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• The Audi A7 is now in its second generation.
• Wheels24 had the 55 TFSI Quattro derivative on test.
• It is powered by a 3.0-litre twin scroll turbocharged engine with 250kW and 500Nm.
It has taken a while for the Audi A7 to arrive in South Africa. The wait was further extended when the test car booking was canceled a day prior to delivery to Wheels24 due to the national lockdown.
Nevertheless, it arrived a few weeks later and to say I was keen to drive the second generation A7 is an understatement.
The four-door coupé is the best-looking Audi in the local arm's arsenal. Drenched in Mythos Black, the A7 looks sleek, futuristic, and damn right elegant.
If the A7 was devoid of rear door handles in the conventional spot you'd be hard pressed to think it has four doors. Viewed in profile the sloped roof line does more than enough to make it look special. There's only one model in the range available locally, named the 55 TFSI Quattro.
It measures in at 4969mm long, has a wheelbase of 2926mm and is 1908mm wide, with a height of 1422mm.
Power comes from a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 engine with 250kW and 500Nm mated to a seven-speed S tronic gearbox. The A7 employs a 48V mild-hybrid system that is used to eradicate turbo lag. A 0-100km/h claimed time 5.3 seconds is reported by Audi, for those wondering.
The power delivery of the V6 is smooth and refined. I could hardly hear the motor as the seven-speed automatic transmission goes about its business.
The four-wheel drive system means the A7 feels planted and has prodigious grip but it's certainly more at home cruising as opposed to being threaded up a mountain pass.
The cabin is just a nice place to be. There are two touchscreens that are used to perform every feature from climate control (bottom) to the infotainment (top). I used the Apple CarPlay system and found it easy to connect to and use.
Perhaps something I won't tire of is the company's virtual cockpit that replaces the analog dials with a digital screen and brings up a map for the satnav to whichever radio station or music you're listening to.
In summary, the big Audi ticks all the boxes for someone looking for a cutting edge sedan that looks like a coupé.
