As some of you know I recently tried out the New A8 - fuller details
Here
Well this week Ive had a go in the new A7 Sportback so I thought I would try and do a similar report and take a load more pictures for everyone.
The car concerned is the 3.0TDI quattro A7 Sportback which generates 245PS and 500Nm of torque, enough to propel its occupants from 0 – 62mph in just 6.1 seconds. Even more impressive is the low nominal combined fuel consumption of just 47.1MPG and CO2 emissions of 158 g/km. Ive been looking at what to replace my company car with and a hatchback with a bit more style would certainly come in useful.
My first impressions are good - it feels very different from the D4 A8 in many ways, lighter, sportier, and doesnt feel its size at all. The A8 I drove was certainly quieter inside due to its double glazing but the A7 didnt feel overly noisy, you are just aware of more external noise than in the 8.
The cockpit feels like a nice place to be and feels slightly more intimate in the 7 than the 8 although much of the instrumentation is very similar. This particular car had quattro, and the sports differential and felt very assured on the back roads and on my "private driveway" to work (you'll have to ask IT about that one lol). The interior colour combo in this car was a wonderful mix of nougat brown and black, my only 2 criticisms were the lack of sports or comfort seats (the standard ones are in my opinion narrow and uncomfortable for long journeys) and also the light grey headlining and parcel shelf, which I would almost certainly have in black instead as the large white rear shelf reflects off the slope of the rear window and gets on your nerves visibility wise.
Otherwise, I really cant fault the car - if you like the A8 but want more of a drivers car then look at the A7 (I'm looking forwards to an S7 or RS7!!) whereas if you want wafting luxury and even more rear seat luxury then the 8 is still the daddy!
Heres the full album which Ive linked to
here
This particular car had £11,362 of extras!! and a spec list as long as your arm -
Metallic Paint
Parking System - Advanced
Storage Package
Adaptive Cruise (loved this)
HDD Sat Nav with MMi Touch
20" 10 parallel Spoke Alloys - Graphite
Adaptive light and high beam assist (love the high beam assist!)
Ambient lighting
High Gloss Tailpipes
Sports Suspension
3 Spoke Leather Steering Wheel
Through Load with Ski Bag
Folding Door Mirrors with Memory
Extended Leather Package
Inlays - Fine Grain Ash
Bose - Surround Sound System
4 Zone Climate Control
Night Vision Assistant
Phone Prep High
A7 sportback pictures
As you will see in the pics I met up with James again to see how the car measures up to a D2 S8 - I think perhaps it looks a little more sporty than the D4 A8 did next to it (not such a snow plough type grille) and its certainly lower down to the ground than the D4 A8 was
Anyways enjoy the pics and let me know what you all think. . . . I think it might be fun having a 7 and an 8!

__________________

Confidence is the feeling you have before you know better . . . .
Audi A8 D2 3.7 Quattro Sport 1999 FL - Melange
2nd Place Winner - A8-Freunde Annual German Meet 2012 at Edersee
20" x 9" Bentley GTC Wheels with 385mm W12 Front Discs & Bentley Caliper Covers, Front Lowered on Coilovers, Xenons, Combined DRLs and LED Foglights to modified OEM front fog lamp position, Alcantara/Leather, Full Black Alcantara headlining + pillars and blind shelf, Bespoke Flat Bottomed Sports Steering Wheel, Dark Myrtle Wood, Autodim Mirrors, Bose, Blinds, Digital TV, Ski Hatch, Modified rear exhaust section for extra V8 Burble
Audi S8 D2 Final Edition 2002, Avus Silver with Red Leather Interior
Tiptronic with Sport mode button, Sony rear entertainment package, Bose sound system, Audi Navigation Plus, 20 inch Final Edition alloys, Full Cat Back Stainless Milltek exhaust, giving a great V8 burble
Audi A8L D2 4.2 Petrol with LPG - Ebony Black
Audi A8L D4 FL 4.0T Petrol twin turbo - Havana Black
Audi A2 1.6 FSi Sport - Dolphin Grey with Votex body kit and Red Leather Interior
and some other A8's A8L's and Mercs