2011 Audi A7 Sportback Officially Unveiled

The 2011 Audi A7 Sportback has been officially unveiled in Munich, and will go on sale in Europe in the fourth quarter of this year. Aimed squarely at the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, Audi's latest creation, positioned between the A6 and A8 sedans, is designed with elements of an elegant coupe, a sports sedan and a practical estate, within a “four-door coupe” body shape.

Despite being 17 cm shorter in length, 8 cm shorter in wheelbase, 4 cm narrower in width and 4 cm lower than the A8, the A7 is by no means a small car. However, the extensive use of lightweight aluminium in its body, chassis and suspension allows the A7 to be about 20 percent lighter than a similar-sized car constructed from steel alone.

Four V6 engines—each equipped with direct injection, thermal management system, stop-start system and brake energy recuperation—are up for selection, including a 201 bhp, 281 Nm 2.8-litre naturally-aspirated V6 petrol, a 295 bhp, 441 Nm 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol, and a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine in two states of tune: 201 bhp and 450 Nm or 241 bhp and 500 Nm.

Front-wheel-drive models come with Audi's multi-tronic CVT transmission as standard, and four-wheel-drive quattro models with seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission. The A7 is also the first Audi to feature a highly-efficient electro-mechanical power steering. A drive select system, offering different driving modes, is standard, although adaptive air suspension is optional.

Inside, the A7 has four seats and a generous 535-litre boot capacity which can be expanded to 1390 litres. Head-up display (HUD), touch-pad input interface for the MMI infotainment system, seven-inch screen and Bose sound system are some of the high-tech equipments standard or optional in the cabin.

Outside, the A7 rides on 18 to 20-inch wheels and uses bi-xenon headlamps and LED tail lights as standard. Audi's active lane assist prevents an accident by keeping the A7 in lane, while the pre-sense collision prediction system aims to reduce the severity of a crash.