Roomy yet sleek, Audi gets it right

[rooster59]

Roomy yet sleek, Audi gets it right

By Kingsley Wijayasinha 
Nation Weekend

 

 

Despite its presence on the road, the A7 Sportback has something of a classic look in blend of luxury and performance

 

Audi is intelligently picking the right models to offer in Thailand, looking at areas where it can match or even beat rivals with attractively priced imported models.

 

Take the A7 Sportback, for instance. Priced at Bt5.399 million, this is a full-sized high-performance five-door hatchback that’s got everything you need, and makes you think “who needs a Porsche Panamera?” I picked up the A7 Sportback 55 TFSI quattro S line at the newly opened Bt1-billion Audi Center Thailand and was impressed at first sight. I usually don’t like large cars (especially quirky sportbacks), but the A7 has the sleekness that makes the five-metre body length seem acceptable, thanks to the low 1.42-metre height, resulting in a drag coefficient of only 0.27.

 

At the front are HD Matrix LED lighting, and there’s also light staging front and rear – when the doors are unlocked or closed, the headlights and tails lights team up to perform dynamic lighting animations.

 

The Thai version gets 20-inch wheels with low-profile tyres.

 

Despite its size and presence on the road, the A7 appears classic-looking and doesn’t attract too much attention when you drive around.

 

The interior is spacious and the quality does not disappoint – Audi is well-known for making excellent car interiors. I loved the gloss black/aluminium styling that has that very strong Audi design (but modernised of course), although I had to admit that finding the right seating position was pretty difficult (despite all the powered seat and steering wheel adjustments). The roofline is pretty low (there’s a large panoramic sunroof) and there’s not much headroom adjustment available.

 

The A7 features the Audi virtual cockpit that’s highly detailed and adaptable, along with MMI Navigation Plus and MMI touch response, multi-function flat-bottomed sports steering wheel, headup display, Bang & Olufsen audio system, Bluetooth connectivity, etc.

 

Move to the back and there is plenty of room (long, long legroom), in fact so much you start thinking who needs the A8 limousine? Children can even do somersaults in here. Open the luggage compartment and you’ll also be surprised by all that space (535 litres). Fold the rear seat backrests and you have as much as 1,390 litres.

 

The A7 comes with a MHEV powerplant, meaning that apart from the normal combustion engine, there’s a 48-volt primary electrical system and a belt alternator starter (BAS) generating up to 12 kilowatts of recuperation power.

 

Audi is moving quickly with its electrification programme, and next year we could see the German brand offering EV models in the Thai market.

 

Meanwhile, the base engine of the A7 is a silky-smooth turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 capable of pumping out 340hp and 500Nm, mated to a seven-speed dual clutch that’s so smooth you’d think it’s a conventional automatic.

 

The A7 weighs in at over 1.8 tons, but it never feels sluggish, and in fact when you floor the throttle it can accelerate like a sportscar. Audi claims 0-100kph acceleration in 5.3 seconds, and a top speed of 250kph. People who drive it would definitely feel it is more powerful than a regular turbocharged 3.0- litre car.

 

The steering is feather-light at low speeds and weight builds up as speeds increase, which is the way it should work. But you’ll be surprised how heavy the steering becomes during the first high-speed cornering opportunity you get. Nevertheless, the quattro all-wheel-drive system always maintains the best possible traction, and you just need to concentrate on where the car’s heading.

 

The suspension is multi-link both with stabilisers both front and rear. Audi said that the A7 comes with sports suspension but you hardly notice it as bumps and cracks on the road are still well-absorbed.

 

Audi brakes are always good in stopping performance, but the pedals are usually super-sensitive, making stop-and-go traffic exhausting. The brakes in the A7 have been improved with better feel and calibration, allowing for better convenience.

Meanwhile, the braking performance is top-drawer as well, especially from high speeds.

 

There are plenty of driver assistance systems, plus cruise control, six airbags, all-around view camera with guiding strip (unfortunately no parking pilot or remote garage pilot which would be ideal for a car this size).

 

The fully imported A7 Sportback offers a good blend of style, luxury and performance, along with a comprehensive equipment package. And at slightly over Bt5 million, has pretty attractive pricing too.

