Getting your player ready...
Long and wide and low-slung, it’s a delight to drive, particularly when matched against twists and hills on a fairly open highway.
It’s the 2012 Audi A7 sportback, which went on sale last month. Positioned between the A8 and A6 sedans, it raises the question whether Audi needs another four-door in that high-end market area. This one, very sharply sloped, is distinctive and, like other Audis, offers quattro security. It is noticeably responsive with its 3.0-liter, supercharged V-6 engine and 8-speed automatic transmission. Push the console-mounted automatic shifter to the right, into the Tiptronic manual mode, keep the right foot into the accelerator and the big hatchback will perform like a much bigger block. Stay away, though, from that part of it (the supercharging side) and the A7 carries an EPA highway rating of 28 miles per gallon. Crisp handling goes along with the V-6, aided by low-profile summer-performance tires – Yokohama Advan Sport 265/35R20 – mounted on 20-inch, 10-parallel-spoke alloy wheels. Audi officials, when showing the A7 at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late November, said “it mixes the sporty elegance of a coupe, the comfort of a sedan and the practicality of a station wagon.” Some refer to it as a “four-door coupe,” styled along the lines of the Mercedes-Benz CLS and Jaguar XF. It is interesting to compare the new A7 with the premium luxury A8 sedan which I drove six months ago. The A7, 6.5 inches shorter than the A8, and its sport suspension deliver sharper and stiffer performances than the A8. The cushy A8 appeals to older motorists; it should be ideal for loading up the trunk with lots of luggage and heading out on a lengthy cross-country trip. I criticized it, though, for its unusually small cargo space. The sport-driven A7 is designed for a younger driver; it would be great for a weekend run to a ski slope or a summer jaunt to Grand Lake for a regatta. Yet, its cargo space is a whopping 24.5 cubic feet, almost double that of the A8. The A7’s MMI navigation system got brief, but timely use. After a downtown visit to The Denver Post for short meetings with Tim Dubus, Tim Coy and Mike McKiernan, we had 20 minutes to reach the 700 block of Peoria Street, where we intended to find Helga’s German Restaurant (I’m in need of an updated Denver phone directory) and a 2 p.m. dessert date with Frank and Raelee Frazier. Well, Helga’s has moved within the past couple of years, but to where? Jan keyed in “Helga’s” and the nav indicated it was farther east on Exposition Avenue, and the real-time traffic feature included a warning of “construction slowdown” on I-225. By avoiding that tieup, we arrived only 25 minutes late, and the Fraziers were patiently awaiting us. The navigation, for which the screen emerges from the dash, is part of a $6,330 optional Prestige package, which also adds rearview camera, four-zone climate control, cooled front seats, Bose surround sound, adaptive headlights and ambient lighting. This, with the 20-inch wheels and moonlight blue metallic paint, raised sticker price to $68,630.
The smooth-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission and quattro all-wheel-drive are standard on the four-seater A7, along with power tailgate, power sunroof and Sirius satellite radio.
The interior is finished beautifully in soft beige leather and wood trim.
While the exterior rear slope is an appealing factor, it also becomes detrimental at times when reviewed by rear-seat passengers, due to cutting into available headroom.
Notes from e-mail
Q: Bud, your recent column listing all the hybrid cars being sold in the country really surprised me, I had no idea there were that many to choose from. You didn’t include the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, though. They have gone on sale, haven’t they? – R.S.
A: The Volt and Leaf are on sale, Ralph, though they’re considered electrics, rather than gas/electric hybrids. And, they’re not being sold in Colorado. I’ve noted no eagerness on the part of Chevrolet and Nissan officials to put the electrics on the roads around Denver. Considering our hilly terrain and winter conditions, the limited range of the electrics will be shortened even more.
Q: Bud, do you have the 1978 Chevy Corvette, which was the Indy Pace Car that year, listed as one of the “best-looking Chevys of all time?” – S.J.
A: I didn’t have, Syl, but I do now. I drove one of the replica pace cars from Chuck Stevinson’s showroom floor back then.
2012 Audi A7
$68,630
(price as tested)
MPG City 18 Highway 28
Vehicle type: Large AWD sportback sedan
Wheelbase: 114.7 inches
Length/Width/Height: 195.6/75.2/55.9 inches
Weight: 4,210 pounds
Engine: 3.0-liter supercharged V-6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Fuel mileage: 23.5 mpg
Fuel tank: 19.8 gallons
Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles basic
Competitors: Mercedes-Benz CLS, Jaguar XF, Porsche Panamera V-6, BMW 535i Gran Turismo
Built at: Neckarsulm, Germany
Parts content: Germany 75 percent
THE STICKER
$59,250 base
$6,330 Navigation, 4-zone climate control, Bose surround sound, rearview camera, front-seat ventilation, adaptive headlights
$1,200 20-inch wheels, summer performance tires
$875 Destination
PLUSES
Four-door coupe styling
Supercharged V-6
Cargo capacity
MINUSES
Rear-seat headroom
Over-grip cupholders
It’s the 2012 Audi A7 sportback, which went on sale last month. Positioned between the A8 and A6 sedans, it raises the question whether Audi needs another four-door in that high-end market area. This one, very sharply sloped, is distinctive and, like other Audis, offers quattro security. It is noticeably responsive with its 3.0-liter, supercharged V-6 engine and 8-speed automatic transmission. Push the console-mounted automatic shifter to the right, into the Tiptronic manual mode, keep the right foot into the accelerator and the big hatchback will perform like a much bigger block. Stay away, though, from that part of it (the supercharging side) and the A7 carries an EPA highway rating of 28 miles per gallon. Crisp handling goes along with the V-6, aided by low-profile summer-performance tires – Yokohama Advan Sport 265/35R20 – mounted on 20-inch, 10-parallel-spoke alloy wheels. Audi officials, when showing the A7 at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late November, said “it mixes the sporty elegance of a coupe, the comfort of a sedan and the practicality of a station wagon.” Some refer to it as a “four-door coupe,” styled along the lines of the Mercedes-Benz CLS and Jaguar XF. It is interesting to compare the new A7 with the premium luxury A8 sedan which I drove six months ago. The A7, 6.5 inches shorter than the A8, and its sport suspension deliver sharper and stiffer performances than the A8. The cushy A8 appeals to older motorists; it should be ideal for loading up the trunk with lots of luggage and heading out on a lengthy cross-country trip. I criticized it, though, for its unusually small cargo space. The sport-driven A7 is designed for a younger driver; it would be great for a weekend run to a ski slope or a summer jaunt to Grand Lake for a regatta. Yet, its cargo space is a whopping 24.5 cubic feet, almost double that of the A8. The A7’s MMI navigation system got brief, but timely use. After a downtown visit to The Denver Post for short meetings with Tim Dubus, Tim Coy and Mike McKiernan, we had 20 minutes to reach the 700 block of Peoria Street, where we intended to find Helga’s German Restaurant (I’m in need of an updated Denver phone directory) and a 2 p.m. dessert date with Frank and Raelee Frazier. Well, Helga’s has moved within the past couple of years, but to where? Jan keyed in “Helga’s” and the nav indicated it was farther east on Exposition Avenue, and the real-time traffic feature included a warning of “construction slowdown” on I-225. By avoiding that tieup, we arrived only 25 minutes late, and the Fraziers were patiently awaiting us. The navigation, for which the screen emerges from the dash, is part of a $6,330 optional Prestige package, which also adds rearview camera, four-zone climate control, cooled front seats, Bose surround sound, adaptive headlights and ambient lighting. This, with the 20-inch wheels and moonlight blue metallic paint, raised sticker price to $68,630.
