2014 Audi A7

The 2014 A7 risks being overshadowed by the high-powered S7, as well as the track-ready RS7 for the first time in the United States. Buyers may quickly discover that the relatively simple and affordable A7 is the pick of the range. With all the luxury and exterior drama, via a 2014 Black Optics package and S-line trim, the A7 is no wallflower. It can also haul serious mass its huge trunk on its way to 60 mph in under 6 seconds. The A7 is a mutant of a car in the ultra-conservative luxury sedan world. Style it all you want, but do not add a hatchback or call it a coupe. Where it starts to make sense is in the decadent fastback proportions and more than a little Lamborghini Estoque about the rear end. The Audi seals the deal with a huge tailgate that opens to a wagon-large cargo area and rear seats that can fold down for loading antiques.

The Audi A7 has a low roofline that is a significant 3-inch drop from the A8 above it. And while the A7 looks enormous, it is about half a foot shorter than the A8, as well.

The A7 does not have this fashion coupe space all to itself. It is nearly $20,000 cheaper than the Porsche Panamera that packs the same freaky hatchback luxury charm. The A7 also takes aim at the Mercedes-Benz CLS550 Shooting Brake and the BMW 650i Gran Coupe, making this one big German party.

None of these over-styled cars ever age very gracefully but the A7 is in the unenviable spot of being the oldest among this group of brand-new competitors. Don’t count out the $65,000 A7, as this battle has only just begun.

Click past the jump for the full review of the 2014 Audi A7 3.0T with highlights on the new equipment and performance options.

The A7’s exterior is obviously its show piece. Is it a coincidence that so many Estoque elements migrated over to the A7 after Italian exotic four-door was put on ice by Volkswagen Group overlords? Perhaps.

The Estoque design ideas are solid, and presented Audi an elegant and fresh way to package the tail of their new CLS-fighter.

Is co-opting the Lambo’s looks a bad thing? Of course not. The Estoque was a gorgeous concept car. The silhouettes are similar because of the Estoque’s huge rear fenders and a sloping glass that also created a hatchback-like trunk-line. The Estoque themes carried over easily to the big Audi and the most noticeable are the unusual surface treatments for the edge of the trunk.

The way it uses a third flat plane between the vertical and horizontal panel intersections is unique for Audi because the German brand typically rounds corners like this or pinches them in a different way. It seems trivial but it is what helps the A7 looks so unique versus the A8 and A6 that are far more conservative.

The A7 continues this trunk edge treatment down the body-side to skillfully mask the shut-lines and panel gaps between the plastic bumper and metal fenders. The look is mirrored up front but looks more elegant than the cut/shut corners of the A8.

The long LED light bar under glass just below the roof also makes an appearance. The taillight shapes and placement are similar, despite the Audi’s being larger than the Lamboghini concept’s.

Moving forward now, the A7 in profile is a long, lean shape defined by its low roof and never-ending glasshouse. These help balance a nose that still juts out in a non-premium way. Some unusual curves and curving creases appear in the lower doors and rocker panels to enliven the long panels.

At the nose, there is much less Estoque visible but the A7 does share the Lamborghini’s raked windshield and diving front fenders. These are new design elements virtually unseen on other Audi’s but expected in the future. Softening and sweeping the grille and light graphics helps create a more streamlined-looking nose without the vertical grille cuts of the new CLS and GranCoupe.

While it looks slippery, the A7 is actually down three points from the A8’s drag coefficient at 0.30. The single-frame grille is now available in gloss black with matching black window trims replacing silver. The A7 comes standard with the S-line bumper that includes some deeper side bumper vents. A variety of cool wheels makes the option list and helps increase the A7’s presence.

Those LEDs are still some of the brightest and most unique running lights on the road. They can be optioned to full-LED low and high-beams for $1,400 extra but the larger LED lenses on the A7 are not as pretty as the individual pods in the A6.

There are three wheel/tire upgrades that also come with a sports suspension and three-spoke steering wheel. There is also a stand-alone 20-inch wheel that keeps the soft ride.

2014 Audi A7 images

2014 Audi A7 photo