Some details have been unveiled on the upcoming Audi A7 four-seater four-door coupe. The A7 range will consist of both a hard-top roofed A7 and a soft-top Audi A7. The soft-top version will be a challenge as Audi wants to keep the four doors, so it may be the first carmaker in the world to offer a production four-door convertible since the old Lincoln Continental in the late 1960s or a Mercedes-Benz in the 1950s, that is if Mercedes-Benz doesn’t get there first with a production version of its four-door Ocean Drive Concept.
An economical hybrid version powered by a V6 or turbodiesel engine paired with an electric motor with Sanyo lithium-ion batteries will be offered, as well as a sporty S7 said to be powered by a 4.0 litre turbocharged V8 and an even more scorching RS7, likely to be powered by Audi’s 5.2 litre twin turbocharged V10 from the RS6.
The more sedate A7 will be offered with a 2.8 litre FSI V6 and a 3.0 litre supercharged V6. Gearbox options across the entire product range will consist of a 6-speed manual, a 7-speed S-Tronic twin clutch as well as a new 8-speed automatic. The car’s quattro system will gain torque vectoring for better torque management between all four wheels.
The A7 will slot in between the A6 and the A8 and will face off competition such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS and a new CS Concept-based BMW 8-Series.
