Audi S7 vs BMW i Series

What's the difference?

Audi’s S7 Sportback wraps style, comfort and sportiness in an appealing package that is sure to please onlookers and occupants alike.

The great engine/transmission aside, the S7 Sportback also has cutting-edge technology at a more affordable pricetag, though less-than-comfortable rear-seat space lets it down a little.

We wish the car we sampled didn’t have the all-wheel steering, as we much preferred the more neutral feel of the S6 sedan we also drove but, overall, the S7 Sportback puts forward a strong case for its existence.

The thing that really grabs you from behind the wheel of a car like this is just how far EVs have come. The fact you can get a ridiculous range and have a really, really good time on the right twisting road is a pretty good deal and solidifies the fact EVs like this one are the future.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

Audi’s second-generation A7 has always been a bit of a looker, but Audi has taken it up another notch in the S7 Sportback.

Differentiating the S7 Sportback is a more aggressive bodykit, complete with larger air intakes up front, blacked out exterior trim, quad-exhaust tips (denoting that it’s an Audi Sport model) and large 21-inch wheels

The S7 doesn’t go too overboard with the aggressive appointments however (that’s what the top-spec RS7 Sportback, due here later this year, is for), but balances its sportiness with a stately aesthetic.

We think the S7 Sportback is stunning, especially the white exterior colour that gives it an almost Stormtrooper-like look, but even our test car, finished in Daytona Grey, while much more subtle, is still easy on the eyes.

We especially like the strong shoulder line, chiselled doors and sloping roofline of the Sportback body style that combine in profile to make the S7 look like a sprinter on the starting blocks ready to pounce.

Inside, the S7 Sportback scores all of Audi’s latest interior technology, including a 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit instrumentation and dual-screen centre console layout.

The triple screen set-up definitely helps the S7 Sportback feel very cutting-edge from the driver’s seat, especially when you start to play around with the multimedia system that sports haptic feedback when you press the screen.

Everything is laid out in a clear, concise and easy-to-use manner, while the surfaces of the dashboard are covered in soft-touch, premium materials.

If we’re being honest, we'd probably skip the red-leather interior of our test car in favour of something a little more subdued, but to each their own.

We like the integrated air-vents that blend well into the dash, while the sea of black is broken up with some aluminium detailing and different finishes.

It's hard to talk about the design of the BMW iX3 without spending some time at the front end. This is a bold, bold take on a BMW grille, and one that is entirely devoid of chrome or metallic lashings.

That’s not to say it’s boring. The iX3 has a light theme that runs inside and outside, the latter of which is called the Iconic Glow exterior package, which replaces the physical embellishments with white lighting that frames the kidney grille and the other inserts. It looks very cool and very modern.

In the cabin, the lighting theme continues, this time under the dash inserts that illuminate from within. But that’s not what really draws your eye.

That honour goes to the Panoramic Vision, which replaces the traditional driver’s screen with a pillar-to-pillar display that stretches the width of the cabin and displays all your key driving info.  It seems like a strange thing to get your head around but it felt natural almost immediately, with everything you might need (including a g-meter in its sportiest mode) on display.

Also new is the funky and chunky BMW steering wheel, which reminds me a little of one of those double-sided lizards, in that it can be hard at times to figure out which way is up, and which features 'Shy Tech' (features and controls stay out of sight until the driver or passenger needs them).

All in all, I like the space. There are just enough traditional-feeling elements mixed with new tech to make it feel futuristic and familiar.

Measuring 4969mm long, 1908mm wide, 1417mm tall and with a 2928mm wheeblase, the S7 Sportback falls well and truly into the large car class.

Up front, the driver and passenger have plenty of room, while the seats and steering wheel are almost infinitely adjustable to find the perfect position.

As you can imagine though, the sloping roofline does eat into the rear-seat headroom a little.

The outboard seats offer plenty of leg- and shoulder-room, but the slanted roof prevents my six-foot-tall frame from sitting up straight comfortably.

