Just because you’re a successful businessperson or captain of industry, it doesn’t mean you necessarily want to look like one. They might, however, want attention of a different sort. And that’s where the Audi A7 Sportback comes in.”
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Honest John

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“If you want the kind of attributes that a luxury saloon gives you but a more affordable version, then go for the Audi A7.”
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Motoring Research

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“The Audi A7 Sportback is a more practical hatchback version of the A6 saloon, with the tech and wizardry of the flagship A8.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8.6 / 10“Sleek, tech-heavy luxurious five-door coupe.”
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The Telegraph

Model reviewed: 3.0-litre diesel automatic 50 TDI S lineScore: 8 / 10“Like its predecessor, this new Audi A7 Sportback is a composed and powerful car that can cover huge distances with ease. It is also bursting at the seams with technology, from its mild hybrid drivetrain to its safety features and slick interior execution. Just remember that the forthcoming A6 will do all of this without being quite so expensive.”
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“The Audi A7 isn’t a luxury sports saloon – it’s a luxury limousine dressed in a rakish, designer suit.”
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Model reviewed: S7Score: 7 / 10“There are new bumpers front and back, a new diffuser, extra-wide sills. Purposeful but not OTT.”
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What Car?

Model reviewed: S7Score: 8 / 10“Like its S6 sibling, the Audi S7 errs more towards the luxury end of the performance car spectrum.”
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Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 6 / 10“A beautifully made, very comfortable high speed cruiser with a surprising amount of space inside.”
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Which?

Model reviewed: Range overview“The coupé styling might divide opinion, but there’s no doubting the Audi A7’s substance underneath the bodywork. It offers the passenger comfort and advanced technology that premium car buyers expect, and upholds Audi’s brand strengths of excellent interior quality and design.”
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Safety rating

Overall rating: 5 stars
Date tested: October 2019

93%

ADULT OCCUPANT

85%

CHILD OCCUPANT

81%

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

76%

SAFETY ASSIST

Read full Euro NCAP review

Notes on safety

The Audi A7 shares its safety rating with the A6 saloon upon which it’s based. The A6 was tested by Euro NCAP and awarded a five-star rating in 2018, and Audi was required to provide additional evidence to show that the A7 would behave the same way in an emergency to be awarded the same rating. The A6’s five-star rating was subsequently extended to cover all A7 models in 2019.

Eco rating

Model tested: 50 TDI 4×4 Auto
Date tested: February 2019

7.3 / 10

CLEAN AIR INDEX

2.5 / 10

ENERGY EFFICIENCY INDEX

Read full Green NCAP review

Notes on eco rating

The Green NCAP rating above only applies to the 3.0-litre diesel automatic 50 TDI version of the Audi A7, as Green NCAP ratings are specific to engine/gearbox/drivetrain.

If any other versions of the A7 are put through the Green NCAP lab testing programme, we will publish the results here.

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