2019 Audi A7 Sportback: Cheaper Than Before With Luxury and Safety Aplenty
The base model starts at $68,000.
Topline: The all-new 2019 Audi A7 debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this year and, in a couple of months, it will be available in showrooms. The new five-door coupe builds on the success of the first generation, featuring an evolutionary exterior, a more modern interior, next-gen lighting, and an exhaustive list of available driver assistance systems. As per the manufacturer's suggested retail pricing for the 2019 A7 Sportback, the base model Premium will start off at $68,000, which makes it $1,700 cheaper than the outgoing model. It is followed by the Premium Plus at $72,400 and at the top of the range sits the Prestige with a starting price of $76,300. Prices mentioned don't include the $995 destination charge, taxes, etc., and dealer prices could vary, as expected.
Lighting technology: Standard on the Premium are LED headlights. The Premium Plus gets HD Matrix-design LED units and dynamic front turn indicators. The Prestige model is treated to the trick HD Matrix-design with segmented LED headlights which also "shoots" laser lights for the high beams. These laser units are identified by the blue 'X' in the headlight and are claimed to be 30 percent more efficient than LEDs. LED DRLs and taillights with dynamic rear turn signals are part of the package, regardless of the trim.
On the inside, the new Contour lights trace the interior architecture and the ambient LED Interior Lighting Plus Package offers customers more than 900 color combinations.
Wheels: The 2019 A7 runs on 19-inch 10 Y-spoke design wheels. Also available are 20-inch five double-V-spoke silver rollers wrapped in all-season tires. Prestige models then offer available 21-inch wheels in a contrast gray finish with summer tires from the factory.
Interior highlights: Besides a variety of leather upholsteries, standard heated eight-way power front seats—upgradeable to 18-way adjustability with ventilation and massage function—and a range of wood inlays, the A7 also comes with a standard three-zone automatic climate control, upgradable to a four-zone variety.
The all-new MMI touch response system replaces the familiar rotary dial and conventional buttons of the previous model with not one but two large, high-resolution displays featuring haptic and acoustic feedback. The upper 10.1-inch display (8.8-inch on Premium models) controls the infotainment and the 8.6-inch lower display is used for climate control and convenience functions. The system also has an improved handwriting recognition; users can write a word left to right, or in one spot, and it should be able to identify each letter. The available Audi virtual cockpit brings yet another screen into the picture. This one is a 12.3-inch display with a 1920x720 pixels resolution.
Your musical questions are answered by a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system with 16 speakers, a 15-channel amplifier, and 705 watts of output. The Prestige models gets 19 speakers with a 19-channel BeoCore amplifier and ICE power amplifiers with a total output of 1,820 watts. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smart phone-integration are available too.
What’s under the hood: All 2019 A7 Sportback models come with a 3.0-liter TFSI turbocharged V6 engine mated to a seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission. An exhaust gas-driven twin-scroll turbocharger, which replaces the predecessor's belt-driven supercharger, along with a revised Audi valvelift system, results in an extra 44 pound-feet of torque. The 3.0T engine now produces 335 horsepower and 369 pound-feet between 1,370-4,500 rpm, which helps the new Audi A7 complete the 0-60 mph sprint in 5.2 seconds. Also, the A7’s drive system is more efficient due to a new mild-hybrid system (MHEV), based on a 48-volt electrical system.
About safety: The 2019 A7 comes with a suite of driver assistance systems. It’s got 24 sensors that help create a digital picture of the A7’s environment to either alert the driver or activate counter-responses. It’s got Adaptive Cruise Assist that works from 0-95 mph as well as a 360° surround view. This special equipment can detect potential collisions in any direction and can initiate specific preventative measures ranging from full emergency parking to preconditioning seat belts, raising windows, and closing the sunroof. It’s also got Intersection Assist, Turn Assist, Audi Active Lane Assist, Collision Avoidance Assist, and Traffic Sign Recognition.
“Right Turn on Red” signs displayed on the A7's information center are new for 2019 as are recommended exit and on-ramp speed limit indicators.
