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Driven: Audi A7 3.0 TDI ultra. Image by Audi.

Driven: Audi A7 3.0 TDI ultra
A big, luxurious coupé... and it's front-wheel drive?!

   



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Audi A7 3.0 TDI ultra

4 4 4 4 4

Good points: rock solid image, great interior, efficient.

Not so good: doesn't endear itself to its owner.

Key Facts

Model tested: Audi A7 Sportback S line 3.0 TDI ultra
Pricing: A7 range from £45,915; S line ultra from £48,020, as tested £58,260
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 diesel
Transmission: seven-speed S tronic automatic, front-wheel drive
Body style: five-door hatchback
CO2 emissions: 128g/km (Band D, £0 first 12 months, £110 annually thereafter)
Combined economy: 50.4mpg
Top speed: 148mph
0-62mph: 7.3 seconds
Power: 218hp at 4,000- to 5,000rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,250- to 3,750rpm

Our view:

A great big executive coupé designed to take on the likes of the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé or the Mercedes-Benz CLS, this particular Audi A7 hides an unusual secret. Because, despite it being such a physically imposing machine and costing at least £45,915, this car is front-wheel drive.

It's an ultra model, you see, which takes the base example of 3.0 TDI V6s offered in the A7 range and strips out drive to the rear axles, as well as some torque. The 218hp quattro A7 delivers peak power from 3,250- to 4,750rpm, with 500Nm on offer from 1,250- to 3,000rpm. The ultra has a different peak power rev range, at 4,000- to 5,000rpm, and drops to 400Nm spread across 1,250- to 3,750rpm.

However, the weight-saving enacted by not sending drive to all corners is of the magnitude of 70kg (equivalent to one average-sized adult passenger) while various other eco measures improve the ultra's best figures to 51.4mpg and 122g/km CO2, compared to the quattro's 47.1mpg and 138g/km. Saying all that, if you specify your front-wheel drive A7 in S line trim (not pictured), it features 20-inch alloys that nibble at the eco-stats to end up at 50.4mpg and 128g/km.

None of these on-paper-metrics really matter, though, because in practice the A7 ultra feels every bit as powerful, discreetly rapid and as luxurious as the four-wheel drive models. The benchmark sprint is half a second behind the 218 quattro's 6.8 seconds but otherwise the ultra feels suitably punchy. The big V6 TDI has a nice, muscular burr to it as well, without the engine note ever rudely intruding into the interior. So you're not going to miss that 100Nm, especially when the ultra can genuinely return in excess of 50mpg when cruising.

And while the chassis is not the most dynamic thing in the world, the A7 is reasonably tidy if you decide to increase the pace along a twisting road. The steering is fine and the S tronic gearbox a peach, and thankfully understeer is not noticeably increased as a result of the front wheels doing all the work. The Audi feels a precise handler, which means placing it on a narrow country road is easy stuff, yet like so many Audis it's hardly an engaging machine for the driver.

Of course, the Audi is much happier on the motorway, rumbling along on its midrange torque and generally just eating up the miles. This is thanks to a surprisingly supple ride, given the 20-inch rubber it rolls on, while the level of refinement is right at the top of the scale. The interior is also glorious, with enough room in the back for two adults to recline in comfort. The boot's huge, too, with 535 litres on offer behind a full complement of passengers.

As one of just three models in the A7 range to retail at less than £50,000 as standard - the other two being the 218hp versions of the ultra and quattro cars in 'entry-level' SE Executive trim - the ultra S line looks reasonable money... until you start adding options. With £9,595 of goodies loaded into our car, once the 'on-the-road' charges were added this ultra came in at £58,260. That's a huge sum of money for a front-wheel drive Audi, we reckon, and though you could take a couple of hundred quid out of that with some of the test fripperies, you're still looking at the thick end of fifty grand for a decent-spec ultra.

Which, when all's said and done, is a nice car. The midlife tweaks amounted to a revised grille, new light clusters and some polishing of the interior trim offerings, so Audi clearly felt confident that it had got the A7 right first time. Still, we're not 100 per cent convinced by the Audi A7. Occupying a niche between the A6 and A8, this near five-metre long behemoth is about the least successful 'four-door coupé' of the lot in profile, thanks to a rear end that looks like it is drooping. As with any car that's mildly contentious in the looks department, darker colours and bigger alloys help it but we'd rather just have an Audi A8, to be honest.

And it's not just the subjective matter of looks that leaves us lukewarm on the A7. The whole car comes across as remarkably proficient in all departments but not massively likeable. Which, in the executive class, is probably all it needs to be. As long as it can pound up and down the M6 in all weathers, returning mid-40s mpg as it goes, and as long as it looks impressively imposing parked up on a driveway, then the A7 can be deemed a success. Therefore, if you want to look the part but craftily save a few pennies along the way, the A7 3.0 TDI ultra is the car for you. It does everything a regular A7 can do, only it's a little bit softer on the environment. Just don't tell the neighbours it's front-wheel drive and you'll be fine.

Alternatives:

BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé: more interesting styling than the Audi and dynamically a bit more engaging.

Mercedes-Benz CLS: glorious looks and creamy V6 diesel drivetrain. Our choice in this sector.

Tesla Model S: want to be green in a swoopy-looking executive machine? Then try this fully electric, future shock brute out for size. Although be prepared to pay a lot more than the A7 for the privilege of zero-emissions running...


Matt Robinson - 16 Jul 2015



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2015 Audi A7 Sportback. Image by Audi.2015 Audi A7 Sportback. Image by Audi.2015 Audi A7 Sportback. Image by Audi.2015 Audi A7 Sportback. Image by Audi.2015 Audi A7 Sportback. Image by Audi.

2015 Audi A7 Sportback. Image by Audi.  


2015 Audi A7 Sportback. Image by Audi.
 

2015 Audi A7 Sportback. Image by Audi.
 

2015 Audi A7 Sportback. Image by Audi.
 

2015 Audi A7 Sportback. Image by Audi.
 

2015 Audi A7 Sportback. Image by Audi.
 

2015 Audi A7 Sportback. Image by Audi.
 






 

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