 

Audi A7 Sportback 55 TFSI quattro S line specs

 

Engine: DOHC 24-valve V6 Direct Injection with turbocharger plus 48-volt mild hybrid system

 

Displacement: 2,995cc

 

Bore and stroke: 84.5x89mm

 

Compression ratio: 11.2:1

 

Max power: 340hp/5,000-6,400rpm

 

Max torque: 500Nm/1,370-4,500rpm

 

Transmission: 7-speed dual clutch

 

Ratios: 3.188/2.190/1.517/1.057/0.738/0.508/0.386

 

Final drive ratio: 4.410

 

0-100km/h: 5.3 secs

 

Top speed: 250km/h

 

Average fuel economy: approx. 6.8-7.2 litres/100km

 

CO2: 154-163g/km

 

Suspension (f/r): 5-link, stabiliser/5-link, stabilizer

 

Steering: electromechanical powered rack-and-pinion

 

Turning circle: 12.2 metres

 

Brakes (f/r): vented disc/vented disc

 

Dimensions (mm)

 

Length: 4,969

 

Width: 1,908

 

Height: 1,422

 

Wheelbase: 2,926

 

Track (f/r): 1,651/1,637

 

Weight: 1,815kgs

 

Wheels: 20-inch alloy

 

Tyres: 255/40 R20

 

Fuel tank capacity: 73 litres

 

Price: Bt5.399 million

 

Distributor: Audi Thailand Co Ltd

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Auto_ADO/30357791

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-04

[marko kok prong]

great,looks like i have found the right getaway car for my next bank job.Hope it has a good size boot or trunk for you Yankees.

[fredob43]

5.4 mil: are they joking. For that sort of cash you can buy two MPV 7 seaters, now they do have Lots of room. And you still have lot of cash left over. Not forgetting where would you have to go to get it serviced BKK. I think Audi or peeps buying same are out of their mind.

[Sir Swagman]

1 hour ago, fredob43 said:

5.4 mil: are they joking. For that sort of cash you can buy two MPV 7 seaters, now they do have Lots of room. And you still have lot of cash left over. Not forgetting where would you have to go to get it serviced BKK. I think Audi or peeps buying same are out of their mind.

No shortage of potential buyers then.....

 

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, fredob43 said:

5.4 mil: are they joking. For that sort of cash you can buy two MPV 7 seaters, now they do have Lots of room. And you still have lot of cash left over. Not forgetting where would you have to go to get it serviced BKK. I think Audi or peeps buying same are out of their mind.

"5.4 mil: are they joking. For that sort of cash you can buy two MPV 7 seaters".

Are you joking?  Do you really think that potential A7 owners would have any interest at all in a 7-seater MPV, never mind two of them?

 

"Not forgetting where would you have to go to get it serviced BKK".

Most buyers would just take it to the Audi dealer that they bought it from, what's so difficult about that?

Edited November 4, 2018 by Just Weird

[metisdead]

Troll posts and the replies have been removed. 

[Pedrogaz]

One of my favourite cars.....can buy for $80K in US....a bit less than the 180K here. Nice car, shame about the price.

[CALSinCM]

Like movies nowadays, cars simply all look the same. 

[DavisH]

13 hours ago, CALSinCM said:

Like movies nowadays, cars simply all look the same. 

A friend had an Audi but sold it to buy a teana years ago. The Audi service costs where 3x that of the Japanese car. Not to mention huge depreciation.

[fredob43]

21 hours ago, Just Weird said:

"5.4 mil: are they joking. For that sort of cash you can buy two MPV 7 seaters".

Are you joking?  Do you really think that potential A7 owners would have any interest at all in a 7-seater MPV, never mind two of them?

 

"Not forgetting where would you have to go to get it serviced BKK".

Most buyers would just take it to the Audi dealer that they bought it from, what's so difficult about that?

If you read the head line it said roomy but sleek. It then goes on to say lacks head room. I just suggested that if you want room go for an MPV.

 

I don't know where there is an Aldi service/Dealers station outside BKK for me like a lot of peeps that would be a 4++++ hour journey. Very convenient??? After you have just paid 5.4 mil: 

Edited November 5, 2018 by fredob43

[Just Weird]

On ‎11‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 11:28 AM, fredob43 said:

If you read the head line it said roomy but sleek. It then goes on to say lacks head room. I just suggested that if you want room go for an MPV.

 

I don't know where there is an Aldi service/Dealers station outside BKK for me like a lot of peeps that would be a 4++++ hour journey. Very convenient??? After you have just paid 5.4 mil: 

"I don't know where there is an Aldi service/Dealers station outside BKK for me like a lot of peeps that would be a 4++++ hour journey".

If that's the case, why are you considering buying an "Aldi" [sic]?  If you're not going to buy one, what's the problem?

[transam]

Nice looking ride for folk where it's appeal ticks their boxes...????