Don’t get me wrong, the space is perfectly useable for children or even some smaller adults, but don’t expect to get any basketball players in those seats.

As for the middle seat, only children will find it comfortable due to the protruding transmission tunnel and higher-set seat.

The S7 Sportback’s boot offers at least 535 litres of space and expands to 1380L with the 40:20:40 split-fold rear seats stowed.

Being a liftback (or Sportback in Audi parlance) means the boot is much more practical than a standard sedan, and with such a large aperture, bigger items such as suitcases or golf clubs won’t be annoying to load and unload.

Bag hooks, storage tie-down points and carbo netting also feature to ensure your goods don’t roll around when the S7 Sportback is in motion.

Storage around the cabin though, could be a little better as the wireless smartphone charger takes up a fair chunk of room in the shallow central storage bin under the front armrest.

The usual storage tray found ahead of the shifter is also absent, due to the dual-screen centre console layout, but two generous cupholders and sizeable door pockets are still available up front.

Second-row passengers get access to a fold-down armrest with shallow storage tray and cupholders, as well as door pockets that can accommodate large bottles.

The BMW iX3 is 4782mm in length, 1895mm in width, 1635mm in height and it rides on a 2897mm wheelbase.

It doesn't feel huge, but there's certainly enough space in the back seat for me. At 175 centimetres I have enough knee and headroom sitting behind my own driving position, plus you can adjust the angles of the rear backrest to get a little more comfy.

But while the front seat feels very modern, the rear is more a traditional back seat experience. Back seat riders get their own air vents and temperature controls, twin USB-C charge ports and a pull-down divider with twin cupholders, but that's about it.

The auto-opening boot reveals a 520-litre luggage space (1750 with the seats folded), all of which is unencumbered by charging cables and the like, which are housed in the 58-litre frunk.

Towing and electric vehicles are never the greatest of matches, such is the drain on the battery, but the iX3 can be fitted with a standard tow ball, unlocking a braked trailer capacity of 2000kg.

There are two iX3 options for now. Or at least there will be when the 40 model joins this 50 xDrive in a couple of months. Happily, aside from the smaller battery and single motor in the 40, the feature list is identical.

In terms of pure spec, the 50 xDrive gets a lot. It’s only colours, interiors and alloys to choose as extras. 

The tech is the highlight, though. There’s a big, crisp central screen, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but the showpiece is what BMW calls its Panoramic Vision, which swaps the traditional driver’s screen and gauges for a vast display that stretches the entire width of the cabin.

What cost for all that, you ask? Probably less than you think. The 50 xDrive is $109,900, before on-road costs, and for that you get a massive drive battery, lots of range and plenty of dual-motor punch. But the bang-for-buck bargain will be the incoming 40 eDrive, which will arrive at a LCT-busting $89,900, MSRP.

EXTERIOR:

• M Sport Package
• Blue M Sport brake calipers
• 20-inch M Sport wheels
• Body-coloured M rear roof spoiler
• BMW Iconic Glow exterior package
• Intelligent charging flap
• Panoramic glass sunroof with glazing
• Automatic boot

INTERIOR:

• Tri-zone climate control 
• Ambient lighting
• Sports seats with heating for driver and passenger 
• M Sport steering wheel with heating
• Verganza (synthetic leather) upholstery

TECH:

• BMW 3D Head-Up Display
• BMW Panoramic Vision
• 17.9-inch central screen, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Digital radio
• Harman Kardon stereo
• Wireless charging

Powering the new S7 Sportback is a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V6, punching out 331kW/600Nm, which is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends drive to the road via Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system.

The result is a zero-to-100km/h acceleration time of 4.6 seconds.

Keen-eyed Audi fans might note that those are the exact same engine and outputs as the RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe and RS4 Avant, and they’d be right, however, Audi has added the 48-volt mild-hybrid and an electric powered compressor (EPC) to reduce turbo lag in the S7 Sportback.

It’s a similar system first employed in the SQ7 large SUV, and basically means that the EPC is spooling up the turbo at low engine speeds for better off-the-line performance.

