Audi S7 News

Audi has revealed a light refresh of its A6 Sedan and Avant, and A7 Sportback, with the rivals to the likes of the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class launching in Europe, along with their sportier S6 and S7 counterparts.

Audi Australia is preparing a torrent of new RS and less-potent S models to launch this year that is expected to give a massive boost to its sportscar sales.No less than 12 full-fat Audi Sport models - RS-badged vehicles and the flagship R8 - will either

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Audi is preparing to spear its RS and S models into Australia. Top of the wish list, the RS4, will return in its new A4 body early next year - but only as a wagon. Ask the question about a sedan and Audi goes quiet. “There's no official word about an RS4 sedan,” says Audi Australia's Anna Burgdorf. The RS4 will get the same 331kW V8 as the RS5, recently tested in Germany by Carsguide. Also new for Australia in November this year will be the S6 and S7 with a 4-litre V8 - dubbed TFSI - which is a derivative of Audi's existing 4.2-litre V8 mill. The 4-litre has cylinder deactivation to save fuel and is the same engine - though slightly different tuning - as found in the latest Bentley Continental. Bentley offers the V8 as an option to its ongoing W12. Europe will debut the S8, which also gets this 4-litre V8, but it is yet to be confirmed for Australia. “It's unlikely,” Burgdorf says. “There is a customer trend to sporty sedans (think S7 and Mercedes CLS) and that's indicated by our sales of the A7. The S7 may have more interest than an S8.” Audi launched the A4 in June and will now prepare the A4 and A6 Allroad models for an October debut. The second generation Q5, with a new 2-litre turbo-petrol engine option, in December. The A3 arrives as a five-door in the first quarter of 2013 and an S3 version will follow. The sports version of the Q5, the SQ5, is here about June 2013. Audi has since May 2011 sold a hybrid version of the Q5 in Europe. Though also intended for sale in the US, the 180kW/480Nm wagon isn't on the Australian shopping list. “It is likely to be too expensive for us,” Burgdorf says. “It also gets the same fuel consumption average as the new 2-litre petrol engine so there's no advantage for Australia.”

Big wheels and enlarged air intakes in the nose point to a go-faster version of the Audi A7 Sportback. The German coupe has been doing well around the world and Audi is nearly ready with the S7 to sit above the regular A7 and below the V10-powered RS7. Carparazzi is speculating on either a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 or a 4.2-litre V8 for the S7.

More importantly, the new A7 Sportback comprises the essentials of the new generation A6 sedan and wagon, which will in turn be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show next March. Visually the striking the four seat A7 is at 4.9m by 1.9m (but only 1.4m high) a longer and wider version of the A5 Sportback, built on a lengthier version of the MDS platform that debuted in the A5 Coupe and underpins in various configurations the A4, A8 and Q5 ranges. While Audi Australia is negotiating price and specification, two engines are certain for Australia; the 3.0 TDI V6 turbo diesel and the 3.0 TSFI which uses the supercharged V6 petrol unit from the S4/S5. An entry 2.8 naturally aspirated V6 petrol, as is found in the outgoing A6, is being considered and would lower the guestimated starting priced. All Australia bound models will have quattro all-wheel-drive with torque vectoring and a seven-speed S tronic dual clutch transmission. Audi spokeswoman Nadine Giusti says the front wheel drive multitronic version on offer in Europe is not on the local shopping list in the immediate term. All engines feature thermal management, start-stop system and energy recovery. A Bose sound system is standard, as is Valcona leather and either wood grain or aluminium finish. So too is MMI navigation with touchpad and 8-inch display, convenience key, a three spoke steering wheel with shifting paddles and four zone air conditioning. Options include Quattro sport differential at about $3000, sports air suspension, which is an extra $2200 in the new A8 sedan, side assist, adaptive cruise control, Bang and Olufsen sound system, and an S line sport package with lowered suspension, 19-inch alloys, sports seats and bespoke trim. The brands first self-reverse parking function is also on the options list. Audis first heads up display is a possible standard option, but its online services, including a sat-nav function that integrates a Google Maps display, is unlikely for our part of the world. Significantly, in terms of the A7s relevance to the sedan and wagon, the A6s project manager Burkhard Wiegand was present at the launch in Sardinia. Both ranges are integral to Audis plan to have on sale 40 distinct variants by 2015.  If you have children and want to drive a coupe that is more elegant than hatchback, the A7 is perfect, he says. And despite attempts to name rivals as diverse as the CLS and BMWs 5 Series GT, Wiegand says: I think it is a unique concept (in this price range). Perhaps it seems similar, but they are very different.  Asked if the lack of a V8 in the current range pointed to an S7, Wiegand says only: In the future we will see. He is, however, more forthcoming on continued criticism of Audi steering. Despite employing a revised system that is linear and accurate, the A7s continues the trend of most Audis in lacking feel something of a drawback in a brand that so readily proclaims its sportiness. The weighting depends on the speed, he says. You can choose the mode with Drive Select. Our sense is the customer wants this. At least the A7 promises a dynamic fillup for the forthcoming A6 which cannot come fast enough for Audi. As a rival for BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the oldest current Audi is a non-starter selling only 354 units in the year to August, while 120 5 Series and 172 E-Classes sold in that month alone.

The larger, more luxurious A7 is set for an unveiling at the Paris Motor Show in October and near-production test cars are lapping the Nurburgring course in Germany.  The prototypes has picked up swirly camouflage similar to the design used on future BMWs, but there is no doubting the Audi future for the car.Carparazzi pictures point to a go-faster S7 version of the swoopy four- door coupe and its European sources suggest an RS7 Sportback could also be previewed in Paris alongside the regular A7, running the V10 petrol engine fitted to the R8 sports car.The latest A7 pictures show a car with much larger air intakes in the nose, bigger wheels and tyres, bigger brakes and four exhaust tips.  However, the camouflaged beast isn't as muscular as Audi's other RS models, which points to a mid-range S7, perhaps with Audi's new supercharged 3.0-liter V6 or the free-breathing 4.2-liter V8 under the bonnet and driving through a signature quattro system.