The mild-hybrid technology no doubt helps shift the S7 Sportback’s 2040kg weight with peak power now available earlier on in the rev range (from 5700rpm), while maximum torque is available from 1900rpm.

Compared to the older car, the new S7 Sportback matches its predecessor in power, but ups torque by 50Nm despite losing the old car’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine.

We’ll focus on the 50 xDrive, as that’s the one we’ve driven, and because the powertrain is a peach. Its twin-motor all-wheel drive set-up delivers a total 345kW and 645Nm, which is a lot. And because there is no traditional transmission to step through, and because all that oomph arrives at once, it feels plenty punchy indeed.

BMW says the sprint to 100km/h takes 4.9 seconds, and we believe them. Top speed is a claimed 210km/h.

Official fuel economy figures for the S7 Sportback are 8.5 litres per 100km, but in our brief time with the car we managed 13.6L/100km, mainly due to the inner-city and country B-road driving.

The 48-volt mild-hybrid system works to reduce fuel usage, by as much as 0.4L/100km according to Audi, and allows the car to coast with the engine off between speeds of 55km/h and 160km/h for up to 40 seconds.

The start/stop system also aids in reducing fuel usage.

As we mentioned at the top of this review, this is another big plus for the iX3. Its massive 108.7kWh net NMC battery delivers a maximum driving range of 805km, which is frankly ridiculous. To get it, you need to engage Efficiency Max, which dulls the drive experience, but that is an impressive number all the same. Engage the sportier settings and the figure drops to more like 650km-plus. 

Charging is 22kW AC and an impressive 400kW DC – or 300kW in the upcoming 40 model — which means a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 21 minutes when plugged into the fastest of chargers.

BMW says to expect 15.1-17.1kWh/100km in terms of energy usage on the WLTP cycle.

Audi’s formula for a go-fast vehicle has always been simple – quattro all-wheel-drive for grip, potent engine for speed – and the new S7 Sportback remains true to that formula.

We are big fans of the 2.9-lite twin-turbo V6 engine, which is matched wonderfully with a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission.

The S7 Sportback always seems to have plenty to give no matter where you are in the rev range, and the transmission isn’t bogged down with slow gear changes up or down.

Though it’s hard to tell how much the EPC helps in getting the S7 up to speed, if you have you window down and accelerate hard from a standstill, you can hear the electronics whirring away.

The standard air suspension also does a wonderful job at absorbing road imperfections in comfort, while it can be switched over to dynamic for a more sporting characteristic.

Grip is plentiful thanks to 255/35 tyres and the quattro all-wheel-drive system but, as with other Audis, the S7 Sportback tends towards understeer when pushed hard around a corner.

Being such a long and wide model, you definitely feel the S7 Sportback’s size on the road, especially when navigating through quick direction changes, but this is where the $7700 Dynamic Package comes into play.

It adds a sports differential, variable ratio steering and all-wheel steering, all aimed at sharpening the S7 up in the bends.

Our test car was fitted with the option pack, but it left us a little cold.

The all-wheel steering especially, made the S7 Sportback’s handling feel too artificial for our tastes, and we were never able to gauge where the rear end wanted to go in a corner.

If we were buying one, we’d leave the Dynamic Package option box unticked.

Bringing the S7 Sportback to a stop are big 400/350mm brake rotors front/rear, with six-piston callipers in the front.

Ceramic brakes with grey-painted callipers can be optioned for $18,000, but the standard stoppers do a fine job scrubbing speed in the S7 Sportback.

BMW spent a lot of time describing this car as being of revolutionary importance to the brand. It was designed as an EV from its inception, but is also the flag bearer for the New Class gen of cars, and so it has all sorts of features and tech that will roll out across the rest of the BMW range.

Does it feel overly revolutionary from behind the wheel? Not really. I mean, it drives forwards and backwards, and turns around corners when you move the wheel, all of which is to be expected.

But it does mostly feel very BMW, which I think is what they meant. The Jekyll-Hyde nature of the iX3 becomes apparent the moment you engage its sportiest driving modes and flatten your foot. This is proper push-you-back-in-your-seat acceleration that feels slightly more violent than the iX3's claimed zero-to-100km/h time suggests.

Then there's the flip side of that coin. Engage Efficiency Max and you can seemingly drive forever (or at least more than 800km), sipping battery juice and riding in peace, quiet and comfort. 

But at its core, and no matter the drive mode, it feels like a BMW. Crucial to that is a thing the brand calls the Heart of Joy, which sounds utterly sci-fi but really is a computer brain that works on traction and power to make sure you never lose grip.

If you've ever been in a car where the traction control light is flashing on a dash, you'll know what usually happens is it cuts engine power until you find grip, and it gives you power again, then cuts it, then gives it to you as required to find the grip, and it can give you that kind of jerky, stop-starty kind of feeling.

The iX3 doesn't do that. Instead, it plays with traction and is far more subtle without ever cutting power, and gives you the feeling of being able to tip into a corner and then power out without ever feeling like you're going to lose grip, or power.

The bigger electric motor is at the rear axle, which delivers most of your performance unless you need extra grip. So, when you are powering out of a bend, it feels a lot like a rear-wheel drive car and really well sorted from behind the wheel.

If that's the driver's side of the equation, the other side of it is pretty good, too. We took to the town at city speeds, and it was super comfortable, quiet and absorbed most of the road imperfections pretty easily.

Interestingly, the suspension isn't high-tech. There's nothing adaptive about it, and there's no air cushioning or anything like that. But it feels well tuned, and is pretty comfortable, even on dodgier road surfaces, while still delivering a sense of connection.

My favorite kind of mid-size SUVs are ones that have that dual nature. Something that has space for the family and all of their things, but also something that can be a fair bit of fun on the right twisting road, and this one absolutely nails that brief. It is a hoot to drive on twisty stuff. 

Downsides? Well, you can't entirely disguise more than two tonnes of weight. If you're going downhill, especially on a twistier road, you can feel the weight around you, especially when you go to pull up in a hurry, despite the strong-biting brakes.

The other thing is the steering, which is direct and lovely but quite light. It doesn't have that meaty heft some BMWs offer, and as a result, it can be interesting to place the vehicle. You can find yourself a bit further over in the lane, or further away from an apex than you're expecting, because your light inputs have really shifted the vehicle. 

But BMW has nailed the brief here. Do keep an eye out for the cheaper one that's coming, though. It could be a bang-for-bucks, rear-drive bargain.

The iX3 is fitted with all the active safety stuff you might imagine – things like active lane keeping, dynamic cruise control and more cameras than were used to film The Odyssey. Happily, only the driver attention monitor chirped me on my test drive, and usually when I had my head turned to the far side of the Panoramic Vision display.

It also has a self-parking function you might actually use, given how quick it is to pick a spot then park in it.

There are eight airbags and three top tethers across the rear for child seats (as well as ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions. But the big news is that its maximum five-star rating was achieved under ANCAP’s super-strict 2026 protocols, which is something few, if any, cars on sale in Australia can claim.

Like all new Audi models, the S7 Sportback comes with a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with three years roadside assist.

Audi’s warranty still lags behind Mercedes-Benz and Genesis, two premium marques that offer a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty on their models.

Scheduled service intervals are every 15,000km/12 months, whichever comes first.

A three- or five-year service plan is available for the S7 Sportback, priced at $2350 and $4110 respectively.

BMW offers a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which is about right for the traditional premium players, but off the pace elsewhere. The traction battery is then covered for eight years or 160,000km.

The service intervals are condition based, rather than timed, and BMW sells a pre-paid package for the iX3 which is $1614 for four years, or $2420 for six years.

You can upgrade either to what BMW calls Service Inclusive Plus, which includes high-wear stuff like brake discs and pads and it is $5535 for four years or $6615 for six years.

There are around 50 BMW dealers across Australia covering mainly cities and key regional centres.